QuakerInfo.com Forum

[AnnaBelle]

Hello, Friends!

I am in a bit of a quandry, and perhaps I can glean some insight from the wisdom and experience of others...I hope this isn't too long, but background might be helpful.

I have always been a person who could not do a job that involved any compromise of my value system (not for long, anyway!). I've never been able to lie.

I was able to eek out a living in my chosen field, before I had kids, because I believed in the greater good of what I was doing, and could make it work in the confines of that. Now, I am a stay at home parent and don't have the time needed to devote to my professional career. My husband is working hard, supporting our family, and not complaining...We live within our means, and live very simply, but we would like to move, and to do so, we need a little more money. I would like to get a part time job, on weekends, or online, but there is little out there that I feel is not a compromise of something for me. I realized how fargone it was when I found myself rationalizing that I can't deliver fliers in the early morning because I believe that they are a wasteful use of environmental resources, as well as promoting consumerism. Plus, I would feel like a jerk giving people junk mail.

I need to know some opinions on where the "line" is...I want and need to help my family, but I've always had issues with this...Now that I am transitioning toward Quakerism, it seems as though I am struggling more than before.

Am I being neurotic? Puritanical? Obsessive? Ridiculous? (<-This is entirely possible.) Does anyone else struggle with this? How does earning a living fit with being a quaker, especially when pickin's are slim?

AnnaBelle

[JChang1]

First, I don't think that your being anything but careful about your job choices. I in a previous post have considered joining the Coast Guard after college, but decided against it. I felt that if you cannot believe or are questioning if what you are doing is right, then you should not be engaged in the process.

I would to narrow your choice of jobs that you want to do and ask yourself if you could do that job with no reservations. If problems persist speak to your members of your local meeting or ask for a Clearness Committee.

[CelticNorth]

The city I live in recently confronted the issue of "unwanted" flyers and advertising being left on doors, mailboxes or on windshields of vehicles. While the extact wording of the ordinance escapes me, leaving fliers on windsheilds got the axe, due to to many being thrown on city streets and left as trash; a complaint process was enacted so that offending businesses would be notified to cease distribution. Homes, condos and apartments are able to post thier policy for nonresident access to private property. What residents finally received was more promotional advertising with specials or discounts for local residents, or companies introducing themselves to the neighborhood. Our community recyles paper and sorts trash, so there are no envoirnmental concerns about appropriate disposal of advertising flyers; those materials get recycled. If you live in a community that is supportive of local businesses who in retrun offer value added savings and discouts, there are probably many appreciative recipiants of the advertising. You may be assisting someone in growing their buisiness, which is generally good, so I think there can be positives outcomes to what you are doing. We have a kitchen drawer full of local resturant offerings which deliver to our neighborhood, as well as discount coupons for basic auto maintenace. good for a year. Perhaps the real question is whether you feel comfortable representing the companies whose advertising you deliver ?