If ending poverty was as simple as a job...

It's so easy to blame the poor for their poverty. What's really difficult is being a force for change.

There is no simple reason for a person to be poor. Every person who is there wishes they were some other place. Truthfully, many of them could be in a different place. But something holds them back.

Fear. It's the No. 1 reason people don't change their circumstance. "If things are bad now, they could be worse." "It took me forever to get this job -- if they found out I was looking, I could lose everything." "This job pays my rent and barely covers my bills. At least that's something."

Education. Many highly capable people don't have the education they need, or think they need, to get the job they want. Maybe they had to drop out of school to help support their family. Or they have a learning disability or another challenge. Maybe their education is in another field that is no longer an option. Perhaps in some cases, they have advanced degrees that prevent people from hiring them for a lower-level job. 

Support. Some people have no family support to help them get a job. Perhaps they have small children, and they don't have family who can watch the youngsters so they can submit resumes and go to job interviews. Without this support, they can't effectively job search and are stuck in their circumstance. Other times, it is a family member who clearly or vaguely is unsupportive: "You don't need to look for a better job -- my job supports us just fine." "If I was your boss, I wouldn't promote you." "Do you think that is wise?"

Discrimination. Obvious or hidden, challenges can stop a person from getting a job or even looking for one. A wheelchair user, for instance, can't always prove that his disability stopped him from getting a job, but after hundreds of unsuccessful job interviews, unproven discrimination can wear a job seeker down. The same with vision or hearing impairments, age, size, or many other issues. And the person's own challenges may stop them from even searching for satisfying jobs. Perhaps they have unseen medical conditions or are a caregiver for someone who needs their help -- and the caregiver knows of no other options. "I wouldn't be able to keep a job." "Who would want to hire me?" "I have to be home if they call."

Thousands of workers, thousands of reasons. These are not excuses, they are barriers. Some of them easily overcome, some of them impossible to scale. It's hard not to say, "well, why don't you get a job?" or "you could easily get a better job" when you don't know the circumstances.

Individual-oriented job placement is the answer, but on one hand, some people won't accept the help, and often it is not available. In addition, job success isn't just about landing the job, it's about dealing with the other life obstacles that can stop a person from succeeding long-term even after he or she lands a job that fits. Attitudes. Money issues. Family situations. Work is an effective way out of poverty, but it is hardly the entire answer.

Tune out, turn off, unplug it all

I've heard that people who are able to draw boundaries between work and the rest of their lives are more effective and focused.

I would have a hard time testing that theory. I'm not sure I have any boundaries between my work and the rest of my life. As electronics invade more and more of our personal space, that dividing line becomes almost impossible to find.

I think back to the first professional job I had. As a reporter, I worked when I worked. There was no internet. No cell phone. No social media. (There were also no digital cameras or pagination software programs, but I digress). The only fuzzy line came when people in the community approached me at the grocery store, in a restaurant, at church, at my son's school, etc. and told me about a great story that our newspaper was missing. I was pleased that the community felt I was approachable. And it didn't happen every minute. When I took a vacation, I was really gone and unavailable.

Fast forward 28 years. I often wish I was back in those days, not only because I miss writing professionally, but also because I miss the boundaries. Today I am responsible for my agency's social media, electronic newsletter and webpage. I have a personal Facebook page, that makes it easy to stay in touch with family and friends, but also easy to send me a personal message. People can call, text or send me emails on my "smartphone." I get messages before, during and after work. And people expect me to respond. Sometimes I'm even proud that I respond early in the morning and late at night.

For most of the past three days, I've been at the Grand Canyon. Within the national park, I went back at least 10 years. My reception was severely limited. No 4G service, no emails, no Facebook updates. I forced myself to stay out of the business center. I shut off my phone and charged my camera battery instead. I unplugged and laced up my boots. I breathed Ponderosa pine instead of Facebook memes. And I admit, when I hit mid-afternoon today, I had to force myself into the truck to start the drive back. It would have been easy to stay a few more days.

The Bible's writers could have never fathomed smartphones and laptops, the internet and cell phones. However, they realized that there are times and seasons for all different types of activities (Ecc. 3) and that Jesus didn't totally uphold Martha's toil (Luke 10). Today, Jesus may have told me to tune it out, turn it off and unplug it, enjoy some life and take time to listen to Him.

Doesn't everyone need a bailout?

On the eve of this Thanksgiving Day, I want to wipe out the ungratefulness from my mind. I'll blog it instead. During this week of Thanksgiving and Black Friday and Cyber Monday, maybe Tuesday could be Universal Bailout Tuesday.

If investment and banking CEOs deserve a bailout, what about me? Shouldn't it count that among the three members of my family, there are four jobs, three rescued pets, two college enrollments (and a partridge in a pear tree, but I digress).

I'd be glad to support the car industry, the banking industry and the stock market, but right now, my cash on hand is a little strapped. But with a small fraction of the checks the government is considering, I'd be glad to purchase a new vehicle. Hybrid, if that would help our global warming situation, too. I'd save some, and invest some. We can discuss percentages. I don't need all $700 billion. I'd share the wealth. $70 billion would be just fine. $70 million even. Heck, some days just $70 would help. Thank goodness, that's now two tanks of gas for my little pickup instead of one.

Speaking of gas, before the election I saw this video with an Obama supporter telling the reporter that she was voting for him because he was going to put food on her table and gas in her tank. I'd be glad to have Barack fix my Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. If he arrives tonight, he could help me clean house. Or tomorrow he could wash the dishes. I never really liked washing dishes anyway.

Does anyone believe in self bailout? How about working hard and earning more? Adapting to difficult economic times with innovation? Finding newer and better ways to exist? It used to be that people were ashamed of bailouts. People bragged about pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. They "weathered the storm," put their "nose to the grindstone," "burned the midnight oil." Now bailout is the term of the year for 2008. Bailout used to be something pilots did as a last resort before the plane crashed, not something people did before they had to cancel their three-week Caribbean vacation.

Unemployment hasn't reached double-digit figures And my last peek at the job service board showed lots of jobs. OK, no CEO of national financial institution jobs, but good, solid work. People who want to work can find positions. Believe not the media, who search for examples of people to fit their story premises. Yes, some people have been looking for work for months. But some people have been laid off and found a job that same week. They never even applied for unemployment. The country's situation is not hopeless -- not until its citizens give up hope.