Archive | August, 2009

Let’s Be Thankful That We Have Our Children…

27 Aug

Two recent horrible incidents again remind me to be thankful that my kids and grandkids are safe and healthy and still here and able to bug us to pieces.

 On Tuesday, a two-year-old boy drowned not too far from our house in a neighbor’s swimming pool.  He’d been having fun, and laughing, and showing his family how well he could swim. And then I guess he’d decided to try it by himself in a neighbor’s pool when no one was looking, and he drowned.  One minute he was there playing and laughing, and then he was gone. Just like that.

 Several weeks ago, a local three-year-old girl almost choked to death on a grape. She had turned blue, and the heimlich maneuver wouldn’t work.  Then the firefighters tried a special suction tool that extracted the grape and cleared her airway.  Althought eight long minutes without oxygen had passed, the girl is miraculously doing fine.

So let’s just remind ourselves each and every day that we are so lucky to have our children with us, even if we’re pulling our hair out because they’re fighting over who will get to watch what TV show, or crying because you made them mad, or pestering you to play a game with them or to let them cook, or to help you do your exercises.  If you’re frustrated with them, just cry your tears and have your meltdown, and then be so glad that those kids are there to get you through each and every day.

Be safe!

Help!! I’ve Been Tag-teamed by My Family & I Can’t Get Up!!!…

20 Aug

Stick Fig FamilyThe Problem: 

Have you ever experienced the not-so-strange phenomenon of being vastly different from your other family members but still being expected to fit in and all get along and be happy? 

Surely not you too???

Well, for as long as I can remember, I’ve been the square peg in my family.  One sister, my brother, and my mother are three peas in a pod – they stick together through hell or high water.  And that would normally be a very good thing…unless someone not like them – - LIKE ME – - has an opinion that they disagree with.  Then I AM WRONG!!  No ifs, ands, or buts about it.  And not only am I wrong, I am WRONG AND MEAN!   MEAN, MEAN, MEAN!

And the other sister is just totally out there – - WAY OUT THERE.  My thinking is so totally different from hers, I guess it was a miracle, or a major genetic mistake that we’re in the same species, much less the same family.

The Issue:

Well, how is this to be handled?  I’m not normally one to observe, then just sit back and shut up.  If I see something that doesn’t make sense, or isn’t right, or isn’t fair, I’m going to say something about it.  And of course if it involves one of the three peas, or the satellite orbitting in the far reaches of space, then I’m in big trouble. 

Shouldn’t anything ever be said about honesty?   After all, I AM the oldest.  Isn’t that my job?

The Solution:

Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not sure there is a solution.  I guess one way to fix it would be to stay away from family functions. Or I guess I could just always keep my mouth shut (probably an impossibility).  So, how can this be dealt with?

I guess the only thing to do is suffer through those family get-togethers, smiling when you might not want to smile, and gritting teeth when you really want to tell someone they’re acting like a moron. 

What’s your suggestion?

Oh well, that does it for my therapeutic venting for the day.  Thanks for listening. I’m off to find some acting classes!

“Don’t be so HARVEY!!” – I’ve Created a New Adjective…

13 Aug

Book coverto be  “HARVEY” – definition:

in major denial;

running away from one’s self; 

afraid of ostracism;

cares too much about what the world thinks.

 

So……..   “Please don’t be so Harvey!”

Ft. Worth Gay Bar Bashing – How Fun is That?….

8 Aug

Rainbow LoungeI was trying not to make judgments until the investigation into the raid on the Rainbow Lounge in Ft. Worth was completed, and now enough of it has been to say:  Homophobia and LGBT discrimination is still alive and well in Texas.  Did we really ever doubt it?  No, I don’t think so.

This article has some partial results from the investigation (thanks Andrew Sullivan for your post) – looks like the TABC and Ft. Worth police messed up big time.  When will we all realize and accept the fact that people are different, but they’re just people.  Shouldn’t we all embrace each other’s differences instead of lash out against them? 

I’m embarrassed that our State and sister city have apparently reenacted the events leading to the Stonewall Riots in 1969.  We are supposed to learn from our mistakes, and travel by leaps and bounds forward, not backward.

When will we learn?

(Picture from news article in Fort Worth Star Telegram Aug 6 2009)

Censorship Laws Proposed in Iraq…

4 Aug

Andrew Sullivan at The Atlantic referred to a scary article in The New York Times:  New laws are being proposed in Iraq which will require censoring of books, websites, television, and other media deemed to be harmful to young people and the public.  The Iraqi government would be able to ban publications and websites it deems offensive, including those containing derogatory remarks about Islam.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,713 other followers