I am not out to ruin anyone's good time. I am not against getting something fun. I am however in great awe at the ridiculousness of the goody bag at children's birthday parties. When did this phenomenon begin? Where did it all start? Why has it gone so terribly terribly wrong?
Once upon a time individuals had a right to feel special and be special on a day set aside just for that person. A birthday is about the person born on that day. Twins and Triplets (etc..) have to deal with sharing the day and so too the rare instances of siblings years apart being born on the same day but ultimately it is a day that should be all about you. Why aren't we teaching children how to be happy for someone else? Why are we not helping them understand that you don't give something just to get something in return? Why are we so afraid to let someone have his or her special moment?
As a child I went to a party. I gave a gift. We played games. We ate snacks. There was cake and ice cream. We went home and within a few days of the event we received thank you letters for the specific gift that was given. I was not upset that I didn't get a bag of treats to take home. I was not unhappy that the child received all of this stuff but I received nothing. Why is it no longer done this way? I even see siblings have this happening. I never received gifts on my younger brother's birthday nor did he receive gifts on mine. It wasn't about him on my birthday and it wasn't about me on his yet many of today's children do not understand this concept.
A great deal of this sense of entitlement that is circulating around the youth of today might just in part be due to this very event. They expect something just because they showed up. They think that every event is about them. They aren't satisfied to do something for mere enjoyment's sake. It is an awful reality.
Parents have also taken this goody bag at the end of the party to extremes. The one upping of each other became so bad that at an actual elementary of which I am quite familiar, they had to ban the celebrating of birthdays altogether. It is not about YOU Mom and Dad and it is not about the people who came, it is all about the Birthday kid. I think it's well past time we all remembered that.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
The World as it is II
The most recent headlines online and on the news are about the rape of a 16 year old girl. They aren't sympathetic towards the girl because after all she was drunk and prone to lying, they were sad for the convicted rapists who had such promising football careers. They were good students just having a good time posting pics to social media and having people cheer them on or just watch. How could it be that they got arrested?
At school today, a 10 year old felt perfectly justified in punching a kid who said the wrong thing to him. He did this in front of the kid's father and surrounded by other adults. He probably learned this form the moms who were encouraging their kids to fight on you tube or perhaps the various war related videos he was discussing through the course of the day. You know the videos with the age appropriate label on them. The one he was not appropriately aged for.
That Lindsey has managed to escape jail yet again. I believe this is time number five. Had any of us mere mortals done just a fraction of what she has done we would be behind bars and the key would have disappeared. Last I checked all law-abiding citizens who violate probation go to jail. If we take property from a store without paying we might get probation but at the level of cash that the jewelry was at that would definitely be jail time. Lying to an officer hmm perjury is about a 30 day jail sentence. Ah the power of celebrity.
Marriage is still a major debate. I am still not certain how it works that my happiness is directly linked to whether or not the same sex couples can be married. Apparently if they can enjoy a long and lovely life with the one they love, then any relationship I have is null and void. I wonder what the geniuses behind that argument would think if they check the history books to discover that their sacred marriage was never about love in the beginning. It was about claiming hers, collecting properties and forging alliances. It is only in recent times that it's all about love. IF you are fortunate enough to find it, then you should be fortunate enough to be together happily ever after. If marriage is your goal then it should be a right for all.
When last I checked a calendar, it was 2013 yet day be day I feel time is not slipping into the future, but sliding fast back to the past. I am not pleased. I am quite frightened actually. The cavalier attitude which seems to encompass the youth's mentality is very worrisome. Nothing seems to be taboo. Nothing seems to contain true consequences. The old guard of negativity, bigotry and extreme conservatism seem to be taking hold of the world once more. The land of the free feels rather oppressed to me. Women's rights are silently being revoked. It still requires a signature from on high for blacks to have the right to vote. The new witch hunt is for your local teacher. Our food is killing us. Our water is polluted. The air is dirty and the red tape is even more convoluted.
IF there was ever a time for true and significant change, that time is most definitely now.
At school today, a 10 year old felt perfectly justified in punching a kid who said the wrong thing to him. He did this in front of the kid's father and surrounded by other adults. He probably learned this form the moms who were encouraging their kids to fight on you tube or perhaps the various war related videos he was discussing through the course of the day. You know the videos with the age appropriate label on them. The one he was not appropriately aged for.
That Lindsey has managed to escape jail yet again. I believe this is time number five. Had any of us mere mortals done just a fraction of what she has done we would be behind bars and the key would have disappeared. Last I checked all law-abiding citizens who violate probation go to jail. If we take property from a store without paying we might get probation but at the level of cash that the jewelry was at that would definitely be jail time. Lying to an officer hmm perjury is about a 30 day jail sentence. Ah the power of celebrity.
Marriage is still a major debate. I am still not certain how it works that my happiness is directly linked to whether or not the same sex couples can be married. Apparently if they can enjoy a long and lovely life with the one they love, then any relationship I have is null and void. I wonder what the geniuses behind that argument would think if they check the history books to discover that their sacred marriage was never about love in the beginning. It was about claiming hers, collecting properties and forging alliances. It is only in recent times that it's all about love. IF you are fortunate enough to find it, then you should be fortunate enough to be together happily ever after. If marriage is your goal then it should be a right for all.
When last I checked a calendar, it was 2013 yet day be day I feel time is not slipping into the future, but sliding fast back to the past. I am not pleased. I am quite frightened actually. The cavalier attitude which seems to encompass the youth's mentality is very worrisome. Nothing seems to be taboo. Nothing seems to contain true consequences. The old guard of negativity, bigotry and extreme conservatism seem to be taking hold of the world once more. The land of the free feels rather oppressed to me. Women's rights are silently being revoked. It still requires a signature from on high for blacks to have the right to vote. The new witch hunt is for your local teacher. Our food is killing us. Our water is polluted. The air is dirty and the red tape is even more convoluted.
IF there was ever a time for true and significant change, that time is most definitely now.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Daylight Savings Time
Whether it's for farm communities as we all believe or energy conservation as the government would have us believe, it is a questionable activity that occurs around this time every year.Fall backwards and Spring forward is an adage of which we are all familiar. Twice a year we fool with time in order to make our lives better. The extra sun at this time is a wonderful benefit but the loss of an hour of sleep for me and the readjustment of my body clock to the current reality seems a high price to pay. Not all individuals are as sensitive to this seemingly minute change but enough people are on my side that I decided to investigate this tradition.
It would appear that in it's original inception, it actually had little to do with farm country. It is all about the government's idea that this change twice a year would bring about the use of LESS energy. So far, studies are inconclusive as to the benefits of this event. Some studies prove we save while others prove we don't. All I can prove is that I don't like it and I do feel it no matter what anyone else says. I believe we should hang out with Hawaii. Tropical island paradise has gotta know something that we don't
It would appear that in it's original inception, it actually had little to do with farm country. It is all about the government's idea that this change twice a year would bring about the use of LESS energy. So far, studies are inconclusive as to the benefits of this event. Some studies prove we save while others prove we don't. All I can prove is that I don't like it and I do feel it no matter what anyone else says. I believe we should hang out with Hawaii. Tropical island paradise has gotta know something that we don't
Monday, March 4, 2013
New Work Week
It is Monday morning yet again. I am not amused. I am ready for the weekend to return already. Who is with me on this? I remember when I was in Kindergarten life was so much simpler. There was NO SCHOOL on Monday. I went to school Tuesday through Friday. It was glorious. I think we should have the entire world on that same schedule. Of course some people would argue that you need the work week to be five days. TO them I say work a shorter Monday if you must. The hours of 11 to four work well in my opinion. We need to work this out so that no more Mondays are harmed.
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