Car Chase Craziness

I know there are many of you out there who watch them, revel in them, love them but I am not a member of your group. They always end the same way. You get caught. They stop your vehicle and wind up face down on the ground or the driver gives up and winds up face down on the ground. Okay there has been  a few where they die but that too is in fact getting caught and instead of face down on the ground you're in a box in the ground. Why do you run?

I don't honestly believe that all these drivers feel they will be the one to get away. Could the guaranteed "15 minutes of fame" be that much of a lure to so many? Is it the heady power of I've gone this far so why not keep up til I can't go any further? What is it that makes these escape artist want to be's try to out drive the police and hovering helicopters on the bus streets of LA? You can barely get where you'r e going in a timely fashion on a good day but with local police and highway patrol, Skycam 5 and all the other news copters where do you really think you are going to go?

Why are we as a whole fascinated by this chase? Are we all secretly hoping the driver does get away? To me, that has to be the only reason we watch. It is not that we are on the driver's side, it's more the spirit of the chase. The odds are most definitely not in the driver's favor and therefore that innate desire to route for the underdog kicks in and we watch, waiting, hoping that maybe this time it'll have a different ending. I can't see any other reason to disrupt my regularly scheduled programming.

I know this statement won't sit well with most but I say, follow the chase, film away but don't interrupt my day.Let me see the highlights at news at 6 and 10. Warn the various neighborhoods with the alert system so they can clear the streets but leave me out of the days chase. It's a waste of space. Of course, if you get to the end and they stop the car or the driver stops the car and somehow or another eludes authorities then tune me in at that moment as that would be something different and worth it for me to see.

Labor Day

Hope today all the hard working individuals out there enjoyed the "final barbecue of summer". Labor Day traditionally signifies it's time to turn in our white pants, turn off our summer fun and return to full blown reality. It's actual purpose was a day off to all the laborers across the land that help make our cities and states grand. I heard a wonderful way to celebrate this holiday that adds even more meaning to the day. Take a moment to say thank you to someone whose labor helped make your dreams possible. Happy Labor Day everyone!

Built in Self Destruct Mechanism

I just realized that my refrigerator is 20 years old and still going strong. The walk man that I purchased forever and a day ago still transmits the few stations broadcasting on regular radio. The blender from the late 80's and various other kitchen tools from the same time that are hiding in cabinets and drawers are all in fantastic working order too. IF all of these not so modern devices are still functioning, why is it we need new "smart" phones every two years, our computers only come with a one year guarantee and our other electronic devices tend to "fill up" so quickly we need to get more?

There absolutely has to be a built in self destruct mechanism in all our so called modern appliances. I understand that technology moves forward at an alarmingly fast pace but why must we make devices that aren't meant to last? Some of us don't need to keep up with the Jones' (who are those people any way?) Some of us would like to have reliable equipment. I would rather invest a little more now to have something I know will last than  spend less on the great "deal" that will just cause me to have to spend more in a year or less.

It is rather annoying to me that a printer I have had and minimally used for maybe 2 years has not only developed an issue which means I need to replace it, but that I had to search to find this particular model because 2 years was apparently all the life it was expected to live. I was forced to upgrade to a smart phone because of this line of thinking. My perfectly reliable, plenty of power for me multi-media phone has been phased out of the market. You can either have the basic flip or a smart phone but you aren't allowed to be somewhere in between. In order to make sure I changed my phone which had been working well, slowly developed issues that made it unreliable. I also noticed that it was no longer available for sale. All of this occurred right before time for me to upgrade my phone. How convenient is that?! 

We are in far too much of a hurry these days. The instant gratification craze  is killing us. Quality is no longer a guarantee no matter how hefty the price tag. The idea that you NEED the new and better has been pushed upon each new potential customer. "Oh you have level 3 I already have the 4th edition."  Children should not be that aware of consumerism. Once upon a time we took the time to make the buyer proud to come home to well built custom, non cookie cutter quality; It cost more but it was worth it.

Reflections

I am happy to say that thanks to this and a few other places, I am accomplishing a goal. I started this blog in 2009 but I wasn't very good to it. I let it lie dormant, neglected in cyberspace. I kept saying that I would eventually get back to it but I didn't truly try again until August of last year. That was my first step to a wonderful habit.

I have always loved writing, telling stories, commenting on life...the list goes on. I have always been a fan books, words art in many forms. I have always dreamed of one day being a paid published author. I have had works published and that has made me smile. One day whether now or when I'm 90 maybe my other desire will come true. This was a step in that direction. A weekly exercise of commenting off the cuff. It might not always b quality but it is genuine, heartfelt and done with love of what I'm doing. Most dreams are worth pursuing. It is when you leave them neglected and/or under nurtured that they either fade away or become difficult.

Write for yourself. Write for a small group. Write, paint, draw, sing, dance, create an artistic reality for yourself that helps to sustain that inner you . It is ever so important to keep those artistic fires burning as they nourish the heart and soul. Thank you to all who have wandered by and especially to those who remain near to read what is writ in this tiny corner of cyberspace.

Gabby Gate

So when did hair become an Olympic event? Over the last week I have read numerous articles regarding a 16 year old Olympic Gold champion and they were not only about her significant accomplishments but somehow or another they were also about her hair. The audacity of the armchair commentator to say anything in regards to this talented young lady astounds me.  Hair is the least of her or any other athletes concerns at this amazing moment in time when all the world is watching and you are representing the best and the brightest in your event.

Not only was Gabby's hair on parade but we had numerous articles on the female athletes about whether they were fit or fat. Really? If they have made it all the way to the Olympics I am going to have to go with fit. It may not be Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition look but these people are not here to fill out a bathing suit so they can pose doggy style in the sand. They are here to compete. They are athletes. I  have seen a number of baseball players that I would want to pose that same fit or fat question to and yet where are THOSE articles?

Women athletes are that. ATHLETES and should be treated as such. True athleticism takes hard work, endurance, blood, sweat and tears. These women have more than proven their abilities by being at the Olympics representing their various countries and they should not be trivialized by societies still sorely lacking ability to accept women in all arenas. 

ONCE UPON A TIME I WAS A GIRL

The sky was blue the fields were green and I was eating ice cream. The scent of roses filled the air and I was soaring with it I saw a woman standing on a corner all alone

So I walked over to talk to her and maybe help her home

She looked at me and smiled a memory in her eyes she said,

“Darling child, I am home. At least as close as I will get.”

I didn’t understand her but she didn’t seem to mind

She asked me to stay with her and help to ease her mind.

“Once upon a time I was a girl.” She said

“A long, long time ago. But now I’m just an old woman.

A woman who wants to know: From where does the rainbow shine?

Where do falling stars go? But most of all where does all the time go?

Where does it go?” I didn’t understand her questions At least I didn’t then.

But now as  I sit here alone in the park and watch the children play, somewhere in the recesses of my mind I hear the answers to here questions. At least I think I do.

Colors seem to come out of your mind. Rainbows are just thoughts all in line. Falling stars I’ve seen them on the shore then just grains of sand and nothing more. I still wonder where all the time goes. I don’t think I’ll ever know. But once upon a time I was a girl. Yes, once upon a time I was a girl.

Intertwined Anomalies

Today, as I walked to the store surrounded by such diverse elements in such a minute amount of space, I was struck by the numerous incongruous yet intertwined anomalies of my everyday life. I saw a hummingbird as I passed by the man lying in filthy clothes by the dentist's office. I saw three off-white butterflies clustered around the bushes of the sterile apartment complex as children ran around in the yard of the run down house across the way. I saw gifts left by the dogs of inconsiderate neighbors next to the shiny cars on the street. I heard the beautiful music through the door of the Indian shop and the awful news of Colorado from various televisions, blaring through the open windows of the surrounding buildings. How is it that all of these elements coexist? How can such tiny spots of beauty be marred by ever increasing amounts of  neglect, filth and violence?

Most of us try to do our part to keep the world clean or make it a better place and yet why does it seem that more and more there are less of us doing exactly that? Wild animals are losing their habitats and lives because of us. Civilized individuals are turning out to be less civil than we thought. A lack of respect for ourselves and others seems to be running rampant. A world where we are seemingly more comfortable with all things violent and no things naked seems be where we reside. Why? How is it that the children I teach will tell me  about video games,  movies and toys that destroy but make faces, flinch and say "Ewww" if they glimpse a picture of a naked body? How did we get here? Is this going to get better or worse? When will it begin to change? Who knows.