Ferguson

So far, I've kept my thoughts on the whole Ferguson situation to myself. I don't really see the need to fuel any fires by contributing to the chaos. But I read something today that I just cannot make myself stay silent about.

The article can be found on The Daily Currant site is entitled: FERGUSON PROTESTER ACCIDENTALLY BURNSS DOWN OWN HOUSE and my first thought was, "WTF?" So I read it.

The account was originally written up in the Ferguson Post-Gazette and recants the tale of a moron some guy who accidentally burned down his own house. Why was it an accident? Because he thought he was burning down a convenience store.  Which, apparently, is perfectly acceptable in his own mind.

To quote the article: "It was dark. I got all turned around. I thought it was a 7'11 or something,,"

Red flag number 1: The fact that he believes burning down someone's livelihood is ok.

The article continues the story with the man trying to put out the fire with his garden hose and ending up calling 911 for help.

And this is where the story reflects many things- stupidity, karma, idiocy...take your pick.

The man claims that the fire department told him they were too busy with other fires to come.

""I couldn't believe it. I mean we pay these peoples' salaries! What do you mean you're too busy? A black person's house burns down and suddenly your'e 'too busy' to put the fire out? This is what racism in America looks like.""

No, friend. This is what stupidity in America looks like.

I'm not sure how or why burning down local businesses owned by local business people is helpful or adds any amount of credibility to the point being made. But I'm pretty darn sure I recognize stupidity when I see or read it. This is a prime example.

The man's final comment? ""If it weren't for those racist firefighters I'd still have a home."

Wrong again, friend. If you hadn't thrown the Molotov cocktail into your house, you'd still have a home. If you hadn't been throwing bombs at the businesses of innocents, you'd still have a home. If you weren't a complete and total idiot, you'd still have a home. Take some responsibility. Learn a life
lesson- karma will take a huge bite out of your ass when she has to.

How are any changes going to be made in the midst of chaos? Do we need to suffer the loss of more lives just to make a point regardless of its validity? What is the true motivation behind all the violence? How does ruining the livelihood of your neighbors make a difference? Do people realize that their credibility is all but lost at this point because of their methods of expression?

Just a little bit more to say--- burning places of business down, preventing people from earning a living, making people afraid to leave their homes and so on will NOT bring back the dead. Though it may very well be the cause of more deaths. The most we can do now is get in there and fight for change. And by fight, I do not mean with violence.

Be angry. Be sad. Be whatever you feel the situation warrants. But leave stupidity out of it. Leave violence out of it. Check your motivation and then get out there and be a world changer. Work towards the change you want. Live the change you want. BE the change you want. Make a difference in a manner that results in that change being made.

I'm all about getting behind a good cause. I'm all about changing what needs to be changed. But, if stupidity is on the team, I'm out.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

From our house to yours:

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

You're Not THAT Fat

Reddit. Have y'all been over there? I've recently started reading/watching a few posts. Most of them are stupid. Some are interesting. Others are so ridiculous that the people writing/videoing should be put away. Then there are the posts that are truly hilarious and even some that are thought provoking. In other words, it's pretty much like any other place on the internet.

I read one entitled: I really don't need to hear your opinion on my body weight. Or anyone else's body weight. 

The writer gives us several scenarios in which she (he?) is exposed to comments regarding their weight/body image such as: "Yeah, but your weight looks really good on you." "You must eat a lot of sweets." and "Yeah, but you're not fat like her."

Ok. So, this person seems to have friends and come into contact with others who are of the opinion that he/she is carrying more weight than is socially acceptable. And they feel the need to comment. I believe that a couple of those are what we commonly refer to as, back-handed compliments. Or a CYA statement (CYA = cover your ass after you've said something really stupid and insensitive).

The whole post, short though it was, was simply pointing out that insensitivity is rampant and stupid. That it can hurt the feelings of our fellow human beings and that our opinions about such things as body image can be damaging. Which was totally wasted on a few of the commentators who responded with statements such as: "Get used to it. If being fat bothers you, eat less and move more." and "Are you happy being fat?"

Way to miss the point entirely, idiots. Thaaaat's right. I just made a comment in regards to your (referring to those making the negative comments) lacking intellectual capacity. How does it feel?

Frankly, it doesn't really matter why the comments of personal opinion about the appearance of others flies, it simply is not nice. Maybe those people we laugh at in the 'Seen at Wal-Mart' pictures just lost everything in a fire and this was all they were given to wear. Maybe the people who are overweight have deep emotional scars or medical issues that have resulted in an unhealthy relationship with food which is made worse by nasty comments. Maybe it's something as simple as a difference of taste in clothing or make up or whatever.

I love to 'people watch.' It's fun. I will watch and make up stories about their lives but I always try to make it nice and my stories are never uttered within hearing range of anyone. It's an 'inside-my-head' game. I realize that there are people who will don totally inappropriate clothing before heading out the door. I mean, if they're wearing something that should be worn while dancing around a pole in a dark, smokey establishment but are on their way to the opera...well...I don't think that the attitude 'they're asking for comments' is the way to go here.

We've all got our problems. There's no need to add to them with negative comments. What purpose do these negative word serve? None. And, in my opinion, their utterances is a form of bullying. AND, I don't like it.

Maybe some folks are looking for attention. Any attention. But mostly, we simply are who we are and make the choices we make because that's what we know or have...And we should be able to be without ridicule.

Ok, y'all- time to grind YOUR grits.

Justice Fighter

I do enjoy living in my state. I don't love everything about it- the way-too-freaking-hot-summers-that-do-not-end-until-November--but, for the most part, I love it.

We have some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. We have beaches and mountains and all levels in between. We have good schools and a history that keeps you interested for life. We have motivated children and compassionate people. Hell, we're Lake Wobegon.

But, as with everything in life, we have our not-so-good too. And that's always the part that seems to get the most attention.

Recently, there was an incident close by that resulted in the resignation of a local power. While I am neither pro nor con of this person's time in their position, I will say that I am totally against what I believe happened that led to this decision.

I THINK that there was an action taken by some high school athletes that certainly, and very easily, could be construed as racial in act and, perhaps, intent. I THINK this was investigated by this local power and action was taken. I THINK that the REAL POWERS that be in our area- those with BIG MONEY- took offense and stepped in forcing said local power to resign.

That's what I THINK.

And it's not hard to come to this conclusion based on what I've read and what I know about this state after living here for nearly 50 years.

What else can you think when you know things like this happen but rarely have the opportunity to hear it because someone finally had the balls to record it?

Yep, that's the GOOD OL BOY sentiment that plagues our state. The fact that Graham tries to blow this off as a 'joke' is both disgusting and disturbing to me. And, the most shocking thing of all is that there are people who are shocked by his statement. Really? Have y'all not been paying attention? Are we still turning that blind eye and deaf ear to the GOOD OL BOY mentality?

The 'joke' was not funny. It was in poor taste. What comes out of your mouth, generally originates in your heart. No matter how you put it out there. When you have money- and I mean BIG money- in this state, you can do whatever the hell you want to do and say whatever the hell you want to say and not only get away with it but you can also get elected to congress. Repeatedly.

Graham was at a meeting of the Hibernian Society. An all white (if they aren't, I'd like to see proof), male, private club. Shame on the lot of them for laughing. This is the type of place where feminism is kept at bay. Where racism thrives. Where reactions to beaten women and abused children and gay bashing include laughter and the banging of glasses on the tables. Where religious differences are not tolerated. Where they are determined to maintain control and use their money to ensure it. They just don't wear the sheets.

Let me assure you that hiding behind closed doors is just as bad as wearing the sheets.

The athletes who participated in the ritual claimed they had no idea the ritual was racial in intent or was in any way racially insensitive. Really? Have they not read a history book? Have they not lived here and listened to people talk? Have they never heard of social or cultural stereotypes? I think they have. Their high school boasts the best and the brightest. AND, why didn't they choose pumpkins instead of watermelons?

And, apparently, they have money on their side.

So, in my mind, that local power who was forced to resign, who took it all on as her own decision, was a victim herself of trying to right a wrong. The money didn't agree with her. And now, she's gone.

One more Justice Fighter down.

Aging Is Not For Sissies

Does the whole aging thing belong on a blog designed for expressing personal opinion? Well, I certainly have a personal opinion about aging so, yes. And my opinion is that aging just isn't for sissies.

You know that Billy Joel song, "Only the Good Die Young?" Yeah, the real meaning of that song is that sissies can't handle aging so they die young. Has nothing at all to do with sinners vs good girls.

Not that everything about aging is bad. It isn't. It's great to awaken and know that you get another day. It's way better than the alternative which is not getting another day or having to spend it debilitated in some way. It's the best that you no longer give a hoot what anyone thinks of you and you feel free to speak as you please. I love that there is such a thing as hair color to cover the gray and that it comes in a chemical free option. I love that you can use the again process as an excuse when you lose or forget something. That also works to your advantage when you don't really forget but want to have fun with other people's sanity.

But the little things that begin to happen that let you know, in no uncertain terms, that you are, indeed, aging, tend to get to me.

Things like holding my back as I stand up. Preferring to be close to a bathroom no matter where you go. Sitting on the floor and wondering how in the hell I am going to get back up. Aching feet. Painful knees. Sore joints. Intolerance to extreme heat or cold. Getting slower in my walking pace. Less than perfect eyesight. Not being able to hear when people talk faster than the speed of light or when the environmental sounds are too loud. Beginning to get concerned if you realize that a few things seem to have come full circle. Those kinds of things.

These things don't make getting up every morning easy but we must unless we want this process to take us over earlier than necessary. An older family member once said, "If you sit down, you'll get rusty." I believe her. She lived to be 103. And she didn't do much sitting until just before her passing. If anything ever bothered her, physically, we never knew it.

One of the best things that keeps me moving is my sweet pup, Tucker. We're up every morning before the sun so we can get out and walk. If I don't want to get up get moving, too bad. Because he is in my face licking me until I do get up. The other is having somewhere to be every morning. Do I like having to go to work? Nope. Do I love my job? Yep. And, it gets me up and moving.

Even though it gets a bit more telling with each passing year that I am, indeed, aging, having something to do or somewhere to go makes it easier to get up and move even with the aches and pains that come with the process.

While I do notice that the aches and pains either get a bit more intense or a different altogether creeps up, I also know that I am not a sissy. Because I'm still getting up and moving. And yes, it may even be a bit of doing so in defiance of aging. But that's fine. Whatever keeps me going until I'm 103.

What gets y'all up and moving every day? Or am I the only one with these little signs?