Easter Sunday is only 12 days away, which means I have been Facebook free for about a month. Saying I'm Facebook free makes me sound like I'm announcing my sobriety.... But it kind of is what I imagine (on a much smaller scale) what becoming free of your addiction is. Not to say I was addicted to Facebook, but without Facebook I have realized how little of importance it is to me. Now this doesn't mean I don't miss seeing posts from family members or friends, but I have found a greater importance in things I do enjoy, that I've forgotten about because I would waste time on Facebook.
I have been reading a lot more books, which I love. I get to watch the sunrise every morning on the bus, instead of looking to see the latest posts from the Facebook world. Instead of checking what my friends are doing on facebook, while I'm with my friends, I actually hang out and talk to them.
I do get my social media fix on Instagram, so I'm not completely out of the loop. I was comparing Instagram and Facebook to my sister and brother-in-law and how I think it's completely different. Sure, you scroll down and see pictures of people, you follow people the same way you would "friend," people, but that's about it. People don't post pictures nearly as often as they do on Facebook, which is nice. And since its a fairly new Ap, I'm not following 800 people like the 800 friends I had accumulated on Facebook over the last 9 years.
Yes, 9 years. I joined Facebook in 2004 (maybe early 2005). I joined Facebook as a freshman in college.
I think 9 years of Facebook is enough for me. Now I'm not saying I will never get Facebook back, but I really like not having it. I feel more connected without it. I feel more connected to myself and my close friends and my family. It sounds strange, but not having facebook is a relief. I like to not know what people are doing and saying every single day. I actually saw an e-card a few months back that said "I always wondered what it would be like to read people's minds, but then I got Facebook."
I have given up candy, alcohol, diet coke, and Facebook for Lent over the years.
The hardest to give up? Diet coke. The easiest to give up? Facebook. Facebook is such a habitual thing. When I deleted the apps from my phone and iPad, I found myself scrolling over to Facebook and not even knowing it. I wasn't consciously doing it. It was just a habit.
A lot of people were almost worried about me when I gave it up, like I was falling off the side of the planet. But truthfully, we have all fallen off the side of the planet more and more each year because of the Internet. It's a wonderful thing (at times) and a horrible thing (at times). We have, with help of the internet, become lazy and impersonal, while claiming to be so connected! The only thing, dear friends, that were connected to, is the Internet!
I went snowshoeing for the first time a few weeks ago and it felt so great to be disconnected to everything. Sure, I took pictures, which I later posted to Instagram, but I had a few hours of that silence you get in the snow and didn't have an ounce of cell service. And I chatted along the way with one of my best friends. And I laughed more that day than I have in the longest time. I had back spasms from laughing so hard, tears streaming down my cheeks, and a smile so big my cheeks hurt.
I want more of those times. And I want to "be in the know," and use the Internet of course, but just not as much, and not on Facebook.
I'm not trying to convince anyone to get rid of Facebook, but if you've considered doing it, do it. Give it a shot. From the Facebook lover herself, it's not as hard as you think!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Adios Facebook!
This Valentine's Day is my big one year anniversary....
Is this coming as a surprise to most of you?
It's not what you think. :) It's my one year anniversary of working up in Seattle! This also means one year of commuting!
My first day of work was February 14th and my first blog post was February 19th. I started the blog as a way to share my bussing stories to my friends and family, but it's obviously about more than just riding the bus.
I didn't think anyone but my family would read it. But so many friends, and people I never imagined, have told me they read it. It's strange to see how many views I've had since I started blogging. I honestly thought my family would maybe sometimes read it, not all of you. So, for those who have read my blog, thank you. Those who have written me personal messages about my material, thank you. Those who are closeted readers, thank you. Never in a million years did I expect 3,126 pageviews at all, let alone in one year.
I had a little flashback to one year ago this afternoon. It was Fat Tuesday and I was going to buy my last diet coke for the next 40 days. I ran down to the vending machine and pushed the WRONG BUTTON! Instead of a diet coke, I got a diet Pepsi (EW). So, this afternoon I wet to buy a diet coke because I am EXHAUSTED. I was exhausted because apparently my narcolepsy medication is now a controlled prescription and my doctor now has to send a hard copy EVERY TIME I refill it. I went to pick it up yesterday and discovered this fun fact, which means I'm out of my meds that keep me awake all day. Okay, so I was feeling guilty for wanting a diet coke this afternoon because I was going to the dentist later.
Screw it. I will fall asleep if I don't. So I went downstairs and had a flashback to pushing the diet Pepsi button again, so I very carefully selected the diet coke button, while snickering at myself for my mistake a year ago.
The bottle came straight down and didn't plop to its side, which blocked the door from opening. My diet coke was stuck. I squeeze my arm in a few times until I realized I don't want to be the person who gets their arm stuck in a vending machine, so I went to ask for help. Generally the vending machines are an issue because its not our company, so you're usually shit out of luck. But I went into the cafeteria and a worker came in to see if he could help. He then went and got a wire hanger and hooked the bottle and made it tip over. He is forever my hero.
I realized it doesn't matter if I had a diet coke before the dentist because the damage is already done from my other days of diet coke drinking. But if diet coke is the worst thing I'm doing to myself I'd say I'm doing pretty good.
This year for Lent I will be giving up FACEBOOK!
I have been getting super annoyed with ads, posts about hoaxes, pictures of people's new guns they bought, and how much time is being spent on it. It's too often you walk into a room of people and everyone is on their phones and NO ONE is talking. I don't want to be that person. I read an article on a set of rules a teenager was given with his new iPhone. These rules were very fitting for a teenager. And very fitting for everyone else, too.
The #1 for me was about turning off your phone or keeping it away when you are in public or with people. Sure, people have important jobs & events in their lives while they need their phone on hand, but put it in your pocket. Don't sit across a restaurant table or dinner table and be on your phone. I've done it, it's been done to me, and it's rude.
I'm getting rid of my Facebook so I can be in the moment. Not the Internet moment where you know everything about everyone and their child, brother, mother, husband, niece or nephew. I mean seriously, we get it. You love your husband... You married him. You don't need to write it on their wall, tell it to their face. Oh you ate pizza today? Yum, now I want some. You took the same picture of yourself again? Cool, I like that I know what you wear everyday.
I am guilty of all of these things, but I don't want to be. I want to actually spend time with my real life friends instead of my virtual friends. I don't want to lose touch with people anymore than before, which is why I'm giving up Facebook. I don't need to call my college friends to see what they've been up to because I see it on Facebook. I don't need to ask my friends if they're going on vacation soon, I see it on their Facebook.
Facebook is a social network. But there isn't a lot of socializing going on. There is a lot of withdrawing on Facebook. It's my friend's birthday? I'll just write on their wall instead of calling them. They had a baby? Cool, I'll write congrats on their wall.
What?
When did we become so impersonal and personal at the same time? I don't know where Billy Bob lives or what he does for work, but I know what his ex wife did to him because he posted a status about it.
I have God knows how many friends on Facebook, but who do I actually talk to? Fun thing about deactivating your account is that you can come back to it whenever you want! Who will I talk to when I delete my Facebook? We shall see! Am I giving it up just for 40 days? We shall see!
I hope to get reconnected in ways that aren't via Facebook, so some of you may be hearing from me a lot more, as I'll be dying to hear what you've been up to!
I will continue to blog about my adventures, so keep me on your radar.
<3
Is this coming as a surprise to most of you?
It's not what you think. :) It's my one year anniversary of working up in Seattle! This also means one year of commuting!
My first day of work was February 14th and my first blog post was February 19th. I started the blog as a way to share my bussing stories to my friends and family, but it's obviously about more than just riding the bus.
I didn't think anyone but my family would read it. But so many friends, and people I never imagined, have told me they read it. It's strange to see how many views I've had since I started blogging. I honestly thought my family would maybe sometimes read it, not all of you. So, for those who have read my blog, thank you. Those who have written me personal messages about my material, thank you. Those who are closeted readers, thank you. Never in a million years did I expect 3,126 pageviews at all, let alone in one year.
I had a little flashback to one year ago this afternoon. It was Fat Tuesday and I was going to buy my last diet coke for the next 40 days. I ran down to the vending machine and pushed the WRONG BUTTON! Instead of a diet coke, I got a diet Pepsi (EW). So, this afternoon I wet to buy a diet coke because I am EXHAUSTED. I was exhausted because apparently my narcolepsy medication is now a controlled prescription and my doctor now has to send a hard copy EVERY TIME I refill it. I went to pick it up yesterday and discovered this fun fact, which means I'm out of my meds that keep me awake all day. Okay, so I was feeling guilty for wanting a diet coke this afternoon because I was going to the dentist later.
Screw it. I will fall asleep if I don't. So I went downstairs and had a flashback to pushing the diet Pepsi button again, so I very carefully selected the diet coke button, while snickering at myself for my mistake a year ago.
The bottle came straight down and didn't plop to its side, which blocked the door from opening. My diet coke was stuck. I squeeze my arm in a few times until I realized I don't want to be the person who gets their arm stuck in a vending machine, so I went to ask for help. Generally the vending machines are an issue because its not our company, so you're usually shit out of luck. But I went into the cafeteria and a worker came in to see if he could help. He then went and got a wire hanger and hooked the bottle and made it tip over. He is forever my hero.
I realized it doesn't matter if I had a diet coke before the dentist because the damage is already done from my other days of diet coke drinking. But if diet coke is the worst thing I'm doing to myself I'd say I'm doing pretty good.
This year for Lent I will be giving up FACEBOOK!
I have been getting super annoyed with ads, posts about hoaxes, pictures of people's new guns they bought, and how much time is being spent on it. It's too often you walk into a room of people and everyone is on their phones and NO ONE is talking. I don't want to be that person. I read an article on a set of rules a teenager was given with his new iPhone. These rules were very fitting for a teenager. And very fitting for everyone else, too.
The #1 for me was about turning off your phone or keeping it away when you are in public or with people. Sure, people have important jobs & events in their lives while they need their phone on hand, but put it in your pocket. Don't sit across a restaurant table or dinner table and be on your phone. I've done it, it's been done to me, and it's rude.
I'm getting rid of my Facebook so I can be in the moment. Not the Internet moment where you know everything about everyone and their child, brother, mother, husband, niece or nephew. I mean seriously, we get it. You love your husband... You married him. You don't need to write it on their wall, tell it to their face. Oh you ate pizza today? Yum, now I want some. You took the same picture of yourself again? Cool, I like that I know what you wear everyday.
I am guilty of all of these things, but I don't want to be. I want to actually spend time with my real life friends instead of my virtual friends. I don't want to lose touch with people anymore than before, which is why I'm giving up Facebook. I don't need to call my college friends to see what they've been up to because I see it on Facebook. I don't need to ask my friends if they're going on vacation soon, I see it on their Facebook.
Facebook is a social network. But there isn't a lot of socializing going on. There is a lot of withdrawing on Facebook. It's my friend's birthday? I'll just write on their wall instead of calling them. They had a baby? Cool, I'll write congrats on their wall.
What?
When did we become so impersonal and personal at the same time? I don't know where Billy Bob lives or what he does for work, but I know what his ex wife did to him because he posted a status about it.
I have God knows how many friends on Facebook, but who do I actually talk to? Fun thing about deactivating your account is that you can come back to it whenever you want! Who will I talk to when I delete my Facebook? We shall see! Am I giving it up just for 40 days? We shall see!
I hope to get reconnected in ways that aren't via Facebook, so some of you may be hearing from me a lot more, as I'll be dying to hear what you've been up to!
I will continue to blog about my adventures, so keep me on your radar.
<3
Monday, January 28, 2013
Will this be for delivery or take out?
I often find myself asking what I must've done in a previous life to have these things happen to me. Mainly I ask myself this question after a day of commuting. I could start a list of the weird shit that has happened to me on the bus, but that'd take all night. As a matter of fact, I'll take a night here soon and do a highlight blooper reel.
About two weeks ago I was on my usual bus and was shooting shit with the bus driver. Another regular and I were giving him a hard time, which came back to bite me in the butt.
Karma.
Two men sat down in the seat in front of me, which is the first set of seats on the bus and are faced toward the middle of the bus. I sit on the first set of seat that faces the front of the bus. So these seats sort of make an L shape. Anyway, they're sitting next to me & began signing. Both men were deaf and one of them moved to sit next to me so they could face each other more and make it more convenient to sign to each other. Let me just tell you it is just as distracting to have an audio conversation over you, as it is to have a signing conversation over you. I could NOT pay attention to what I was doing.
My bus driver was wiggling his eyebrows & laughing at me in his rear view mirror. The next stop is where another regular gets on, who happens to be blind. And every time he gets on the bus, the driver has to call out "Second seat on the left." Well, the seat he is directing him to is between the two deaf men and myself. Obviously they couldn't hear the driver directing him and obviously the blind man didn't know the men were deaf. So I stood up to grab the blind man's arm and pull him toward his seat.
It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: a woman, two deaf men and a blind man get on a bus....
Well. Jokes on me. The deaf man seated to my left was doing the most outrageous throat scratching cough I've ever heard. He was also burping and BLOWING his burp toward me. I mean come on. At least blow it toward the aisle instead in the poor girls face who is seated against the window!
When I got off the bus, my driver said "That's what you get for giving me a hard time!!"
Karma.
Flash forward to a week later. Get on the same old bus with my same old driver and were joking around the same way.
Karma.
A woman I have actually blogged about before gets on the bus and decides to sit next to me. Or more like ON me. If a passenger has a disability of some sort or has a walker or stroller, they lower the bus. This woman is so largely overweight, he has to lower the bus to let her on. I don't want to sound rude, but there's no other way to say it and there isn't a nice way to sugarcoat it. But she is so fat. She took up so much room that I couldn't even hold my book up to read with both hands. Couldn't get anything out of my pockets (like my phone). I was smushed up against the window, while she reclined her chair back because she couldn't even fit in the space in front of her. She literally took up 3/4 the of our set of seats.
Not exactly the most comfortable ride home. But since I observe the bussing community, I knew I had it coming. If someone gets on the bus and there are very few seats left, you find the one with the most room, which happens to be me for the large woman. And I'm just as guilty because when I am running late, I will get on the bus because I know my chances are going to be pretty good in finding a sliver of a seat open next to a larger person. It sucks to be left with no room, but since I never grew out of my childhood size, I can fit into small spaces.
As I am writing this, the man who is sitting next to me is eating a slice of pizza the size of my head. Yeah, there's a good old no food on the bus rule. Along with the no open container rule.
Speaking of pizza. It was Friday night and I knew I wouldn't have time to make anything since we were expecting company at the house, so I decided to order a pizza.
I attempted at ordering online, but I didn't know what kind of crust it was on the coupon I found. And I wasn't about to get some thin crust, I wanted the thick yummy kind. So, I decided to just call and order it to pick up. I googled the Dominos on Bridgeport, pushed the convenient "call," button that comes up, and ordered my pizza. Immediately after, I called my mom. As the phone was ringing, I noticed an odd number in my outgoing calls list. I put my mom on speaker phone while I looked at my call log. I started laughing. Started laughing really hard.
"Hey bugs, what's so funny?"
"Oh no, I think I just ordered pizza from the wrong place."
"What do you mean the wrong place? The wrong store?"
"Um, well I googled Dominos on Bridgeport and called to order. But I just looked at my phone and I ordered a pizza from Dominos in Bridgeport, Connecticut....."
".......Mom Laughing........"
"I didn't even know there was a Bridgeport, CT."
"Still laughing.... Honey, Steve (her husband) was BORN in Bridgeport, CT. ....Laughing.... So is it being delivered?"
"Uh no, not from Connecticut, no I don't think so haha. I ordered it to pick it up and I haven't paid for it yet."
"Well you better call them and tell them!"
"No way! I'm way too embarrassed, what will I say, sorry I ordered the pizza but I live in Washington State?"
Well, I didn't call them back, but they sure did call ME back.
This afternoon I got on the bus and started telling my commuter friend what I did. She and the bus driver were laughing so hard they couldn't talk. And my bus driver said "Oh my gosh, thank you. That is the best story I have heard all year. That's the best story I WILL hear all year."
About two weeks ago I was on my usual bus and was shooting shit with the bus driver. Another regular and I were giving him a hard time, which came back to bite me in the butt.
Karma.
Two men sat down in the seat in front of me, which is the first set of seats on the bus and are faced toward the middle of the bus. I sit on the first set of seat that faces the front of the bus. So these seats sort of make an L shape. Anyway, they're sitting next to me & began signing. Both men were deaf and one of them moved to sit next to me so they could face each other more and make it more convenient to sign to each other. Let me just tell you it is just as distracting to have an audio conversation over you, as it is to have a signing conversation over you. I could NOT pay attention to what I was doing.
My bus driver was wiggling his eyebrows & laughing at me in his rear view mirror. The next stop is where another regular gets on, who happens to be blind. And every time he gets on the bus, the driver has to call out "Second seat on the left." Well, the seat he is directing him to is between the two deaf men and myself. Obviously they couldn't hear the driver directing him and obviously the blind man didn't know the men were deaf. So I stood up to grab the blind man's arm and pull him toward his seat.
It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: a woman, two deaf men and a blind man get on a bus....
Well. Jokes on me. The deaf man seated to my left was doing the most outrageous throat scratching cough I've ever heard. He was also burping and BLOWING his burp toward me. I mean come on. At least blow it toward the aisle instead in the poor girls face who is seated against the window!
When I got off the bus, my driver said "That's what you get for giving me a hard time!!"
Karma.
Flash forward to a week later. Get on the same old bus with my same old driver and were joking around the same way.
Karma.
A woman I have actually blogged about before gets on the bus and decides to sit next to me. Or more like ON me. If a passenger has a disability of some sort or has a walker or stroller, they lower the bus. This woman is so largely overweight, he has to lower the bus to let her on. I don't want to sound rude, but there's no other way to say it and there isn't a nice way to sugarcoat it. But she is so fat. She took up so much room that I couldn't even hold my book up to read with both hands. Couldn't get anything out of my pockets (like my phone). I was smushed up against the window, while she reclined her chair back because she couldn't even fit in the space in front of her. She literally took up 3/4 the of our set of seats.
Not exactly the most comfortable ride home. But since I observe the bussing community, I knew I had it coming. If someone gets on the bus and there are very few seats left, you find the one with the most room, which happens to be me for the large woman. And I'm just as guilty because when I am running late, I will get on the bus because I know my chances are going to be pretty good in finding a sliver of a seat open next to a larger person. It sucks to be left with no room, but since I never grew out of my childhood size, I can fit into small spaces.
As I am writing this, the man who is sitting next to me is eating a slice of pizza the size of my head. Yeah, there's a good old no food on the bus rule. Along with the no open container rule.
Speaking of pizza. It was Friday night and I knew I wouldn't have time to make anything since we were expecting company at the house, so I decided to order a pizza.
I attempted at ordering online, but I didn't know what kind of crust it was on the coupon I found. And I wasn't about to get some thin crust, I wanted the thick yummy kind. So, I decided to just call and order it to pick up. I googled the Dominos on Bridgeport, pushed the convenient "call," button that comes up, and ordered my pizza. Immediately after, I called my mom. As the phone was ringing, I noticed an odd number in my outgoing calls list. I put my mom on speaker phone while I looked at my call log. I started laughing. Started laughing really hard.
"Hey bugs, what's so funny?"
"Oh no, I think I just ordered pizza from the wrong place."
"What do you mean the wrong place? The wrong store?"
"Um, well I googled Dominos on Bridgeport and called to order. But I just looked at my phone and I ordered a pizza from Dominos in Bridgeport, Connecticut....."
".......Mom Laughing........"
"I didn't even know there was a Bridgeport, CT."
"Still laughing.... Honey, Steve (her husband) was BORN in Bridgeport, CT. ....Laughing.... So is it being delivered?"
"Uh no, not from Connecticut, no I don't think so haha. I ordered it to pick it up and I haven't paid for it yet."
"Well you better call them and tell them!"
"No way! I'm way too embarrassed, what will I say, sorry I ordered the pizza but I live in Washington State?"
Well, I didn't call them back, but they sure did call ME back.
This afternoon I got on the bus and started telling my commuter friend what I did. She and the bus driver were laughing so hard they couldn't talk. And my bus driver said "Oh my gosh, thank you. That is the best story I have heard all year. That's the best story I WILL hear all year."
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Taboo
We all know the game Taboo, right? You have teams or partners and try to get them to guess what your word is, without actually saying the word, or a list of similar words. And if you say something you're not supposed to say... You hear a loud BUZZ!!!!!
Same goes for talking about taboo topics. You are quick to get "buzzed," if you say the wrong thing. But you know what? These buzzing words NEED to be talked about sometimes, and talked about without someone buzzing you.
Two most buzzed topics? Religion and politics. Why do they get buzzed and cause controversy? Everyone either thinks they're right, or they are uncomfortable talking about it.
I held my tongue for a while now about the Newtown shooting. That event tore me to pieces, and not just for the kids and their families, but for the shooter, his mother, and their families. And for us, too.
I'm normally one who sits and wonders why? Why did it happen? Why little kids? Why did his mom have those weapons? Why didn't her son, who was SICK, not get help? And of course, I asked those questions to myself and realized there is no point in the wonder. We won't ever know those answers.
But what was the thing that tore me to pieces this time? The "how?" How do we stop this from happening again? How do we help these families who lost theirs? How do we help those who are sick? And I honestly think that the "how?" questions are even harder to live with than the "why?"
Why? Because we tend to ask WHY, after it's happened. We can't change what happened. But HOW? How can we change it?
What a challenging question.
Everyone has their finger pointed away from themselves and at everyone else. Guns are the issue. Sure, if we didn't have guns, this wouldn't happen. That would be nice and a dream come true in my eyes, but is it possible? Ehh... Mental health is the issue. Sure, these "monsters," as people call them, need to be locked up. No. These PEOPLE need help. How do they get it?
I read a lot of articles when the shooting happened and the line that stuck with me to the core was, "If only health care was as easy to get, as say... A gun."
Another finger pointed was at schools for taking God out of them. Okay, when I first saw this I was like "YEAH! That's totally right!" But you know what? The schools don't have to teach the students about God. But YOU can teach your children about God. Kind of goes along the lines of cursive. Did you know they don't teach kids cursive anymore? Wtf?!? I was talking to my aunt about this a few months ago and she said she had to teach my cousin how to write in cursive AT HOME!! Yeah, I know God and cursive are totally different, but if your kids don't learn at school, what you think is important, teach them yourself.
Another finger pointed was at "our generation." All we do is sit on our computers, watch violent movies and tv, play violent video games, and sit behind the computer and chat with total strangers, who don't know us, so we can pretend to be someone else.
Yes, our generation has obsessions with technology, and while there are SOME people who do all of the above, not everyone does. So you can't blame a whole generation or group of people on a handful of mentally ill kids, who didn't/couldn't get help and shot people. That would be like blaming the whole country of Saudi Arabia for the 911 attacks. Yes, a majority of them were from the country, and no, not everyone from Saudi Arabia is going to hijack a plane. Just like not every kid who plays video games or watches violent movies, is going to shoot people.
I have issues with all of these areas being blamed. It's not one of them, it's not none of them, it's ALL of them. So, HOW do we tackle the situation?
Let's start with guns. I don't see any way we can get rid of them all, SO, if you're going to have them? Keep them locked up and DO NOT tell your children where they are. Do NOT even bring them in front of your child. If you have them for hunting, keep them locked away ALL the time. I mean why would your hunting guns need to be out at home? Shooting from your front porch? Yeah right.
If you have guns because you want them for self defense, lock them up and don't let your kids know they are. You're probably more likely to get shot at if you show whoever is approaching you, that you have a gun anyway.
Giving teachers guns at school? Stupid. Not even going to go there.
Mental health. BIG stuff. TABOO stuff. Buzz buzz buzz. Why? I understand this is a sensitive subject and you know what? So is/are anyone else's health condition(s). Cancer? No one wants to get it, but the second they find out they have it? They go to the doctor and get the help they can. Diabetes? No one wants to get it, but they go to the doctor and get the insulin and find out how to manage your nutrition, and so on. High blood pressure? Go to the doctor and get on meds and lean about how to lower it. A cold? No one goes to the doctor for a cold because colds go away and mental health doesn't, but that's how we treat it.
Just leave it be and it will go away.
They will snap out of it. They just hit a few speed bumps is all.
Nope. Not going to work. Take them to the doctor! Don't avoid it because you're uncomfortable or are worried what people think, deal with it! You AND your child may be a whole hell of a lot happier if they get the right help. And going to a mental health doctor doesn't mean you're crazy, it means you want to get better. It makes you SMART, not crazy.
I think the blaming of violent movies/games/etc., is a major cop out. If you think it's the reason people are becoming "monsters," don't buy your kids video games! Don't let them fade away and sit behind video games or violent movies and let that become their reality.
God isn't in schools? LIE. God is in schools, just like God is in your house, or the car, or in YOU. If you have God IN you, he goes WITH YOU wherever you go. God and religion may not be taught in schools, but you can teach them at home. I went to Catholic school, so I was taught about God at school AND at home.
I know I did a lot of hopping around from topic to topic, but seriously, we are not going to get anywhere by pointing fingers at everyone and everything. And we aren't going to agree with each other. And one thing isn't going to fix everything. But you can start with yourself and start with your family. Talk about stuff. Get involved. Set limits.
Limits suck at any age. But I am thankful that my family had limits. Thankful that my parents made us play outside and go to camps and ride bikes. I am thankful my parents didn't let us have video games and that they taught us about God at home, even though we were learning at school. I am thankful that my parents made us talk about things we didn't want to talk about.
I may not have been thankful for these things as a middle schooler or teenager, but it's because I didn't understand it. But because they set limits, I respect them. I still tell them when I need help or when things go wrong. I tell them what I am learning at my counseling appointments. Yes, I go to a counselor. No, I'm not crazy. I'm taking care of myself and you should, too.
Same goes for talking about taboo topics. You are quick to get "buzzed," if you say the wrong thing. But you know what? These buzzing words NEED to be talked about sometimes, and talked about without someone buzzing you.
Two most buzzed topics? Religion and politics. Why do they get buzzed and cause controversy? Everyone either thinks they're right, or they are uncomfortable talking about it.
I held my tongue for a while now about the Newtown shooting. That event tore me to pieces, and not just for the kids and their families, but for the shooter, his mother, and their families. And for us, too.
I'm normally one who sits and wonders why? Why did it happen? Why little kids? Why did his mom have those weapons? Why didn't her son, who was SICK, not get help? And of course, I asked those questions to myself and realized there is no point in the wonder. We won't ever know those answers.
But what was the thing that tore me to pieces this time? The "how?" How do we stop this from happening again? How do we help these families who lost theirs? How do we help those who are sick? And I honestly think that the "how?" questions are even harder to live with than the "why?"
Why? Because we tend to ask WHY, after it's happened. We can't change what happened. But HOW? How can we change it?
What a challenging question.
Everyone has their finger pointed away from themselves and at everyone else. Guns are the issue. Sure, if we didn't have guns, this wouldn't happen. That would be nice and a dream come true in my eyes, but is it possible? Ehh... Mental health is the issue. Sure, these "monsters," as people call them, need to be locked up. No. These PEOPLE need help. How do they get it?
I read a lot of articles when the shooting happened and the line that stuck with me to the core was, "If only health care was as easy to get, as say... A gun."
Another finger pointed was at schools for taking God out of them. Okay, when I first saw this I was like "YEAH! That's totally right!" But you know what? The schools don't have to teach the students about God. But YOU can teach your children about God. Kind of goes along the lines of cursive. Did you know they don't teach kids cursive anymore? Wtf?!? I was talking to my aunt about this a few months ago and she said she had to teach my cousin how to write in cursive AT HOME!! Yeah, I know God and cursive are totally different, but if your kids don't learn at school, what you think is important, teach them yourself.
Another finger pointed was at "our generation." All we do is sit on our computers, watch violent movies and tv, play violent video games, and sit behind the computer and chat with total strangers, who don't know us, so we can pretend to be someone else.
Yes, our generation has obsessions with technology, and while there are SOME people who do all of the above, not everyone does. So you can't blame a whole generation or group of people on a handful of mentally ill kids, who didn't/couldn't get help and shot people. That would be like blaming the whole country of Saudi Arabia for the 911 attacks. Yes, a majority of them were from the country, and no, not everyone from Saudi Arabia is going to hijack a plane. Just like not every kid who plays video games or watches violent movies, is going to shoot people.
I have issues with all of these areas being blamed. It's not one of them, it's not none of them, it's ALL of them. So, HOW do we tackle the situation?
Let's start with guns. I don't see any way we can get rid of them all, SO, if you're going to have them? Keep them locked up and DO NOT tell your children where they are. Do NOT even bring them in front of your child. If you have them for hunting, keep them locked away ALL the time. I mean why would your hunting guns need to be out at home? Shooting from your front porch? Yeah right.
If you have guns because you want them for self defense, lock them up and don't let your kids know they are. You're probably more likely to get shot at if you show whoever is approaching you, that you have a gun anyway.
Giving teachers guns at school? Stupid. Not even going to go there.
Mental health. BIG stuff. TABOO stuff. Buzz buzz buzz. Why? I understand this is a sensitive subject and you know what? So is/are anyone else's health condition(s). Cancer? No one wants to get it, but the second they find out they have it? They go to the doctor and get the help they can. Diabetes? No one wants to get it, but they go to the doctor and get the insulin and find out how to manage your nutrition, and so on. High blood pressure? Go to the doctor and get on meds and lean about how to lower it. A cold? No one goes to the doctor for a cold because colds go away and mental health doesn't, but that's how we treat it.
Just leave it be and it will go away.
They will snap out of it. They just hit a few speed bumps is all.
Nope. Not going to work. Take them to the doctor! Don't avoid it because you're uncomfortable or are worried what people think, deal with it! You AND your child may be a whole hell of a lot happier if they get the right help. And going to a mental health doctor doesn't mean you're crazy, it means you want to get better. It makes you SMART, not crazy.
I think the blaming of violent movies/games/etc., is a major cop out. If you think it's the reason people are becoming "monsters," don't buy your kids video games! Don't let them fade away and sit behind video games or violent movies and let that become their reality.
God isn't in schools? LIE. God is in schools, just like God is in your house, or the car, or in YOU. If you have God IN you, he goes WITH YOU wherever you go. God and religion may not be taught in schools, but you can teach them at home. I went to Catholic school, so I was taught about God at school AND at home.
I know I did a lot of hopping around from topic to topic, but seriously, we are not going to get anywhere by pointing fingers at everyone and everything. And we aren't going to agree with each other. And one thing isn't going to fix everything. But you can start with yourself and start with your family. Talk about stuff. Get involved. Set limits.
Limits suck at any age. But I am thankful that my family had limits. Thankful that my parents made us play outside and go to camps and ride bikes. I am thankful my parents didn't let us have video games and that they taught us about God at home, even though we were learning at school. I am thankful that my parents made us talk about things we didn't want to talk about.
I may not have been thankful for these things as a middle schooler or teenager, but it's because I didn't understand it. But because they set limits, I respect them. I still tell them when I need help or when things go wrong. I tell them what I am learning at my counseling appointments. Yes, I go to a counselor. No, I'm not crazy. I'm taking care of myself and you should, too.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Breaking the Law
Wearing pants should be the law. And if, for some reason you should be without pants... Wear underwear. And if for some reason you are without both? Don't ride the bus. Don't leave your house. And DO NOT BEND OVER!
This seems pretty logical, right? (Insert buzzer noise here). Well, the man on my bus tonight thought a day that called for rain and so-called snow mixture, was a good day to leave the house pant-less. And underwear-less..... At least it gave me a good laugh.
There is less than a week until Christmas, it's "snowing," in Seattle, and everyone just wants to finish the week so they can have their long holiday weekends. A lot of people, including myself, are stressed and busy, which leads to having some Grinch moments. Or Scrooge moments. I'm going to start using "Go Scrooge yourself," or "Scrooge you," thanks to a clever friend who passed that along to me.
Here's my version of a Christmas poem:
Twas the week before Christmas, in the Pacific Northwest, not a Seattleite was driving, because of the "dust."
The "dust" so they say, was snowy and wet, let's cancel school, so they say. Give them their shortest summer yet!
The commuters were running to catch the next bus, while whispers of being home by 6 laughed in their heads! And Crazy man with no pants, and I in my 2 coats, sweater, gloves and PANTS, had just settled down for the long road ahead.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the the pant-less man bending over and showing his rear!
With a little old driver so lively and quick, he knew in a moment we might soon see his dick! (excuse me on that one, I couldn't pass it up).
And then, in an instant, we made the next stop, and the driver said no good! Your ticket is not!
As I whipped my head round to see him run off, down the street ran no pants man looking lost-er than lost!
So, next time you think you're having a hard time, remember no pants man leaving his pants behind!
Okay, so it's not as good as the original 'twas the night before Christmas... But I had to give it a shot.
This seems pretty logical, right? (Insert buzzer noise here). Well, the man on my bus tonight thought a day that called for rain and so-called snow mixture, was a good day to leave the house pant-less. And underwear-less..... At least it gave me a good laugh.
There is less than a week until Christmas, it's "snowing," in Seattle, and everyone just wants to finish the week so they can have their long holiday weekends. A lot of people, including myself, are stressed and busy, which leads to having some Grinch moments. Or Scrooge moments. I'm going to start using "Go Scrooge yourself," or "Scrooge you," thanks to a clever friend who passed that along to me.
Here's my version of a Christmas poem:
Twas the week before Christmas, in the Pacific Northwest, not a Seattleite was driving, because of the "dust."
The "dust" so they say, was snowy and wet, let's cancel school, so they say. Give them their shortest summer yet!
The commuters were running to catch the next bus, while whispers of being home by 6 laughed in their heads! And Crazy man with no pants, and I in my 2 coats, sweater, gloves and PANTS, had just settled down for the long road ahead.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the the pant-less man bending over and showing his rear!
With a little old driver so lively and quick, he knew in a moment we might soon see his dick! (excuse me on that one, I couldn't pass it up).
And then, in an instant, we made the next stop, and the driver said no good! Your ticket is not!
As I whipped my head round to see him run off, down the street ran no pants man looking lost-er than lost!
So, next time you think you're having a hard time, remember no pants man leaving his pants behind!
Okay, so it's not as good as the original 'twas the night before Christmas... But I had to give it a shot.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
You're a mean one... Mr. Grinch!
Four weeks of long weekends and short work weeks makes for a long normal work week. It's only Thursday and it feels like it should be Monday of next week.
It started out with holiday weekends with Veteran's Day and then Thanksgiving. Then it was a sinus infection/upper respiratory infection that got me sent home from work for a few days. THEN a vacation I was looking forward to for a few months.
Getting sent home from work is one thing. Getting sent home when you commute by bus AND got sent home 10 minutes after you got there... And already being 15 minutes late due to traffic.... Well, it sucks.
Trying to prepare your work for the vacation days you'll be taking is kind of hard when you're at home sick. Trying to catch up from the 3 sick days you had, while preparing for the 3 days you'll be on vacation sucks, too.
Flying with a sinus infection? You guessed it! Sucks, too!
Going to 80 degree dry heat? BINGO! I swear the second the sun hit my face I was healed. And as you may have guessed, the second I returned to Seattle, my cough came back. Literally as I walked off the plane and took a deep breath of fresh air, I was back to sounding like a 90 year old who had smoked a pack a day for their whole life.
Our flight was delayed Sunday night and I didn't get into bed until just before midnight. Woke up just before 6AM on Monday and headed to work. Stopped by ZooLights to see my sister and nieces, went to the store, and went to bed.
Wake up on Tuesday.... Fall back asleep.... Wake up at the time I'm normally driving to the bus station. Whoops. There was no way to be on time, unless, of course.... I drove. I got to work on time and paid the $12 for parking (I pay $14 a MONTH for the bus), and managed to only honk at one idiot driver. I didn't know I had a meeting that night because I had missed the last meeting from being sick. Get home after 9PM and hop in bed.
Wednesday I am 30 minutes late to work thanks to traffic. I had plans to grab a beer with some friends after work, which was great fun as I expected. I also expected the bus ride to go smoothly since I was leaving after traffic. I didn't want to miss the bus, so I didn't use the restroom before I left. I also hadn't had any dinner. My bus is clearly running late, but I can't run in to go pee because I just know it will come while I'm inside. I'm also standing outside a pizza parlor, which smelled like HEAVEN, even from outside. Another 10 minutes go by.... I'm getting more hungry, more pissy, colder, and my bladder is ready to explode. But I sure as hell wasn't going to miss the bus after waiting all that time. THIRTY MINUTES after the bus was supposed to arrive, it shows up.
Had I known the situation, I could've gone pee, had another beer, a slice of pizza, gone pee again, and still made the bus.
I know I sound like The Grinch, or worse... Scrooge. I'm trying my hardest to stay on the nice list, but if one more naughty-tempting event occurs... I may as well start a coal mine.
It started out with holiday weekends with Veteran's Day and then Thanksgiving. Then it was a sinus infection/upper respiratory infection that got me sent home from work for a few days. THEN a vacation I was looking forward to for a few months.
Getting sent home from work is one thing. Getting sent home when you commute by bus AND got sent home 10 minutes after you got there... And already being 15 minutes late due to traffic.... Well, it sucks.
Trying to prepare your work for the vacation days you'll be taking is kind of hard when you're at home sick. Trying to catch up from the 3 sick days you had, while preparing for the 3 days you'll be on vacation sucks, too.
Flying with a sinus infection? You guessed it! Sucks, too!
Going to 80 degree dry heat? BINGO! I swear the second the sun hit my face I was healed. And as you may have guessed, the second I returned to Seattle, my cough came back. Literally as I walked off the plane and took a deep breath of fresh air, I was back to sounding like a 90 year old who had smoked a pack a day for their whole life.
Our flight was delayed Sunday night and I didn't get into bed until just before midnight. Woke up just before 6AM on Monday and headed to work. Stopped by ZooLights to see my sister and nieces, went to the store, and went to bed.
Wake up on Tuesday.... Fall back asleep.... Wake up at the time I'm normally driving to the bus station. Whoops. There was no way to be on time, unless, of course.... I drove. I got to work on time and paid the $12 for parking (I pay $14 a MONTH for the bus), and managed to only honk at one idiot driver. I didn't know I had a meeting that night because I had missed the last meeting from being sick. Get home after 9PM and hop in bed.
Wednesday I am 30 minutes late to work thanks to traffic. I had plans to grab a beer with some friends after work, which was great fun as I expected. I also expected the bus ride to go smoothly since I was leaving after traffic. I didn't want to miss the bus, so I didn't use the restroom before I left. I also hadn't had any dinner. My bus is clearly running late, but I can't run in to go pee because I just know it will come while I'm inside. I'm also standing outside a pizza parlor, which smelled like HEAVEN, even from outside. Another 10 minutes go by.... I'm getting more hungry, more pissy, colder, and my bladder is ready to explode. But I sure as hell wasn't going to miss the bus after waiting all that time. THIRTY MINUTES after the bus was supposed to arrive, it shows up.
Had I known the situation, I could've gone pee, had another beer, a slice of pizza, gone pee again, and still made the bus.
I know I sound like The Grinch, or worse... Scrooge. I'm trying my hardest to stay on the nice list, but if one more naughty-tempting event occurs... I may as well start a coal mine.
Monday, December 3, 2012
The World Needs More Love Letters
Maybe it's the holidays that makes me all lovey dovey, maybe it's just part of me, or maybe it's this new website I came across.
Remembering the CHRIST in CHRISTmas can be difficult for anyone. It's easy to get wrapped up in the shopping, sales, movies, parties, sweets and shine! We would all be lying if we said it wasn't a lot of fun or exciting. But I know a lot of families are now giving to charities instead of each other, serving food at a shelter, or doing little things throughout the season to bring back the true meaning of Christmas.
So, back to the website I am now obsessed with. It's called Moreloveletters.com and you should check it out. You can sign up to get emails from their team with a story of someone who is in need of some encouragement, love, or acknowledgment. Or you can just start leaving little notes of encouragement in random spots. Some lucky person will find it and turn their day around. Many people leave notes in coat pockets, books, coffee shops, or tape them to a table (and leave the website on the note for the reader to share their story, or read about the organization and how it got started).
Hannah Brencher was trying to find her place in the world, and was doing so in NYC. She began writing letters and leaving them all around the city and kept a blog about writing love letters. She began receiving messages from people all over the world. They were asking her to send them a love letter, and in 9 months she wrote and mailed over 400 letters! These letters went to people she didn't know and would probably never meet, but the connections she made has touched thousands!
More Love Letters has "The 12 Days of Love Letter Writing," which starts today. When you sign up, you will receive an email each of those 12 days, with a request from someone for encouragement during the holiday season. You have one week to mail your letter from the day you receive the request. They will bundle all of the letters and mail them to the unsuspecting recipient just in time for the new year!
This holiday season I hope everyone finds their own way of giving back to the community and helping redefine Christmas! It's the season of giving, not receiving.
I am planning to keep up with the letters beyond Christmas. It's a great activity to do as an individual, in a group, with your students, with your family, or at random. You can make it a new family tradition and start writing letters on Thanksgiving, which you can leave throughout the city for people to find during the holiday season!
"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store."
Remembering the CHRIST in CHRISTmas can be difficult for anyone. It's easy to get wrapped up in the shopping, sales, movies, parties, sweets and shine! We would all be lying if we said it wasn't a lot of fun or exciting. But I know a lot of families are now giving to charities instead of each other, serving food at a shelter, or doing little things throughout the season to bring back the true meaning of Christmas.
So, back to the website I am now obsessed with. It's called Moreloveletters.com and you should check it out. You can sign up to get emails from their team with a story of someone who is in need of some encouragement, love, or acknowledgment. Or you can just start leaving little notes of encouragement in random spots. Some lucky person will find it and turn their day around. Many people leave notes in coat pockets, books, coffee shops, or tape them to a table (and leave the website on the note for the reader to share their story, or read about the organization and how it got started).
Hannah Brencher was trying to find her place in the world, and was doing so in NYC. She began writing letters and leaving them all around the city and kept a blog about writing love letters. She began receiving messages from people all over the world. They were asking her to send them a love letter, and in 9 months she wrote and mailed over 400 letters! These letters went to people she didn't know and would probably never meet, but the connections she made has touched thousands!
More Love Letters has "The 12 Days of Love Letter Writing," which starts today. When you sign up, you will receive an email each of those 12 days, with a request from someone for encouragement during the holiday season. You have one week to mail your letter from the day you receive the request. They will bundle all of the letters and mail them to the unsuspecting recipient just in time for the new year!
This holiday season I hope everyone finds their own way of giving back to the community and helping redefine Christmas! It's the season of giving, not receiving.
I am planning to keep up with the letters beyond Christmas. It's a great activity to do as an individual, in a group, with your students, with your family, or at random. You can make it a new family tradition and start writing letters on Thanksgiving, which you can leave throughout the city for people to find during the holiday season!
"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store."
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