Most people who know me know that I tend to get on my soap box once in a while. Well, maybe more than once in a while. Here are a few things that have previously inspired me to get all soap boxy:
* James Garner - who didn't ever graduate from high school because he was a trouble-maker while in school - getting a whole freaking corridor named after him in Norman. I have nothing against the guy personally, but I would like to see things like a corridor named after people who have contributed to our community. Maybe people who have done something besides be an excellent actor (which he is, especially after seeing him in The Notebook ... cried my eyes out...).
* That people said the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's death via fish was a "freak accident." Anyone who routinely and purposefully puts themselves in harms way that often has got it coming. I mean seriously. Even if it were unusual, how unusual was it really for someone who wrestled crocodiles. (I also find it fitting that the ship in Whale Wars is called the Steve Irwin... you really want to name your ship after someone who died in the water? Isn't that kind like naming your boat the Titanic?)
* That people are so super rude when dropping off and picking up their kids at schools and don't follow the simple rules.
* Cheaters. Can't stand cheaters of any kind.
* Passive aggressiveness. In general.
There are other things that really irk me. However, I normally find myself to be amicable. Are you laughing at me yet?
I have always found myself to be someone who really hates confrontation. But lately, I have found myself the lone voice in a crazy world. Well maybe not the lone voice, but the minority for sure. And what IS crazy is that I have been embracing the confrontations head on.
In this really great weekend class I had a couple of weeks ago called "Psychosocial Aspects of Disability" we talked about lots of hot-button topics, such as assisted suicide, human genome project, abortion, Eugenics, etc. What happened in that class surprised me - sort of. I have been warned by some fellow Christ followers that my opinions on such topics would be in the minority. But I guess it surprised me how in the minority I was, and that I still spoke my beliefs.
I am sure that everyone in the class thought I was close minded for thinking that life begins at conception, and that we, as helping professionals, have a responsibility to help sustain life instead of assisting in its demise (generally speaking of course). But when I was talking, I didn't care. I know they thought I was irrational and weak minded, but the thing was is that I knew better. I have the Truth of God's Word on my side.
Ten years ago, even though I was a new Christian, I would have no more voiced my different opinion on topics like that than I would have worn orange on an OU game day. But something really cool has happened to me since then. I have grown more confident, not in myself, but in my identity in Christ. It is such a freeing feeling to know that all I have to cling to is the truth and no matter what anyone says or does, the Word of God is true.
I am beginning a study on the Gospel of Jesus Christ as written in John. This Gospel has been referred to as the spirit filled Gospel. And what that says to me is that it is truth. I am who Christ made me to be. I can stand firm in that knowledge. And I can speak my mind, even if that means people will disagree with it.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
An Outside-of-Your-Body Experience
This blog won't be as kooky as it sounds. Go with me here ...
I have a friend who is pregnant and will have her first born baby in March. I was asking her to pray for me about some parenting issues, and she mentioned that the parenting thing was going to be difficult and keep her on her knees in prayer.
That is oh so true, isn't it moms and dads?
From the time your baby first makes his presence known in your womb, the worries begin. And for some of us, the worries begin before that baby ever gets there. But when you find out for sure you are pregnant, oh, mercy. Am I eating right? Was that thing I did to hard on the baby? Should I blast classical music into my womb? And a million more worries.
And then, when that baby gets here, you realize that in your whole life, you have never worried like this before. I mean, it's the first time that you ARE IT. YOU are responsible for that baby. There is no one to fall back on, except maybe the spouse. You are lucky to have friend and family support, but you are the mom or the dad, and you will always be.
You hear every sniff, cough, whimper, nestle, nudge and cry those first nights. It is enough to drive a sane well-rested person crazy. But when you are already so worried AND sleep deprived, well, May the Force Be With You. Or in my case, may My Lord Be With Me.
And you think you couldn't worry more, and then you drop off your child with someone other than you for the first time. And then you leave! How will your baby survive without you? The mystery continues, but babies do!
Here I am with a 5 year old and a 7 year old, and the worries haven't stopped, they are just new. You start to see your kiddos worry or be too hard on themselves, or you see them starting to slide down the wrong path or hang out with the wrong crowd. And now, you are sending them to school 5 days a week without you. And you have no control over their environment. It is terrifying.
The only thing that brings me comfort at this point is God. I know He is in control of my little bubble. But more than that, He is in control of my boys' little bubbles. The best I can do is make good decisions for them when I can, teach them to make good decisions for themselves, teach them about God's control and His love for them, and the pray. They have to grow up ... don't they?
I have a friend who is probably right now seeing her 19-year-old son for the first time in months. He went to Army boot camp in Georgia. When I talked to her last night, she was absolutely giddy knowing she would see him so soon. She has been absolutely tormented with not hearing from him and worrying about him.
So what this tells me is the worries don't stop, they just change. And I am ok with that. When I signed up to be a parent, a dear friend told me the best way she could describe parenthood was like wearing your heart on the outside of your body.
She was right.
I have a friend who is pregnant and will have her first born baby in March. I was asking her to pray for me about some parenting issues, and she mentioned that the parenting thing was going to be difficult and keep her on her knees in prayer.
That is oh so true, isn't it moms and dads?
From the time your baby first makes his presence known in your womb, the worries begin. And for some of us, the worries begin before that baby ever gets there. But when you find out for sure you are pregnant, oh, mercy. Am I eating right? Was that thing I did to hard on the baby? Should I blast classical music into my womb? And a million more worries.
And then, when that baby gets here, you realize that in your whole life, you have never worried like this before. I mean, it's the first time that you ARE IT. YOU are responsible for that baby. There is no one to fall back on, except maybe the spouse. You are lucky to have friend and family support, but you are the mom or the dad, and you will always be.
You hear every sniff, cough, whimper, nestle, nudge and cry those first nights. It is enough to drive a sane well-rested person crazy. But when you are already so worried AND sleep deprived, well, May the Force Be With You. Or in my case, may My Lord Be With Me.
And you think you couldn't worry more, and then you drop off your child with someone other than you for the first time. And then you leave! How will your baby survive without you? The mystery continues, but babies do!
Here I am with a 5 year old and a 7 year old, and the worries haven't stopped, they are just new. You start to see your kiddos worry or be too hard on themselves, or you see them starting to slide down the wrong path or hang out with the wrong crowd. And now, you are sending them to school 5 days a week without you. And you have no control over their environment. It is terrifying.
The only thing that brings me comfort at this point is God. I know He is in control of my little bubble. But more than that, He is in control of my boys' little bubbles. The best I can do is make good decisions for them when I can, teach them to make good decisions for themselves, teach them about God's control and His love for them, and the pray. They have to grow up ... don't they?
I have a friend who is probably right now seeing her 19-year-old son for the first time in months. He went to Army boot camp in Georgia. When I talked to her last night, she was absolutely giddy knowing she would see him so soon. She has been absolutely tormented with not hearing from him and worrying about him.
So what this tells me is the worries don't stop, they just change. And I am ok with that. When I signed up to be a parent, a dear friend told me the best way she could describe parenthood was like wearing your heart on the outside of your body.
She was right.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Thinking of Others
I need to get up on my soap box on this one, folks. I have about had it with the way people have become completely self focused. I am done with people thinking the "system" doesn't apply to them. I am at my wits end watching everyone not follow the clear rules stated because they think they can bend the rules for themselves.
It seems as if American society has become enveloped in ourselves. And I want to say right here, I am just as guilty at this as the next person, which is probably the reason it irritates me so much.
My breaking point lately on this subject has been, of all places, in my son's school drop-off and pick-up lines. My youngest son, Will, is in pre-kindergarten this year. He goes to school from 7:55 a.m. (when school starts for everyone) and stays what is classified as a half day, so I pick him up at 10:25 a.m.
This isn't my first pre-k line experience. My older son was in the afternoon pre-k, too, so I learned how the system works a few years ago. The pre-k program was still sure to send home information with each parent about the drop-off and pick-up procedures. In fact, the school has informed EVERY family what the pick-up and drop-off procedures are. They are:
- only pre-k and kindergarten students may be picked up or dropped off in the circle in the front of the school. All others are pick up and drop off at the gym entrance. This is so the buses can pick up students in the front circle.
- when you are picking up and dropping off your students, stay in your car. This makes for a much faster transition.
There are also some unspoken rules that are common courtesy, such as take turns, no cutting, wait in line in the order you are in.
So when ALL of these rules are broken, it makes me frustrated. It is a symptom of where we are in society.
The front circle is two car widths, which provides plenty of space of pick ups and drop offs on the right side and through traffic on the left side. Instead, what is happening is against the protocol AND dangerous. Parents are stopping in the through lane while their children walk in between cars. And some of those cars are backing up, or pulling forward. I saw one parent stop in the through lane and then get out of his car to go in the building. Luckily, a teacher saw it to and sent him back to his car.
There are kids of all ages being dropped off in the pre-k and kindergarten line. I know there are some special circumstances with some of those kiddos, whether they have a disability or special permission or something. But others are just lazy.
I waited this morning 5 minutes behind a bus to drop off Will in the appropriate place. Cars pulled around me and cut off the bus. The bus tried for more than two minutes - with its blinker on - to get back into the through traffic line, but kept getting cut off by eager parents.
When I pick up kiddos, many, if not most of the parents get out of their cars to either buckle their own child in or to wait for their kids as they get out of class. I keep hoping as the year progresses this will stop. The pick-up procedures each parent got state to stay in your cars to help the line move quickly. The teachers will walk the children to the car and buckle them in. A 2-minute process takes at least 10 each day because of this right here. I do not have an issue with parents getting out of their cars to greet their kids, but if you do, don't park in the line! Park somewhere else! I had to ask two drivers to move cars parked in the through line one day so I could get my boys to the dentist on time. One of the parents wasn't even a pre-k parent but somewhere inside the building.
This is the problem: each of those people think to themselves, I'm sure, "Well, it's not THAT big of deal. I mean, I am in a hurry, this will just take a minute, and it's going to be fine." If it were just one person with that attitude, it WOULD be fine! But when everyone thinks they can be the exception to the rule, what we end up with is exactly what we have: a society filled with people who are only thinking of their own needs. Their is proof of this everywhere we look:
* Parents trying to excuse their children from homework because of athletic practices or games, or other pre-planned events.
* Parents switching around their children's teachers every year because they didn't get who they wanted.
* People who refuse to use their blinkers because they don't care if anyone knows they are turning left or not. They know, so what else matters?
* Children and adults who are taught that it is OK to cheat when they are not held fully responsible for their actions by claiming ignorance. It is the fault of the people who don't hold these cheaters accountable because it makes their own lives more difficult.
* People who park where they aren't supposed to, drive where they aren't supposed to, use their cell phones when they aren't supposed to, turn in things late, etc. Everyone has an excuse.
* People who embrace the mentality of fear and prevent their children or other important people in their lives whose opinions differ from their own. How will a child ever learn what they believe if all they hear has been filtered, sheltered, guided and watered down. Especially parents have a responsibility to teach their children right and wrong. And to learn wrong, you have to see it sometimes to really understand what it is.
* Coaches who teach their players to cheat, foul, cut corners or trash talk. This does absolutely nothing productive for anyone. These are the same people who don't appropriately discipline the discipline problems on their teams and it results in problems for everyone.
And my list could go on and on. I know what I have addressed might make you angry. And I think that is ok. We all are entitled to our opinions. But I challenge you, as I have challenged myself, to think about this topic personally. Where have you become self focused? For me, one of the ways is feeding my family dinner. I have gotten in the habit of only fixing what I like or not fixing anything at all if I am not in the mood.
I truly believe that if we all thought of others more, even just a little bit more, this world would be such a better place. There would be fewer people trying to beat the system and instead trying to help the system.
How can thinking of someone else today make a difference in your life and their life? How can thinking of someone else speak to your own family? How can thinking of someone else change the world?
It seems as if American society has become enveloped in ourselves. And I want to say right here, I am just as guilty at this as the next person, which is probably the reason it irritates me so much.
My breaking point lately on this subject has been, of all places, in my son's school drop-off and pick-up lines. My youngest son, Will, is in pre-kindergarten this year. He goes to school from 7:55 a.m. (when school starts for everyone) and stays what is classified as a half day, so I pick him up at 10:25 a.m.
This isn't my first pre-k line experience. My older son was in the afternoon pre-k, too, so I learned how the system works a few years ago. The pre-k program was still sure to send home information with each parent about the drop-off and pick-up procedures. In fact, the school has informed EVERY family what the pick-up and drop-off procedures are. They are:
- only pre-k and kindergarten students may be picked up or dropped off in the circle in the front of the school. All others are pick up and drop off at the gym entrance. This is so the buses can pick up students in the front circle.
- when you are picking up and dropping off your students, stay in your car. This makes for a much faster transition.
There are also some unspoken rules that are common courtesy, such as take turns, no cutting, wait in line in the order you are in.
So when ALL of these rules are broken, it makes me frustrated. It is a symptom of where we are in society.
The front circle is two car widths, which provides plenty of space of pick ups and drop offs on the right side and through traffic on the left side. Instead, what is happening is against the protocol AND dangerous. Parents are stopping in the through lane while their children walk in between cars. And some of those cars are backing up, or pulling forward. I saw one parent stop in the through lane and then get out of his car to go in the building. Luckily, a teacher saw it to and sent him back to his car.
There are kids of all ages being dropped off in the pre-k and kindergarten line. I know there are some special circumstances with some of those kiddos, whether they have a disability or special permission or something. But others are just lazy.
I waited this morning 5 minutes behind a bus to drop off Will in the appropriate place. Cars pulled around me and cut off the bus. The bus tried for more than two minutes - with its blinker on - to get back into the through traffic line, but kept getting cut off by eager parents.
When I pick up kiddos, many, if not most of the parents get out of their cars to either buckle their own child in or to wait for their kids as they get out of class. I keep hoping as the year progresses this will stop. The pick-up procedures each parent got state to stay in your cars to help the line move quickly. The teachers will walk the children to the car and buckle them in. A 2-minute process takes at least 10 each day because of this right here. I do not have an issue with parents getting out of their cars to greet their kids, but if you do, don't park in the line! Park somewhere else! I had to ask two drivers to move cars parked in the through line one day so I could get my boys to the dentist on time. One of the parents wasn't even a pre-k parent but somewhere inside the building.
This is the problem: each of those people think to themselves, I'm sure, "Well, it's not THAT big of deal. I mean, I am in a hurry, this will just take a minute, and it's going to be fine." If it were just one person with that attitude, it WOULD be fine! But when everyone thinks they can be the exception to the rule, what we end up with is exactly what we have: a society filled with people who are only thinking of their own needs. Their is proof of this everywhere we look:
* Parents trying to excuse their children from homework because of athletic practices or games, or other pre-planned events.
* Parents switching around their children's teachers every year because they didn't get who they wanted.
* People who refuse to use their blinkers because they don't care if anyone knows they are turning left or not. They know, so what else matters?
* Children and adults who are taught that it is OK to cheat when they are not held fully responsible for their actions by claiming ignorance. It is the fault of the people who don't hold these cheaters accountable because it makes their own lives more difficult.
* People who park where they aren't supposed to, drive where they aren't supposed to, use their cell phones when they aren't supposed to, turn in things late, etc. Everyone has an excuse.
* People who embrace the mentality of fear and prevent their children or other important people in their lives whose opinions differ from their own. How will a child ever learn what they believe if all they hear has been filtered, sheltered, guided and watered down. Especially parents have a responsibility to teach their children right and wrong. And to learn wrong, you have to see it sometimes to really understand what it is.
* Coaches who teach their players to cheat, foul, cut corners or trash talk. This does absolutely nothing productive for anyone. These are the same people who don't appropriately discipline the discipline problems on their teams and it results in problems for everyone.
And my list could go on and on. I know what I have addressed might make you angry. And I think that is ok. We all are entitled to our opinions. But I challenge you, as I have challenged myself, to think about this topic personally. Where have you become self focused? For me, one of the ways is feeding my family dinner. I have gotten in the habit of only fixing what I like or not fixing anything at all if I am not in the mood.
I truly believe that if we all thought of others more, even just a little bit more, this world would be such a better place. There would be fewer people trying to beat the system and instead trying to help the system.
How can thinking of someone else today make a difference in your life and their life? How can thinking of someone else speak to your own family? How can thinking of someone else change the world?
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