I was born in 1967.  Television was always a part of my life, along with cars and many other modern conveniences.

I have often wondered though, if human life was obliterated today and started over from scratch, what would it be like? How would the new world look? (We are removing religion from this conversation, this is all theoretical and for conversational purposes only.  Also, as part of the obliteration, all material things that are in the world now disappeared.)

1. Would automobiles be invented one day?  Or, would some other form of transportation have been invented that was even more efficient than cars?
2. Would electronic communications exist as they do today?  Cable TV?
3. Would sugar and processed foods dominate diets yet again?
4. Would gold still be the ‘standard’, or would some other commodity be of higher value?
5. Would body piercings and tattoos be popular?
6. Would clothes evolve again from conservative to more ‘revealing’?  Or, would modesty be tossed out the window and clothes wouldn’t even be necessary?  (Except in colder climates, of course.)
7. Would people get married?  What would the family unit look like?
8. What sports would be played, if any?  Or, would nobody even care about competition?
9. Would prejudice exist, or would everyone be treated equally from the very beginning?
10. Would there be more or less crime than there is today?

Do you think that even better things would exist if our thinking wasn’t somewhat confined by the way our world operates today?  Have you often wondered what human kind would look like if we started all over again?  Or, do I just have too much time on my hands?

I was recently in Florida, and it was the first time I have ever spent part of the Christmas season in a warm climate.

I have to say, it was strange.

The first time I saw a Christmas tree in Florida and heard Christmas music, it just seemed `off` to me. Now, I recognize that a huge part of the world has never experienced a white Christmas, so a sunny, 80 degree day in December is just status quo. However, for this northerner who is used to a gray sky and sub freezing temperatures, it was a wonderful treat. I just had trouble associating the climate with the holiday, but I think I could definitely get used to it.

I wonder though, if I did move south, would I appreciate the nice weather, or would it just be a part of ordinary life? I ask this question about many things: Do the trials and tribulations we face in life force us to appreciate the good things?

It reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode I saw once.

In the episode titled “A Nice Place to Visit”, a small time criminal is shot during a robbery, and is escorted to the afterlife by “Mr. Pip”. In the afterlife, the criminal is granted his every wish, and he must live with the results of his wishes for all eternity. Sounds pretty good, right?

At the end of the episode, the petty criminal says something to the effect of: “Wow, if this is heaven, I wonder what the other place is like?”. YMr. Pip then says “this is the other place…”

Although the scene described above is a work of fiction, it makes you realize that variety very well may be the spice of life. Perhaps wondering what the future holds and having some amount of influence on your destiny is part of what makes life so great, even more so than being given everything you could possibly want?

Of course, I am not saying that catastrophic events are a great thing. However, sometimes it can be hard to see how great your circumstances really are if there are never any bad times to compare the good with. Just like in the example I discussed above, if I was always surrounded with sunny, warm days, would perfect weather just become expected and not appreciated?

What do you think? Do you embrace the great things in your life more so after a time of difficulty? Have you found there are things in your life that you once felt so grateful for, and now you take them almost for granted?

First of all, I must rant:

Tis The Season For The Weather People To Drive Me Crazy

One of my biggest pet peeves is weather related.  I love snow, and I always get excited to hear about a good snowstorm that will cancel school.  So today, the ‘teaser’ on the news was “accumulating snow coming tonight, details in 10 minutes”.  I waited the ten minutes and the “meteorologist” then revealed that we are expecting about half an inch of school overnight.

Now, our school has a pretty liberal closing policy, but I don’t think half an inch will force the school to be closed.  Why would you define half an inch of snow as ‘accumulating’.  I think I would call that a ‘dusting’.  Anything for ratings I suppose…

Does Fame Reduce Brain Cells?

I want someone to conduct a study that tests brain function before and after someone becomes famous.  Of course, it would hard to know who was going to become famous before it actually happened, but you could start by testing high potential athletes and and anyone on reality TV.

Let me discuss some recent examples of stupidity:

1. Ndamukong Su, Detoit Lions.  How many stupid penalties does one football player have to commit?  I am sure athletes get frustrated when getting smacked around, but that is part of the game.  Su stomped on someone’s arm, got suspended for a couple games, and then decided to drive around recklessly while on his NFL-imposed ‘break’ and smacked into a tree.   Thank God nobody was killed, but people easily could have been.  Passengers in the car also state that Suh lied to police about the accident and described how they were being tossed around like rag dolls in the car while Suh was driving.  It will be interesting to see if Suh learns any lessons, or continues his “I can do whatever I want” type attitude.
2. Rima Fakir, Former Miss USA.  Ms. Fakir is also from the Detroit area, and she allegedly drove around with an uncorked bottle of champagne, weaved in and out of traffic, and got pulled over.  When the police asked for her driver’s license, she instantly stated she was “Miss U.S.A.”, which I assume she figured would get her off the hook.  Well, even beauty queens can get in trouble when they have a blood-alcohol that is two times the legal limit and decide to drive around with open alcohol in the car.
3. Alec Baldwin, TV and Movie ‘star’, possible future Canadian.  So Alec Baldwin enjoys playing the scrabble-like game Words With Friends on his smartphone, and he doesn’t think airline or FAA regulations should stop him!  He delayed a flight an hour and was eventually booted from the plane when he refused to stop playing his game, and he then went on to Tweet negative things about the airline and also included very insulting comments about the flight attendant.   It is also reported that Baldwin was very rude during the whole ordeal.  My question is, what exactly makes Baldwin think he does not have to adhere to standard rules?  It is so hard for me because I love how he plays his character Jack Donaghy on ’30 Rock’, but I am not a fan of Alec Baldwin, the person.  (He finally apologized for the uproar, although the apology did not state he would stop acting like a petulant child in the future.)

It has been 30 years since John Hinckley tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, and I remember the moment I heard about it like it was yesterday:  I was being held after class to be yelled at by my Spanish teacher when the Social Studies teacher walked in and told us that President Reagan had been shot.  I was absolutely shocked.  I was then kicked out of the classroom and the teachers turned on the television to watch coverage of the shooting.

Fortunately, President Reagan lived, but Press Secretary James Brady’s recovery was not complete and he was never able to assume his job as press secretary again.  Of course, everyone wondered why Hinckley wanted to kill the President.  Turned out, the attempted assassination was part of a wacky plot aimed to gain the attention of actress Jodie Foster.  Who could have ever predicted that?

Hospital officials feel Hinckley could be set free one day

John Hinckley now resides in a mental hospital, and is allowed to visit his mother outside the facility for up to ten days at a time.  A hearing is currently underway to determine what the future should hold for John Hinckley.   Hospital employees say that Hinckley should be able to have longer visits with his mother and eventually, be released to live with his mom completely (assuming the longer visits go well).  Hinckley’s attorney Barry Levine claims that Hinckley has not had “a single incidence of violence in excess of two decades”. (Note that he did not say “in three decades, which is how long ago the crime occurred.)

Government lawyers paint a different picture

On the other hand, prosecuters say that Hinckley acts deceptively, and that he is still a very dangerous man.  One example of Hinckley’s deception was that instead of going to the movies as he stated he was going to do, he went to the book store across the street from the theater to read about President Reagan and attempted Presidential assassinations (other than Regan’s).  (How dumb a move is that?  He had to know he was being followed by Secret Service agents??).

Thoughts about a possible Hinckley release:

First of all, I wonder what Jodie Foster would think about Hinckley being released.  I cannot imagine it would be something she would embrace enthusiastically.  (Not to mention how any resident would feel if Hinckley moved next door to them.)

Second, imagine what will happen if Hinckley becomes unhinged again.  One of the things that makes me the angriest about our legal system is when some ‘reformed’ criminal is released from prison and then goes on to kill (or harm) someone shortly after.  I cannot say it is easy to know who is reformed or who isn’t, but I personally prefer to err on the side of caution.  Yes, I recognize that jails are crowded and such, but I can think of  few things I would rather the government spend money on than keeping our communities safe.  I am not saying every criminal is beyond redemption, but some can probably be redeemed easier than others.

Third, is lack of recent violence proof that future violence will not occur?  Hinckley was 25 years old when he shot President Reagan and four other people.  Prior to the attempted assassination, Hinckley had never been convicted of any major crimes, but he still put his own life at risk and tried to assassinate a President.

Fourth, I assume he is on psychiatric drugs while in the hospital.  Who will ensure he stays on his prescribed medication if he is released?

What do you think?  Should he be given a second chance?  Or, should the mental hospital be considered a permanent residence for Mr. Hinckley?

Have you ever been in a restaurant having a quiet conversation, when you notice the stranger sitting at the next table over is hanging on every word you say?

What did you do?

When I notice this happening, I usually just look over at the person in a way that says “please focus on your dinner and not my conversation”.

One time though, I took my response to a whole new level.

I was about 20 years old, and a friend and I were dining at a Big Boy restaurant.  We were at a booth, and there was just a wooden separator between us and the person in the next booth.  So, eavesdropping was very easy.

I was telling my friend the true story of how a helicopter had to land at the park down the street from my house because a man that worked in nearby shop had cut off his thumb (or so the story goes, not sure what really happened to him), and he had to be airlifted somewhere.  The woman in the next booth was really intrigued by my story, so I spiced it up a bit.

I started talking about how strong the wind was when the helicopter took off again and I said “It was so embarrassing because when the first wind gust game, my wig blew right off” and I grabbed my hair, as if it were my wig.  The woman of course started staring at my hair, just as I intended.

I don’t know why I was messing with this woman, she was sitting at the restaurant alone, and I suppose it is human nature to just tune in to your surroundings when you have nothing else to occupy your mind.  However, she was so obvious about her eavesdropping that I thought I would give her a more interesting story to enjoy.  My friend played along fantastically too, and was full of empathy over the fact my wig blew off and that I had to go chasing after it.

I have grown up some since then, but I still don’t know of a good way to deal with eeavesdroppers.  It isn’t even like I divulge anything exciting when I am out in public, I just don’t like that feeling of someone ‘hovering’ over my conversation.

So, what tips do you have for handling eavesdroppers?  Or, are you the eavesdropper?  If so, have you ever overheard something really surprising when out in public?  (I know I have unwillingly been an eavesdropper myself, when people are so loud you can’t help but overhear every word they say.)

Recently, I was at CVS picking up some ibuprofen when I saw two kids who appeared to be about eight running around.

While I was standing in line, one of the boys pulled out his iPhone and started playing a game.  I looked at what he was buying and his little basket contained a can of Monster energy drink, a big bag of Swedish Fish, and a Hershey bar.

I was wondering what this child’s behavior would be like after he ingested all the items he bought.  Images of Beavis (from Beavis and Butthead) popped into my head when I pictured the scene.  My next thought was, “how would the parents react?   Would they scream at him”?

This little observation made me think about life in general.  How often do people blame others for their circumstances when they themselves are at least partially to blame?   If this little kid came home, slammed his Monster energy drink and had some Swedish Fish as a chaser, do you think the parents screamed at the kid when he was bouncing off the walls? Or, do you think they were patient and said “well, we did give him free reign to go to the store and buy whatever he wanted while we sat and watched college football all afternoon.  Let’s give him a break and have a talk with him when he settles down”?  I am guessing the former is the more likely scenario.

Maybe You Will Think Of the Little Kid Drinking Monster Next Time You Are In A Bad Situation

So, next time you find yourself in less-than-ideal circumstances, even if it is as simple as dealing with a poorly behaved child, pause and think honestly about how you got to that point.  Obviously, some situations are just plain bad luck.  However, often times, both good and bad circumstances are caused by a long history of certain actions.  If you spoiled your child for years, don’t expect them to suddenly accept hearing the word ‘no’ with grace, even if you are out in public.   If you find that other people are always getting promoted when you feel you ‘deserve it more’, then step back and think about why you aren’t getting promoted instead of just saying your boss hates you.   If you are someone that rarely helps someone out, don’t be surprised when people suddenly aren’t available to help you one day.  Life is full of connections.  Call it karma, call it social responsibility, call it whatever you want.  Most of our actions are all tied together, and quite often, events are not just random.

The fact that my kids all have messy rooms though is the exception to the cause-and-effect rule.  Must be a genetic flaw or something, because I keep the house spotless…

I have owned cell phones for many years.  My first cell phone was bought in 1991, and actually, I believe it was called a “car phone” back then.  This phone lived in a sturdy bag, and only worked when it was plugged in to the cigarette lighter of a car.  The whole ‘set’ was huge, and I never had to worry about losing it in a couch cushion.

In time, cell phones became more portable, but they were very expensive.  Once cell phones came down in price, I bought my first phone that I could actually carry in my purse.  Unfortunately, this phone had terrible reception and had to be returned almost instantly.  I then purchased another phone that actually worked pretty good, even if the antenna was a lethal weapon because the knob at the top fell off.

Over the years, I ‘upgraded’ my phone many times.  I did not upgrade  because I needed the latest technology, but because my old phones could barely last until the 2 year contract expired.  I refused to buy a new cell phone at the ridiculous prices that the Verizon store charges without an upgrade.

How I Ended Up With My Droid

My Samsung Intensity died this past August, August 12th to be exact.  I called Verizon and after many attempts, I finally talked to a nice customer service rep that was actually quite competent.  (I had previously spoken to two incompetent reps, one of which sent me the wrong replacement phone.)  In the end, I settled on an Android because I did want Smart Phone capability for email and such. (In hindsight, not sure I really NEEDED a smart phone, but I do enjoy it, especially playing “Words with Friends” against friends and family.)  My Android arrived at my door step on August 23rd.

Things went well between my Droid and I, for about 7 weeks.  Then one day, I was texting and the keyboard started freezing after two words.  I would then have to hold down the ‘back’ key for a few seconds to go back to the previous screen.  I would try and text again, and the same thing would happen.  No matter how much memory I cleared, no matter what tricks I tried, I was limited to texting about 1.5 words per message.   So, I took my Droid to the Verizon store, thinking I must be some kind of smart phone idiot and there would be some easy fix.

There Was No Easy Fix For My Droid

Well, turns out I was not the problem, but my phone was.  Yes, after 7 short weeks, my Droid just couldn’t take it anymore and broke down.  The technician did try a couple of things and quickly said “Well, you need a new phone.  You should get it in a few days, and just send your old one back when it arrives”.  Well, big news, I didn’t need those instructions because I have only done the ‘return’ drill about 100 times over the years since we have four cell phones on our Verizon account.

What really gets me frustrated though is that my ‘new’ Droid will be refurbished.  I don’t know why with standard phone warranties the old model is always replaced with a refurbished version, but that seems to be the case with Verizon.   I cringe at the thought of my ‘new’ Droid because my last refurbished model emitted a high-pitched noise that literally hurt my ear.  I had to send that one back too.

Is It Just Me, Or Does It Seem Cell Phones Seem Generally To Be Low Quality?

I cannot remember the last time I had a cell phone that survived the 2 full years.  I am sure this track record encourages people to buy extended warranties, but I still have not.  Probably because with all the cell phones on our plan, I just use any upgrade that is available on our plan, not necessarily the one for my phone.  Therefore, I have not had to pay full price for a new phone.

So, I am trying to understand, am I an anomaly, or is early phone death an epidemic?  Is it too much for me to expect an expensive electronic item to last the length of the contract I signed up for?  What is your cell phone experience??

Welcome to my public service announcement.

This past weekend, I was driving in the parking lot of a local park when a 2 year old child ran right in front of my car.  Fortunately I was going slow enough that I was able to slam on my brakes and avoided hitting the child.  This event scared me half to death.  I did not see this little boy coming at all.  He had darted out from between two cars and he was so small that his head was not even as tall as the hood of either car.   He literally ran out of nowhere from my vantage point.

All I could think about once I caught my breath was “what if I had been on my cell phone, would I have been able to stop in time?”  I really don’t think I would have.  Fortunately I had both hands on the wheel when he darted out and I was totally focused.  Add cell phone distraction to the mix though, and I think I could have really hurt this little guy.

So, even though I am against talking on a cell phone or texting while driving period, it is especially important to be fully focused when driving  in parking lots.  Not only can little kids appear out of nowhere, but there are minimal stop signs, and people just don’t seem to pay attention in parking lots.  If you desperately need to be on your cell phone when in a parking lot, then just pull into an available parking spot and have your conversation there.  (The same advice applies to when driving down side streets also.)

Thank you!

My great day started with an email message that came to my cell phone.  I didn’t win a lottery, I didn’t get a raise. What I did get was… a night off!

Three times a week, my youngest son has travel soccer practice in the evening.  I also have 2 other kids, one who plays soccer and one who plays volleyball.  Basically, every single night is filled with me driving car pools and attending one sporting event or another.   Quite often, I attend one soccer game, and then hop in the car to watch an evening volleyball game.  I am not complaining, I love my life and I love watching my kids play.  It is just a busy time of year right now.

Yesterday the sun was shining, the leaves were changing, and the temperature was a perfect 75 degrees.  I was headed out to lunch when I heard the email alert on my phone.  I somehow managed to shade the phone screen from the ridiculous amount of glare that blocks my view when I am outside, and I read that my son’s travel soccer practice was cancelled. I was thrilled!  The planets aligned and we had absolutely zero commitments for the night.

So, after I picked up my son from school, I executed the plan that had been formulating in my head since I read the email:  I ran to the market, bought enough food to feed three starving teenagers (and more), and got cooking! I was so excited to be preparing a big dinner that I almost put on a dress, pearls, and heels so I could be a proper wife and mother!

My older two came home from their practices and were thrilled to smell the chicken and potatoes cooking.  After they washed up, they all helped get the food on the table, and we sat down to a 45 minute long meal.  IT WAS THE BEST.

I know a home made dinner may not sound very exciting to you, but our family life has been so crazy that having hours worth of down time was like a little gift.  Even though I cooked for 70 minutes and had to shop to get the ingredients, it was well worth all the effort.

So, when life does get a little crazy, remember how special something as little as a meal can be.  Take advantage of the gift of time and do something fun, instead of choosing to collapse on the couch.   It can be so easy to just get wrapped up in life that we don’t always get a chance to step back, take a breath, and appreciate the little things in life that we have right in front of us.

When I was a kid, I hated show and tell.  I was usually bored listening to others during show and tell, and I am sure people were equally bored when I brought something in for show and tell.  Plus, I was incredibly shy in my younger years, and being forced to stand up in front of a bunch of 5 years olds and  a teacher seemed torturous to me.  I am sure what I did bring in was incredibly mundane, and I cannot remember one thing I ever ‘presented’ during ‘show and tell’.

Twenty five years later, it was then my kid’s turn to drag in something to school to talk about with their classmates.  It wasn’t called ‘show and tell’ anymore though, it had evolved into ‘show and share’.  I don’t know if this new term was specific to the preschool my kids went to, or if ‘show and share’ had swept the nation.  I wondered if our country had  gotten so politically correct that kids can’t “tell”, but they “share” instead?  Is “show” too bold?  Should it be “display and share”?

Anyway, the teachers in my kid’s preschool did not allow the children to bring in anything expensive or huge.  Kids brought in beanie babies, action figures, books, etc.  Probably the same things that my generation brought in, but since my memory is gone, I can’t really say for sure.

Unfortunately, Show and Tell/Share was recently taken to a new level recently in Sweet Springs, Missouri.  This past week, a child brought in a couple of items for show and tell that I would not even recognize.  Instead of bringing in a G.I. Joe or baseball mitt to share, this kindergartner brought in a crack pipe and some meth.  It is so sad because the little boy had his ‘goodies’, and was all excited for show and tell.  Fortunately, the teacher realized what he had brought before he had a chance to ‘share’ and she called the police.  The boy’s mom was arrested and later released on bond.

This story really broke my heart.  What kind of home does this little guy live in that he can just grab some meth on his way out the door and his mom doesn’t even notice?  Geez, when my kids were 5, I still stored the Cascade up in a high cabinet and had plug protectors in the outlets.  What kind of a future does this little guy have? A mom is supposed to protect and teach her kids right from wrong.  Instead, this mom is apparently just living ‘wrong’, and who knows what this little fella sees day in and day out.

I sure hope there is someone in this little boy’s family that is looking out for him…