The Dirty Cold South

1.26.13 I wrote this yesterday, deleted it all, and here I am again.

Housekeeping: my boy is 5 months and two days old.  There is some ice on my driveway.  The temperature didn't make it out of the twenties yesterday.  I still tell myself - "the ground will be great for spring....the ground will be great for spring...."

My daughter is showing signs of potential nut job.  She tried to give the cat a bath in the toilet yesterday and then she threw her down one story of our house.  Contacting a psychologist STAT!  (Then her dad told me he used to throw cats too, so I guess its genetic?)

****************
The dirty south gets dirtier when the ice comes to town.  I'm thinking the usage of ice in that sentence may make you think that I mean the street drug of the 90's....or the white rapper of the 90's?  I actually mean ice - as in the solid form of water. 

No pretty snow for us.

Just ice.

Ice ice baby.

So schools shut down super early because the idea of the big cheese taking a big slide was not a good idea at all - if you live here that is pronounced ah'tall.

I was really disheartened by many parents who were so terribly upset their child was "forced" to eat lunch at 9am.  Last I checked no kid is forced to eat lunch.  Forcing a kid to each lunch would be taking the spoon and shoving it down litte Johnny's throat.  So here comes the PSA of the day.  If it steps on your piggies you can wahh wahh wahh all the way home.

Surprise!  You live in America.  I'm not sure you are very aware of this country you call home.  You know this place where we run to the rescue of other nations before we take a good, hard look at the crap that is going on in our own. 

Surprise!  You live in North Carolina.  We are like the other 49 states in the union trying to make everyone else think we have it all here.  Ocean, mountain, prosperity, gated communities, good schools, good health care, happy people. 

Surprise!  You are living in a dream land if you honestly think that every family in North Carolina is getting by just dandy in 2013.  Do you realize we have homeless children in the school systems?  Yes we do.  They live in shelters.  They live in tents.  They live in campers.  We have children who have to take turns eating breakfast...and people I do not mean they take turns sitting down to eat at a table in intervals. I mean they take turns eating a meal - as in its Monday so Johnny will eat today and on Tuesday Sally will eat.  I am not kidding you.  This is not a joke.  This is not a guilt trip.  This is reality and reality bites.

As I heard and read various rants, by people who try to wear the mask of "I'm a God fearing great human being," I was forced to realize that these people are so incredibly out of touch with what they want to be pseudo martyrs for.  I was sick to my stomach.

You complain your child lost $4 to a school that forced them to eat.

I want you to take a moment and read this next bit several times.

Did you ever think that not every child in that school was going home to a true piece of real estate?  One that would offer them heat on a twenty-three degree day?

Did you ever think that not every child in that school would have a convenience meal or snacks waiting on them when they got to where they live?

Did you ever think that not every child is as blessed as yours?

Did you ever think a solution to save you $4 was to single out all the kids who get free lunch, reduced rate lunch and bookbags of food for the weekends?  Because we know we want to help you out since you have that Disney vacation planned in a couple months.

Do not turn this into a welfare, system riding rant - its not.  This is strictly about children who deserve their tummies be filled at school if they cannot get it at home. We won't delve into why these kids don't get nutrition at home, that's beside the point of this message, we will all agree (I pray) that the children deserve a "balanced" meal and if school is where they have to get it from then that is where it will come from.

The next time you want to bitch and complain about your kid being forced to go to lunch at 9am I want you to remember one thing - we're here to take care of each other and part of taking care of one another is remembering those who are less fortunate and who don't have all the wonderful blessings that were bestowed upon us.


My last comment on this is: whatever you said and how you contorted your face to your kid about lunch at 9 formed an impression on your child.  From that impression they drew from watching and hearing you they developed a response.  That response will be mini mirror of how you dealt with that situation.

You should take these experiences as tools for teaching your children how incredibly lucky, blessed, and amazing their life is as compared to other children in their own community.  You could even take it one step farther and putting your good fortune to use - helping those who need it. 

The last thing we need is more self centered brats in this world of self centered brats.

****************

A little note:  I'm not setting myself apart from this.  There are times when I screw my face up and go what the crap?  But I strive to always take ten seconds before responding to compose myself and try to find the message that will turn the moments of complaint into a lesson.

Having worked with a family years ago (college experience) who did have to take turns having meals - this problem of food scarcity in the home really hurts my heart.  It is a real problem and it needs to be combatted.  Many of you are thinking - "get foodstamps" - believe it or not there is a portion of our population who need them desperately but will not get the assitance they need because their pride is too great. 

******************

Stay warm this weekend.
Take care of one another.

*******************

Until we meet again -


Brownie









.