Before I start my exciting blog post I wanted to tell you something. I don't usually pay much attention to the mechanics of my blog but in a few days I will have posted my 700th blog entry! I also have almost 200 comments!
So I wanted to take a moment to say thanks for reading. Sometimes I want to start my posts "Dear Reader" but it seems to unbelievably goofy to do that, so I resist the temptation.
I am working on an essay about why I blog, in hopes it will be included in an anthology about mommy bloggers. As long as they aren't looking for something really "literary" I think I have a chance. It's forced me to think a bit about why I blog.
The blog started out because I got tired of writing multiple emails to friends and family members who wanted to know how things were going with Alesia, when she first came home. So I started blogging and made A Record of the New Normal available to only select folks. That was fine. Eventually, though, in order to publicize Jack's New Family, I realized I needed a public blog. It was scary, going public.
I often start to write about my opinions on some topic, then decide to keep quiet. I am a big ol' wussy, is the reason. I posted about my aversion to body piercings and tattoos and got some very negative comments. So I decided to avoid controversy.
I decided today to list some of my opinions. Go ahead and send the nasty comments. I probably won't print them but I hope it will make you, Dear Reader, feel smug and happy.
Things I Find Very Annoying:
1970's fashions - they looked idiotic then, so why return to those days?! why on earth should anyone with an ounce of body fat wear hip huggers? Or halter tops? Designers are soooooo lazy. Instead of the comfy caftans we SHOULD be wearing, they're going for a very annoying retro look. As long as fashion is going retro, why aren't we seeing the high-waisted plaid bellbottoms so popular when I was in middle school? or the shirts with enormous collars? where are the leisure suits?
Smock Tops that Make A Woman Look Pregnant - if you aren't pregnant, why do you want to look that way?! Anyone bigger than a size 2, WILL look pregnant in something like this:
Smart Cars - I keep seeing these zipping around on the freeways. I am all about fuel efficiency, but these things are like waterbugs on the surface of the interstate. In my huge mid-size Mazda, I feel like a lumbering Frankenstein clod next to the little Smart cars. Are they really smart, safety-wise? what would you prefer around you in a close encounter with a huge truck - a Smart car or a 1970 Catalina?
Sassy Kids on TV - I absolutely hate the Disney channel. Every time I let Mike watch TV, he wants to see Disney sitcoms. I watched 5 minutes of one the other day [Mike had the TV on while I was making dinner] and I wanted to hurl a tomato at the screen. Are all sitcom writers young punks with no children? My kids are taught to be respectful and not snotty to grownups, but that seems to be a very old-fashioned notion.
People Who Don't Keep Their Word - My kids have already figured out which of my friends do what they promise, and which ones are very casual about keeping commitments. I don't allow Michael to see his little friend Xavier because the child's mother doesn't keep her word when it comes to honoring playdates. It has hurt him. I'm trying to teach my kids this - when you say you are going to be somewhere or do something, keep your word. Be honorable.
People Who Consider Colon Cleansing a Religion - you know who you are. If I could spend half my waking hours on the potty I might agree with this view, but I can't.
People Who Think Shopping is Nirvana - to me, shopping is just somethign I have to do sometimes. It's not a sport. It's not a hobby. I know a woman who went back to work and left her kids home unsupervised just so she could have more money for shopping. Excuse me, but I believe there's a commandment on this one, something about Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods?
People Who Send Me Political Emails - I am NOT political. I'm not. I will hold my nose and vote for the lesser evil, on November 4th. I think all politicians on the national stage are morally bankrupt, and I find our whole political system out of whack and depressing. I would vote in favor of letting a computer run the country, if possible - it couldn't be bought off by special interest groups.
Emails about Praying for the Troops - I pray for my brother and all our service people EVERY DAY. If I don't send around your chain email about praying I am not a heartless heathen, OK?!
People Who Assume My Kids Are Like Most Kids - This is a little harder to explain. I overheard a woman recently ask my daughter if she likes to "hang out at the mall with her friends." She also asked me why on earth Alesia is 16 and doesn't have a driver's license.Well, first of all, Alesia is about 13, emotionally, not 16. She doesn't "hang out" anywhere in public without me around, or another responsible adult, because she is very naive and she could get into trouble without even realizing it. She is easily led into irresponsible behaviors. If someone her age offered her a beer or a joint, I am not sure if she would say yes or no. I am not sure she would remember the numbers "911" if she was in danger. She is impulsive and doesn't think about consequences. This is not her fault. It's part of the reason why she's in therapy. Just don't assume she is like every American teenager.
My son is also naive. He hardly glances across the street before darting out. His birthmom let him drink beer, and he often says he wants beer, despite my telling him he can't legally drink until age 21, and I will NEVER let him drink in my house. He likes to brag he will punch out anyone who gives him a problem. Is her serious? I know he says these things in a joking tone, but he spent his first 8 years running wild in the streets, drinking and smoking from a very early age. Fighting was common. I have to educate him about how kids his age in America should act.
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OK, so let me know if you agree or disagree. Let the games begin!
