Shining Thru

I’m not sure where the younger generation is headed, but it doesn’t look good.  Legislators keep trying to increase the curriculum and make everything look good on paper, but what it’s actually doing is forcing kids to give up.  No child left behind is plowing students over by trying to make them keep up with some made up standards by politicians that have never been inside a classroom, other than as a student.  I saw in the news that another student brought another gun to school….I think that it is so sad that we have to worry about such things.  As always the comments on the article were much more interesting that the article itself…people say all sorts of things from where are the parents, to that school is for the trash of the district anyway…Even if it is an alternative school how can we possible call children trash….Schools have a lot of issues these days and it scares me to think that these are the people of the generation that are suppose to be running things in the future.  If we don’t get it together and start worrying about the right issues I don’t understand how we expect improvements. What good are nice looking standardized test scores in the records office if children are running around on the streets or bringing the streets to the schools.  I don’t think that we realize all of the time what kind of issues are in the homes for the young people today, but I also don’t think that we should be making excuses for anyone, I think that the first step to having any real improvement is to hold people responsible for their own actions.

Reading the local news was pretty interesting today.  I read that near by the city counsel voted to impose a daytime curfew for children of school age.  Their new law states that children between the ages of 6 and 16 should not be found in the community between the times of 8:30 am and 2:30 pm.  Police will take care of running into children of school age during the day by offering to take them home or to school, if they refuse than their guardian will get the citation…..Reading the comments was even more interesting.  Some people were complaining that this is forcing the police officers to take care of the parental responsibilities of these young people…however, I feel that it is forcing parents to be held accountable for the actions of their child or children.  Now a days, parents don’t have too many excuses for not knowing where their children are; schools have auto dialers that inform them whenever a child is late or absent, teachers send letters home, and most teenagers I see have cell phones that parents could track them with if they so choose.  Some people may argue that tracking their child is an invasion of their privacy, but I feel that it is your responsibility to know about your child while they are living under your roof and your responsibility.  I think it’s wonderful that law enforcement will help parents out when they see the young people walking around town for no good reason other than to avoid getting an education….However, I do think that it is pretty sad that we, as a society, would have to resort to such matters.  It is interesting the variety of comments on this particular article, one person said that it is a shame that parents will end up paying for their children’s mistakes and that “parent’s are use to footing the bill for their children…I think that is a major problem in our society….why shouldn’t parents be held responsible for their children, they are the ones that raised them.  I know there are some people who feel that they are in a hopeless situation with their children…but I think they are running out of people to blame other than the parents and the way that the children were raised.  If you let a 2 year old run the household, what do you think will happen when that toddler grows into a teenager?

I don’t understand the way some people think or logic their way through life….I was reading the news earlier today and was simply baffled by some of the comments underneath the articles from other readers similar to myself.  There was one article about a woman being shot to death in her home while holding her 3 month old baby and all but one of the comments that I read were saying what a bad mother she was and completely tearing her apart….and then another article was about how a teenager jumped out of a moving ambulance and died and there were only comments as far as I could see about how sad it was and how the family should file a lawsuit against the ambulance workers for not containing the boy.  Although I agree that because the boy had mental issues and the circumstances are sad and I feel for the family, I don’t understand how these are the same type of people completely slamming the single mother trying to raise her children.  Instead they are blaming her for the fact that some of her young children witnessed the shooting early in the morning when the kids should have been in bed…apparently it didn’t occur to any of them that the kids may have been sleeping in the same room as the baby and the mother was in there to pick up the baby since most 3 month olds I know don’t sleep through the night completely, or maybe there were woken up by someone breaking into the house, or the confrontation that could have been taking place before the shooting.  How can people in good conscience think that they are in the right passing judgment over a woman who just lost her life like that?  Not one of the comments that I read expressed any type of concern or sympathy for her children, they all just wanted to say how wrong she was for being a young single mother who was shot in front of her children, as if it was her choice, as if she was suppose to know she was going to get shot that day and have the kids pre-removed from the house….I wish people would stop and think before they shoot off their comments into cyberspace.  I have to wonder how many of those people would say those things out loud and how many of them are simply hiding behind the computer.  At least the things I say, I am not too ashamed to voice in real life.  I would hope that these people would be ashamed of their comments if the family of that woman heard them, but I fear that too often in our judgmental society, those people would still think that they are in the right, no matter who they were talking to.

Unfortunately for this young woman, so many people feel that they are in the right and have the right to say whatever thoughts pop into their heads.  Their attempts at thinking are sometimes pitiful and I am sorry to say that I live in a society that feels that they can pass judgment without knowing all of the facts in a situation and publicly post their blind comments about it on the internet.

Do you ever find yourself with two personalities…not in the crazy way, but just the way you act and react to different groups of people compared to when you’re on your own or with a separate group of people that you know better and are more comfortable with?  I’ve noticed that some people have work personalities and then are a completely different person outside of the work place, when they are home, or just hanging out relaxing with coworkers as friends instead of work associates.

I know that my personality changes and people notice it sometimes too…if they see both personalities, but I think it’s just the way certain situations and groups of people make me react.

It’s weird to find the balance of always being yourself but being what people expect of you in certain situations as well…I think that we start this struggle at a very young age.  having to be this while knowing it doesn’t quite fit with who you are as a person…so trying to curve it to make the square peg fit in the circle hole by smooting the edges a little…even when it takes a lot of force.

Some people will argue that you shouldn’t change who you are for any reason…but I’m not sure you are changing who you are…I think it’s more of a action and reaction kind of thing…I think that certain situations simply cause people to act differently….

What happens when the followers become the leaders?  Ever heard the phrase, too many Chiefs and not enough Indians?  It seems to be the way some things are working these days.  Everyone wants to be in charge and feel the power, move up on the ladder so to speak.  With everyone grasping for the power stick, a chance to get behind the wheel, people forget to do their own job, fill the position they are already in….

Why is it that people spend so much time trying to prove themselves that they look plain stupid because they look like they aren’t even capable of doing the position that they are already suppose to be doing.  They try to increase their position by sabotaging those around them, or by stepping on toes and trying to do jobs that belong to other people.

I don’t understand people that don’t want to go through the proper channels of things, who can’t simply feel good about doing a good days work and know that they are doing the best they can at what they are suppose to be doing.  Instead they are fighting for something that might not even be in the cards for them ever, much less right then at that moment.  Just because they want to skip steps to get to the top of the pyramid faster, doesn’t mean that it’s right.

The struggle in the game of tug-a-war played by the adults of our society is obvious…and annoying.  Sometimes the adults I observe act more like children than the kids I know….you want to tell them to stop trying to grow up so fast and enjoy what they have while they have it…because when you get to the top you might be disappointed with the view.

“Look at these people amazing how sheeple show up for the slaughter.”  What a great line from a musical I was recently introduced to, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog.  I think that this line is a great representation of what happens often in our society.  People following the media or their favorite politician…sometimes more likely is that they are following their parents’ favorite politician.  People that have a set time every day set aside to watch the screen of “big brother” and they simply believe everything that is said on their favorite show on Fox News or CNN.

I have to wonder how some people can have so much information stored inside of them and yet seem to almost refuse to use their common sense to actually puzzle out their own original thoughts.  There are a few people who strive for the truth, think through everything…but the majority of people that I see around me most days makes me really wonder if  people even remember how to think for themselves any more?  I know that the younger generation expects answers to simply be handed to them…I have to wonder if they get that because their elders have simply resigned themselves to simply following whatever message is spread the loudest in the gossip lines of neighbors or on the most news channels.

Some people are intimidating with all of their knowledge and their great use of common sense, debate skills, etc….why are these people so hard to find sometimes…???  I’m glad that I have been able to surround myself in my personal life with intelligent people…but when I go to work I see what is outside of my own little circle…..Sometimes you wonder if some people are ever involved in an intelligent conversation about anything…..And if they do get involved if can they give any reasons for the opinions that they so strongly defend because that is what they heard on the latest news report….I love having good conversations and debates with people, but sometimes I am amazed at how people enter into such conversations without any actual facts to back up their opinions…or even solid logic to back themselves up.

Sheeple is a great term for how the majority of our society seems to be acting these days.  People question their best friends but believe what some “specialist” on the evening news says without hesitation….what kind of sense does that make?  I’m afraid for where our society is going if we (as a whole) continue to blindly follow and line up for the slaughter… sooner or later, we wont be able to avoid what we are asking for.  Put the axe in the hand of the executioner…don’t act surprised when your head is rolling on the ground.

I think it’s kind of odd how quickly we can fall out of our routine.  Just as you’re getting use to the nice extended weekend of Thanksgiving and relaxing into a new routine…it’s back to work and the daily grind.  Unfortunately really, the fact that you can’t really take a break because you spend the first few days winding down from everything at work and then you have to spend the last day getting ready to go back to work.  Some people can’t even stay away that long from their work and end up sneaking into the office or working from home when they could be relaxing.  We’re so trained into our routine that if we do get to take a breath it’s only a quick one before our mind is back at the work place…thinking about going back, preparing paperwork, finishing up a project, or actually going into the office because you’re afraid of the work load that is building up while everyone is suppose to be on a break, since you know there are others like you that just can’t seem to take a real break.  What would it take for us to all just put work aside and concentrate on the important things in life?  Forget about money, bills, work, paperwork???  What would it take…Will it ever be possible?  Could it ever be possible?  I think that society has ingrained certain worries and concerns over certain responsibilities to the point that we have a really hard time putting them to the side and taking a break just for ourselves.  Simply relaxing for relaxation sake.  Enjoying our family and friends without a second thought to any work that is awaiting us on the desk or stacked on the table at home.  Going back to work from this wonderful long weekend made me realize how little of the break I actually enjoyed, which is why I think that we all feel like the break wasn’t long enough.  Like I said, we spend the first two days trying t let go of everything at work and then the last day getting back into the swing of things.

I think that the human race has been so set on taking over the world that there is no longer an escape from society.  No place that you wouldn’t have to worry about the conventions that have been set forth.

It’s as if we are all trapped on an island of rules and regulations.  Society following you wherever you go.  There is no safe haven, some people can manage to keep their homes just for themselves and their families, but many, many others are allowing society to infiltrate in there as well.  Going by what society says in order to raise their children even though it’s not what they want in some cases. 

So why is it that we can’t escape?  No matter which direction we turn or what road we go down, society is there waiting or quickly following on our footsteps.  I do think that having some rules is a good thing; however, it would be nice just to get away from time to time.  To be able to feel free and just be yourself without someone commenting or judging.  Even when you don’t care what someone thinks about you, it can still become obnoxious that they feel they have the right to judge you.

It’s strange how a place becomes a home…how sometimes you simply know that a place is where you belong and you have found your home….other times it sneaks up on you…you’re simply staying in a place…not really considering it home and then all of the sudden you realize that you are a part of the community, that you like where you live, that your apartment or house is now your home….all sorts of things begin to change…maybe one by one maybe all at once….simple things to important things.  Your team allegiances to your spot in society to your standing in a community.  It’s nice when you finally realize that you have found a home, somewhere to feel at peace, somewhere to belong. 

There’s a lot to be said for the peace and calm that you have when you feel like you belong somewhere.  When you can look at the bad things people have told you about where you are and honestly say that it’s not that bad…and I honestly like it here anyway.  When you can feel comfortable with the people around you and know that you are accepted and able to be yourself. 

It’s kind of strange how you can live some place for weeks, months, or even years without considering it home and then just one day it changes…..

Don’t know what to do

Don’t know what to say

Spinning all around at the end of another day

Long hours ticked by slowly, while watching the clock

Now that it’s hear and you give a sigh

Lost in thought and trying to remember to relax

Trying to tune out the list of things to do, knocking at your brain

Trying to ignore the things that have been waiting for you to come through your door

Just wanting to relax, recuperate before resuming the daily tasks of life

The responsibilities that come with being alive and dealing with other people

Responsibilities that come with being a part of society

Wanting it all to go away and to only be with the ones you love and able to relax and enjoy

Able to sit and breathe without worrying about what you aren’t doing at the moment

Able to embrace and enjoy the moment for the love that fills it