I hate the way trade school commercials target the “lazy unemployed male” with catch phrases like “my wife is so proud of me” and “my kids look up to me now that I have a job” or my favorite ” now that I have an education from XYZ University I am finally making the money I deserve. What message does this send? What are we telling our kids? When I am home four days in a row spending time and taking care of my children am I that much less of a man because I am home and not making a difference in my education? Am I a failure because I have chosen my path and am completely content in my career, pay and ability to be with my family? Time that you can never get back? I am really tired of advertising portraying the male in the house as either unimportant in the family dynamic or a complete moron that can’t do anything right, and when he fails mom and kids disparage him as an idiot. Our children need to be raised to believe that they can achieve greatness in all aspects of the family. That once a family is formed responsibilities are shared equally in the house. That as a family we are a working functioning unit that needs to mesh together like a well oiled set of gears. Does it always work flawlessly? No. But I definitely don’t need any help from TV land. Just bitchin I guess….
Day: December 16, 2011
High School Raceway
This morning dropping off my high schooler I took note of the fact that I was feeling very pressured in my driving skills. Not from my own child mind you, his head was buried in the alternative texting, gaming, fantasy world that is his I-Phone. No it was in fact from the kids that were driving alongside and behind me. The tailgating, speeding, wreck less driving that is coming from our youth is astounding to me. At times coming in this four lane road feels more like a run against John Force at Infineon raceway. When we round the corner I am cutting the lane on Tony Stewart. I keep waiting for my crew Chief to let me know I’m “clear low” (those who follow NASCAR will get that one). Yet today for some reason I parked facing out to watch in coming traffic. To get a better read on my assessment of this daily routine. After 10 minutes I came to a conclusion. IT’S NOT THE KIDS!!! Oh yeah that’s right, it was the parents! Don’t get me wrong there was a handful of stop sign running kids but over all the rubber squealing, stop sign running, speeding idiots were the parents! I wanted to pull them over and scream! Apparently they don’t realize or care that the impression they are leaving on there own kids will result in their children driving like asses too.
Let me also say, I by no means was a driving Angel. I had a sweet truck with an awesome motor and it hauled ass! But as a parent I feel it’s my responsibility to lead by example, my dad and mom both drove like a bat out of HELL! Yet they expected me to drive like a law abiding citizen. HAH! A ticket and two accidents later (luckily no one hurt) I figured out the hard way that there are driving rules and laws for a reason.
The good news so far is my son hates people who break the law. He sees no point in speeding, and looks at it as being irresponsible. He thinks his friends who drive recklessly as complete morons. He swears that will never be him and he will always follow the driving rules of the road.
I should probably up my insurance..
My child’s laughter
A child’s laughter, I live for the sound of uncontrollable laughter from one of my children. How many parents take that sound for granted? How many parents are self consumed and don’t understand it’s importance? How many times have we looked over and through the emotions of our kids as an annoyance? I have, yet tonight I relished in it, I bathed myself in the pure emotion of a happy, laughing child. I put that one moment in my memory bank to pull up time and again, placing a smile on my face when I have forgotten how.
The Christmas Play
So it’s that time of year, the annual school Christmas play. The kids are dressed up and ready to perform, the band is tuning their instruments and the parents are all bantering about their little genius actors.
Sitting here waiting for the Christmas production to start I am left wondering, why after multiple generations sitting through this event has not one person ever thought of putting chairs down for the parents instead of these awful benches from the lunch service that our asses are forced to endure.
Also if you the parent are sick why on earth are you so selfish that you feel the need to come and place yourself in the center of multiple healthy parents and cough your fool head off?
Oh well I digress, the curtain has closed, weeks of preparation are now about to take form. Merry Christmas little ones, the show must go on….
They call me Betty 