I was so looking forward to writing my column this month because I had a whole arsenal of topics to pick from that people have stopped me to discuss. I had even done several mini columns to remind me what was on the minds of my readers. Then I remembered that I will be responsible for doing a column relating to the New Year. Hmmmm....resolutions...ridding one self of bad habits and introducing new ones. That would be a great topic......not so fast! Ha! Ha!
I thought if I discuss some of the topics, they also may turn into resolutions for people to TRY and change themselves for the better.
The first topic is Facebook and social networking. Now I've discussed this topic on and off in past columns but seriously people, it's getting ridiculous out there. Are we that socially inept that we can't FACE another person and discuss something on our mind? Good, bad or indifferent, we are slowly losing the ability to communicate IN PERSON with other people. If someone makes you mad, you just type on Facebook that so and so has made you mad. First of all, maybe contact that person and discuss your feelings. WHAT? Ya, I know. Isn't that a novel idea? Then second of all you have "friends" on Facebook who egg you on or "like" what you say. Now remember, they have no idea what has happened because....oh ya....THEY ARE NOT THERE! They take this comment, whatever it may be, like it's God's honest truth. They don't know the situation, they don't know the dynamics, frankly they don't know anything, except the comment. Have we lost our ability to judge and make honest decisions? Have we got so involved in "gossip" that it has taken over our own morals and judgement? What happened to listening to both sides of a story before judgement is made? I learned very early that there are two sides to every story, yet people jump on one side and get sucked in to cruel gossip. Why do people find this fascinating? The he said, she said relationships are just damning and take over precious time in one's life. The worst part is that some people just thrive on gossip. They don't know where they heard it, who told them and exactly how it relates to them but surely it must be true. These people are malicious, cruel people who thrive on making other people sound bad so that they sound good. I guess, this would be my first suggestion for a resolution to you people out there who just can't wait to have a coffee with the "gossipers".....get a life and quit expelling the time the Lord has given you on something that is none of your business.
Well now that I'm on a roll, my (and my readers) second beef is kids who have everything. I have heard, "that kid is so spoiled" more recently than I have in a long time. First of all, it starts with the parents. These kids start out not knowing any better. They are 'taught' to not have value in things. In my day, if something I had was lost, ruined, misplaced or whatever, I either did not get another one or I earned it. The kids today lose something or break something - even if it isn't theirs - and they shrug their shoulders and walk away with the "it wasn't my fault" attitude. To top it off, they are expecting mommy or daddy to just run and buy them another one, which they usually do. What are they teaching their kids? This frustration just doesn't affect parents. Teachers, babysitters, friends (yes friends) have to endure the behaviour of these children. This more often than not is the "Disneyland" parent. It's the Mom or Dad of a divorced couple who forgot how to be a parent and wants to be their child(ren)'s friend at any cost. You're not doing the kid any favours because they soon take on the same mentality and it becomes a vicious circle.
I had one parent tell me that her son had asked for a quad (when he was seven or eight) as quadding was a family event and he was getting too big to be on the back of Mom or Dad's. They made him work a whole year for this quad, doing extra chores and earning this prized possession. When he finally earned it (not brand new) he was ecstatic. For the older generation, like myself, I envisioned it to be like getting my first pedal bike. I couldn't even imagine my kids suggesting getting a quad at that age, but then again this was not something we did in our family. Anyway, when the boy finally got to tell his friends about his new possession, that he worked so hard for, one of the boys (who also had a quad) commented, ya but it's not a ________! Can you believe it? It was not a brand name that was popular to all eight-year-old quadders, I guess. What the heck is wrong with this picture? I thought it was bad enough when I heard teenagers discussing brand name clothing items that they either had or wanted (and were determined to get). Now remember, who is paying for these items? Riiiiiiiight......Mommy or Daddy!
I could go on and on but I will leave you with a saying I used when I wanted to motivate women at Curves. Since my Mom is sitting on my shoulder as I'm writing this, I can only hope that my father doesn't read this one. There are three things that one hates to do but is so glad they did it after it is complete. Exercise, going to church and sex. Yes, I said it. It's not so much that we hate these things but we need to work up to them in some way and after they are complete, we are so happy we did them. So maybe those should be our New Year's resolutions and let everything else fall where it may. Happy New Year!
Maxine's saying: As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.
Pet Peeve of the Week: This fits right in with the above but my peeve this week is when people send you a text about some obscure thing and when you try and call them to discuss the matter, they don't answer their cell phone and take their land line phone off the hook. If you have enough guts to blab about something, then grow up and act like an adult and actually talk to that person. What are you, five years old? Oh, I know why...because you were wrong! A little face to face "discussion" could avoid all this drama in one's life. Maybe that's just me...let me know what you think!
