Enough is Enough
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I get a little annoyed when the news media goes overboard in their reporting. The latest coverage of the death of Michael Jackson, the divorce of Jon and Kate and the affair of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, just to mention a few items, has been overdone. Enough already!
Although I was never a fan of Michael Jackson, he was a superstar performer and his death was certainly newsworthy. But for the coverage to go on and on, particularly on CNN where every reporter had to put their spin on things was just too much to take. It’s kind of ironic that several radio stations that had stopped playing his songs following the molestation “allegations” suddenly found it okay to jump on the bandwagon with playing them again.
As for Jon and Kate, I could never understand to begin with why they should have had a TV show following their lives and the lives of their 8 kids and who cares whether they are now getting a divorce. All this does is add to their TV ratings as the show carries on “reminiscing” about the past 10 years of their marriage!
So Governor Mark Sanford had an affair with a woman in Argentina? Big deal! Was he giving away state secrets while sleeping with this woman? The fact that he was a prominent “family values” type of politician might say something about his morals but it doesn’t affect the way he was doing his job and yet there are cries out for his resignation. Hell, if all politicians had to resign because of questionable behaviour there probably wouldn’t be too many left. Maybe that would be a good thing!
In any event, the fact that the media has to spend so much of their time reporting this stuff indicates that they aren’t really interested in reporting on “real news” but rather in items that are “sensational.” There was a time when this sort of thing was left to the tabloids and “reporters” like Springer or Geraldo etc.
that’s the way I see it
I Remember When
I turned 62 this week and in keeping with my previous post, that means I have an excuse for being grumpy at times! On another note, looking back over the years I’m amazed at the many changes I’ve seen and the many differences in how we look at things today as compared to when I was growing up.
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn’t get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts, or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread, and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren’t overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes. No video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s, no surround-sound or CD’s, no cell phones, no personal computer! No Internet or chat rooms…… WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
If YOU are one of them…
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn’t it?!
that’s the way I see it
Do I care - not really!
When I was younger I used to care what people thought of me. Like most everyone else, I wanted to be liked and accepted. I’ll be turning 62 in another week and one of the things I’ve come to notice as I get older is that I really don’t give a damn anymore what others think of me.
Think for a moment of the people you know. I’ll bet it’s safe to say that the people you know that are seniors are probably more honest and straightforward than your younger friends. And that’s because they have nothing to prove. As a “senior” myself, I have experienced many things in my life and have formed many opinions and I’m not afraid to voice those opinions even if they might offend. Younger people seem to be always concerned that if expressing what’s on their mind it “may be taken the wrong way” or it “may create a wrong impression.” Face it – you can’t please everyone so why worry what impression you’re going to create?
One of the advantages of being older is that you’re allowed (expected) to be “in a mood” a lot of the time. That’s why we have the expression “Grumpy old man!” That’s not to say that I’m necessarily grumpy. In fact, most of the time I’m not. But I admit that I do enjoy stirring the pot a little by intentionally saying things that I know will get a reaction from someone. I may even start doing that here once in awhile so please don’t think I’m just a grumpy old man – it’s just one of life’s little pleasures!
that’s the way I see it!
It’s Not Worth It
I know several people who are workaholics and I’ve never been able to understand what it is that motivates a person to be addicted to his/her job. I certainly have never been a workaholic. For years I was dedicated to my job but at the end of the work day I would leave any thoughts of work at the workplace. Now, as I approach retirement, I admit that I’m merely putting in time.
A co-worker and friend of mine will be going on vacation in another week and sure enough you can bet that he’ll have his cell phone with him. Not only that, but while away he will even call in to make certain everything is running smoothly during his absence. This person works 7 days a week because on weekends he always drops in to the hotel for a couple of hours to check on things.
There have actually been studies done that show that taking time off is crucial for your health and well-being. Energy levels increase after having time off work and you come back to work rested.
Many people find it almost impossible to avoid their cell phones or checking emails while away. They fear that things won’t get done or that staff won’t be able to deal with any issues that may arise. As far as I’m concerned nobody is indispensable, whatever their position. It may cause a little inconvenience but no company is going to go under simply because you happen to be on holiday and don’t check in!
Vacations aside, there are many who can’t leave their work at the office when the work day ends and this is sad. Being a workaholic means there is something lacking in your life if you have to depend on a job to fulfill ALL your needs. It simply isn’t worth it!
that’s the way I see it!
Dependence or Independence - which is better?
While we were in Gatlinburg last week, Eileen and I got into a discussion concerning “family” that came about because of my comment that sons and daughters today are more reliant on their parents than when I was younger. It’s not uncommon today to see 20-30-year-olds still living at home or depending on their parents in some way.
I can remember when I’d finished high school and informed my parents that I was going to take a year off before going to University. My father put an end to this idea when he asked, “Where will you be living?” He went on to tell me that as long as I was in school I could live at home, but if not in school then I was basically on my own (i.e. get a job and find somewhere to live). Needless to say, I didn’t take the year off and went to University. After graduating, I found myself a job and moved out on my own. In the years following that I was married, divorced and quit my job but never once did I contemplate seeking my mother’s assistance (my father had passed away by this time).
It seems to me that there comes a time when parents have to let go; that regardless of any hardships their grown-up “kids” have to take responsibility and act like grown-ups. Those who argue that “once a parent, always a parent” seem to overlook the fact that being a parent means letting go. Take the example of the animal world – offspring are cared for until they learn survival skills and then are forced to leave.
I can understand parents who find it hard letting go and this is particularly difficult when living in the same town. But, doesn’t there come a time once the nest is empty that the parents should be able to enjoy their lives without their children? I’ve never been a parent, so perhaps I don’t fully understand, but I would think that independence is much better than dependence.
that’s the way I see it!
The View from the Top
My friend Eileen and I returned home Monday from a 6-day trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains. The last time I was in Gatlinburg was some 14 years ago when I shared a chalet with 9 other online friends. The major difference between then and now is that I discovered that I’m totally out of shape. Actually, I already knew this but when Eileen and I headed up one of those mountain trails I definitely found out. Needless to say, I never made it to the top but Eileen went all the way as I waited for her return by sitting on a rock along the way watching others struggle on by me. At least she took plenty of photos which enabled me to see what I had missed. I could try using the excuse that I was a little under the weather this trip – a visit to the doctor today confirmed that I have a respiratory infection and I’m now on antibiotics for a week. But, the fact remains that I’m terribly out of shape!
Would you believe there is actually a trail (the Appalachian Trail) that runs from Tennessee all the way to Maine and that some people hike this trail?!!
Any trip with Eileen usually involves an “incident” or two and this one was no different since it was touch and go whether we would be allowed entry into the US. Although Eileen is a landed immigrant in Canada, she doesn’t have citizenship and so still must use her British passport to enter the States. Her passport expired in March and so I had contacted the US Embassy in Ottawa asking if there would be a problem and they advised that her passport would be ok since it was less than 6 months expired. Homeland Security at the border disagreed telling us that we should have gone to the Embassy for a stamp validating the visit. In any event, they were very helpful and went out of their way to assist us by waiving the requirement. It seems to me that there are probably thousands of people travelling in both directions that don’t meet the necessary requirements with regard to documents but are permitted entry based on the discretion of the customs official. This is how it should be. Millions of people cross these borders each year and even though there is a need for border security, it shouldn’t affect the close relationship that Canada and the US have enjoyed for many years.
that’s the way I see it!
