I remember when I was growing-up learning how things only had the value they do because we agree to it. For example, D-O-G spells dog, the symbol 1 represents one item and so on. I believe this concept to be true. The concept that symbols, sounds, words, laws, only hold the value you accept them to. Remember when President Clinton pondered what the meaning of "is" is? Well, my point is that things mean different things to different people. Sometimes it is because of where you live or how you grew-up. Sometimes your "meaning" comes from your own life experience. The point is, that until you walk in someone's shoes, you cannot know what is meant by their words or body language. I think before people judge others, they should remember that their way is NOT the right way for everyone, that their way is NOT everyone's way and that is okay.
Next topic. People are ignorant! It is ignorant to put people down because you disagree with their opinion on an issue. Not sharing the same opinion is fine, not having the facts to make a knowledgeable judgment is ignorant. I have a friend that I almost NEVER agree with on ANYTHING from the way we parent to politics, that said, it is a rare occasion when she and I are unable to discuss an issue civilly. We hear what one another is saying and respect the passion and knowledge the other has for the issue. When we are done, we rarely convince one another to change sides, but we also do not think the other "wrong" for their beliefs. This is not the case with most of the people I know and it makes me wonder. Why do so many people become defensive and mean when someone questions what they believe? Why do people resort to putting others down when they disagree with them? I guess it is because they could NEVER be wrong. I guess it is because their way is the ONLY way. I guess I should be happy for those "perfect" people that are ALWAYS right and have life all figured out. To never have to listen or hear what others are saying must be a satisfying life.
People are different, some are crazy, but it is all good.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Adjustments...
It is time to make some in my life. Time to refocus and spend a little time taking care of myself. I need to get back on the treadmill. I feel so much better when I am on it everyday. For me, exercising brings balance into my life. I don't do it for weight-loss, although I don't mind that, I do it for the peace it brings to me mentally. I am not sure if it is the endorphins released or the 30 mins I get to spend listening to my ipod alone, either way it seems to make my life better. I think it makes me a better wife, a better friend and I know it makes me a better mother. So, it is a win-win for everyone in my life.
Here's to hoping I can get up Monday and start doing it:)
Here's to hoping I can get up Monday and start doing it:)
Monday, March 22, 2010
35!
If you continue to read this you will see that I started this post much earlier in the week, but for many reasons a crazy week and wanting a little more perspective being the biggest reasons, I never finished.
Here is where I started:
On Friday I will celebrate my 35th birthday and that seems old to me. For the first time, I feel like I am getting old. It is not the gray hair, that has been there for years. It is not even the wrinkles that are starting to form around my eyes. I think what is making me feel old is that my baby turned 5 today. I am the mother of an 8 yr old, a 7 year old and a 5 year old...that cannot be! Where did the time go? It is hard to believe that at 24 people so many people told me I was too young to get married and at 29 when I told my husband that we had to have ONE more baby before I was 30 and too old to have them:) Now I am happy that I got married at 24 and had three kids before I was 30. I am not sure I would be able to be starting my family now. I fell old with an 8,7 & 5 year old, I could not imagine having a newborn now.
I know that the way I planned out my life doesn't work for everyone, and I know how lucky I am to have found the *man of my dreams* at 15
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Now it is Saturday morning and I AM 35. And as I suspected, I feel no different today then I did on Thursday. I got alot of feed-back from friends when I expressed my concerns about 35 and most of what they said was good and did help clarify what I was feeling. 35 is just a number. The only reason this birthday hit me with a reality check is that it was a "5" and the "5" and the "0" birthday's tend to make me stop and think about where I my life has gone since the last "perspective" birthday:) So, I spent way to much of my time reliving the last five years. What I found was that I did not have all the huge moments that I had in the 5 years before, but that doesn't mean that I have done nothing. And what I have done has been good. A college degree, 3 monsters moved from babies/toddlers to kids, traded Mom's club in for PTO, enrolled in a Masters program, and really grew in my marriage. Looking at it, I see that I have done "stuff" over the last 5 years, important stuff. Stuff that will set the stage for the next 5 years.
35 is not so bad thus far. And it looks alot better now than it did on Monday:)
Here is where I started:
On Friday I will celebrate my 35th birthday and that seems old to me. For the first time, I feel like I am getting old. It is not the gray hair, that has been there for years. It is not even the wrinkles that are starting to form around my eyes. I think what is making me feel old is that my baby turned 5 today. I am the mother of an 8 yr old, a 7 year old and a 5 year old...that cannot be! Where did the time go? It is hard to believe that at 24 people so many people told me I was too young to get married and at 29 when I told my husband that we had to have ONE more baby before I was 30 and too old to have them:) Now I am happy that I got married at 24 and had three kids before I was 30. I am not sure I would be able to be starting my family now. I fell old with an 8,7 & 5 year old, I could not imagine having a newborn now.
I know that the way I planned out my life doesn't work for everyone, and I know how lucky I am to have found the *man of my dreams* at 15
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now it is Saturday morning and I AM 35. And as I suspected, I feel no different today then I did on Thursday. I got alot of feed-back from friends when I expressed my concerns about 35 and most of what they said was good and did help clarify what I was feeling. 35 is just a number. The only reason this birthday hit me with a reality check is that it was a "5" and the "5" and the "0" birthday's tend to make me stop and think about where I my life has gone since the last "perspective" birthday:) So, I spent way to much of my time reliving the last five years. What I found was that I did not have all the huge moments that I had in the 5 years before, but that doesn't mean that I have done nothing. And what I have done has been good. A college degree, 3 monsters moved from babies/toddlers to kids, traded Mom's club in for PTO, enrolled in a Masters program, and really grew in my marriage. Looking at it, I see that I have done "stuff" over the last 5 years, important stuff. Stuff that will set the stage for the next 5 years.
35 is not so bad thus far. And it looks alot better now than it did on Monday:)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Wrong Way!
I have spent the better part of my day watching the House debate the Health Care Bill and resolutions. It is making me sick. It is not about where I stand on health care, but the fact that this Bill is full of back-door deals and buy-offs to get votes for a Bill that ALL the poles say the majority of Americans oppose.
I don't think people oppose the idea of health care reform or coverage, but they oppose this Bill with the lies and the tax hikes it has in store. I am not sure that now is the time to raise taxes for coverage that will not begin for years. I have sat and listened to Democrats...Hold up, I just listened to an extension of the first time home-buyer credit be added to health care...WTF!!!! Are we doing Health Care or just everything? I wonder why people are so distrusting of Congress.
So, back to health care, the Democrats have stood tall today shouting about saving Americans money and getting everyone health care, but this Bill does not do that. This Bill raises taxes TODAY, but coverage will not begin for many, many years. Who is that good for? The Americans with no jobs struggling to pay their bills. The Americans that have jobs with no health care that will be required, by law to go find coverage for themselves? Now is not the time to strong-arm Americans into health care, not like this. Not with the LIES and Votes that were bought.
I am glad that Congress knows better than the American People, their voters, the people that elected them to office. I hope people remember in November how little their Representative cared about what they wanted or cared about and I hope that in November when the Democrats loose dozens of seats in Congress that the President and Speaker have secured jobs for the Congressmen and Senators that will be sent packing due to the strong-arming they have done.
I only hope that this mess can be fixed before America crumbles completely. Small government. I guess I live in the wrong place. Truly, I could accept universal health care if the majority of Americans supported it. That is NOT the case. Seriously, federally funded abortions? Is there nothing the government will stay out of?
I am very nervous now...I guess I should start figuring how much less the paycheck will be.
I don't think people oppose the idea of health care reform or coverage, but they oppose this Bill with the lies and the tax hikes it has in store. I am not sure that now is the time to raise taxes for coverage that will not begin for years. I have sat and listened to Democrats...Hold up, I just listened to an extension of the first time home-buyer credit be added to health care...WTF!!!! Are we doing Health Care or just everything? I wonder why people are so distrusting of Congress.
So, back to health care, the Democrats have stood tall today shouting about saving Americans money and getting everyone health care, but this Bill does not do that. This Bill raises taxes TODAY, but coverage will not begin for many, many years. Who is that good for? The Americans with no jobs struggling to pay their bills. The Americans that have jobs with no health care that will be required, by law to go find coverage for themselves? Now is not the time to strong-arm Americans into health care, not like this. Not with the LIES and Votes that were bought.
I am glad that Congress knows better than the American People, their voters, the people that elected them to office. I hope people remember in November how little their Representative cared about what they wanted or cared about and I hope that in November when the Democrats loose dozens of seats in Congress that the President and Speaker have secured jobs for the Congressmen and Senators that will be sent packing due to the strong-arming they have done.
I only hope that this mess can be fixed before America crumbles completely. Small government. I guess I live in the wrong place. Truly, I could accept universal health care if the majority of Americans supported it. That is NOT the case. Seriously, federally funded abortions? Is there nothing the government will stay out of?
I am very nervous now...I guess I should start figuring how much less the paycheck will be.
To Tired
I am too tired to blog, but have alot I want to share. I want to talk about football, the small town we live in, food, and the great weather. Hopefully I will make it back tomorrow to share!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Will I NEVER Learn?
It is clear that I will NOT. Well, maybe it is that I just don't care to. I am the kind of person that gets pissed-off and cannot let it go! To make it worse, little things are always the ones that push me over the edge. I am truly a "straw that broke the camels back" kinda person. Now, I am annoyed and am taking my ball and going home! I will admit that I am a big brat, but right now I do not care!
Today is the day that I have decided to put MY FAMILY FIRST! I really could care less about anyone else right now. More than my family, I feel like putting ME first! Yes, I know how selfish that is and I don't care right now! The monsters are in bed and by morning I will probably be ready to be a mom again:) And Ben is pretty tired and happy not to interact with me tonight and by morning I will be ready to be a wife again.
I am not sure that I will be ready to be a friend tomorrow or anytime soon. It will take almost everything in me to even be civil to the outside world. Maybe a good night's sleep will turn it all around, but don't bet on that!
Today is the day that I have decided to put MY FAMILY FIRST! I really could care less about anyone else right now. More than my family, I feel like putting ME first! Yes, I know how selfish that is and I don't care right now! The monsters are in bed and by morning I will probably be ready to be a mom again:) And Ben is pretty tired and happy not to interact with me tonight and by morning I will be ready to be a wife again.
I am not sure that I will be ready to be a friend tomorrow or anytime soon. It will take almost everything in me to even be civil to the outside world. Maybe a good night's sleep will turn it all around, but don't bet on that!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Justice.
My father brought this story to my attention this morning and I have not stopped thinking about it since. I find so many things wrong and appalling about The American Justice System after looking into this case.
Let me start with the Pennsylvania Firearm/Gun Law as it pertains to minors. Here is the Law:
Per 18 Pa.C.S. § 6110.1 (Possession of firearm by minor), the minimum age to possess a firearm is 18 with two exceptions:
1. The minor is under the supervision of a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or an adult acting with the expressed consent of the minor's parent or legal guardian and involved in lawful activity.
2. The minor is lawfully involved in hunting or trapping activities.
The articles I have read and interviews I have watched, state that Jordan Brown received the shot-gun used in the murder from his father as an Easter gift. No where does it say that Jordan "broke into" a gun safe or stole this gun. The gun was given to Jordan, an 11 yr old by his father. If I am understanding the law correctly, Jordan should not have a gun AT ALL unless supervised by an adult. Remember, no one ever questioned Jordan's access to the firearm.
Next I want to address the fact that the Jordan, an 11 yr old at the time of the murder, is being charged as an adult. Charged as an adult, and with 2 counts of murder. The murder of his father's fiancee and her unborn child. My problem with this is that all the medical evidence I have found supports the fact that an 11 yr old, does not have the ability to think, comprehend or reason in the same way an 18 yr old does. I have to imagine that the majority of Americans support that belief, otherwise we would not have voting age of 18 and 11 year olds could join the military. But, I am sure Jordan completely and with premeditation, murdered his father's fiancee and her unborn child because the 11 year old mind can do that.
I am the mother of three, I have an 8, 7,& 5 year old. My son is about 2 1/2 years younger than Jordan was when he shot Kenzie Houk and I am not sure I believe that my son could comprehend the finality that comes from shooting someone and I am certain that he could not all premeditate the murder of an unborn child. I think that there are plenty of people involved that should share in the responsibility of these murders, but throwing a child, a child, in prison for the rest of his life does not seem like justice, it seems like child abuse.
The prosecutor in this case said that he had no choice but to charge Jordan as an adult of not charge him at all, and that he said could not happen. No, instead of trying to help a child that clearly has problems, he is going to lock him up and throw away the key. A child that has yet to reach puberty, a baby, a 5th grader. A boy that has never dated or driven a car because he is too young. A boy that is not old enough to go to rated R, adult movies. It makes complete sense that this child could premeditate the murder of his father's fiancee and her unborn child.
Mind you, Jordan was arrested and placed in an adult prison until prison officials admitted they did not have the resources to accommodate a child! The prison system recognizes Jordan as a child, but not the prosecutor. So, what happens if he is convicted? Does he sit in a juvenile detention center until he is 18 and an adult, then moved to an adult prison? I am not sure I understand the logic behind charging someone with a crime that they are not old enough to do the time for. Is that JUSTICE?
I am beyond sorry for the daughters of Kenzie Houk that are now growing up without a mother. I do not however think that charging an 11 year old as an adult in the murder is not justice. But what do I know.
Let me start with the Pennsylvania Firearm/Gun Law as it pertains to minors. Here is the Law:
Per 18 Pa.C.S. § 6110.1 (Possession of firearm by minor), the minimum age to possess a firearm is 18 with two exceptions:
1. The minor is under the supervision of a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or an adult acting with the expressed consent of the minor's parent or legal guardian and involved in lawful activity.
2. The minor is lawfully involved in hunting or trapping activities.
The articles I have read and interviews I have watched, state that Jordan Brown received the shot-gun used in the murder from his father as an Easter gift. No where does it say that Jordan "broke into" a gun safe or stole this gun. The gun was given to Jordan, an 11 yr old by his father. If I am understanding the law correctly, Jordan should not have a gun AT ALL unless supervised by an adult. Remember, no one ever questioned Jordan's access to the firearm.
Next I want to address the fact that the Jordan, an 11 yr old at the time of the murder, is being charged as an adult. Charged as an adult, and with 2 counts of murder. The murder of his father's fiancee and her unborn child. My problem with this is that all the medical evidence I have found supports the fact that an 11 yr old, does not have the ability to think, comprehend or reason in the same way an 18 yr old does. I have to imagine that the majority of Americans support that belief, otherwise we would not have voting age of 18 and 11 year olds could join the military. But, I am sure Jordan completely and with premeditation, murdered his father's fiancee and her unborn child because the 11 year old mind can do that.
I am the mother of three, I have an 8, 7,& 5 year old. My son is about 2 1/2 years younger than Jordan was when he shot Kenzie Houk and I am not sure I believe that my son could comprehend the finality that comes from shooting someone and I am certain that he could not all premeditate the murder of an unborn child. I think that there are plenty of people involved that should share in the responsibility of these murders, but throwing a child, a child, in prison for the rest of his life does not seem like justice, it seems like child abuse.
The prosecutor in this case said that he had no choice but to charge Jordan as an adult of not charge him at all, and that he said could not happen. No, instead of trying to help a child that clearly has problems, he is going to lock him up and throw away the key. A child that has yet to reach puberty, a baby, a 5th grader. A boy that has never dated or driven a car because he is too young. A boy that is not old enough to go to rated R, adult movies. It makes complete sense that this child could premeditate the murder of his father's fiancee and her unborn child.
Mind you, Jordan was arrested and placed in an adult prison until prison officials admitted they did not have the resources to accommodate a child! The prison system recognizes Jordan as a child, but not the prosecutor. So, what happens if he is convicted? Does he sit in a juvenile detention center until he is 18 and an adult, then moved to an adult prison? I am not sure I understand the logic behind charging someone with a crime that they are not old enough to do the time for. Is that JUSTICE?
I am beyond sorry for the daughters of Kenzie Houk that are now growing up without a mother. I do not however think that charging an 11 year old as an adult in the murder is not justice. But what do I know.
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