Having to Choose...
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Palin' Next to Sarah?
I’m impressed. Sarah Palin has shown real gumption and strength in becoming our second female nominee for the difficult job of VP of The United States of America. She certainly wowed them with her acceptance speech last evening, as well as letting them know where she stands both with her dear family, as well as on a few of the tough issues we have been facing as a nation for way too long.
Her children are adorable. God bless little Trig and his big sister “hair dresser,” Piper. Who needs mousse in the hair anyway? (:
I was satisfied to see that there is finally, for the most part, acceptance in the fact that teen pregnancy happens…to the very best and to the very worst of families…to rich families and to poor families. However, my opinion is that we do need sex education, and it needs to be taught by parents and by the schools. Teen pregnancy is on the increase in our society nowadays. Many teens have minds of their own and although parents often pray, lecture, and opt for guidance, life just happens. I think Bristol and Levi will get all of the support they need. The odds are against the marriage surviving, but stranger things have happened.
On the other hand, I totally disagree with Sarah Palin concerning her fervent 'no abortion' platitude for those having fallen victim to rape or incest. This kind of thinking puts us back into the dark alleys once again for pete's sake!
I watched those at the convention cheering and standing up with numerous signs stating “Hockey Moms 4 Palin.” I cannot identify...even closely. We’ve gone from “Soccer Moms” to “Hockey Moms.” I sorely wish that I had even keenly been a football or a baseball mom when my three boys were growing up. Oh, I attended their games…although they would be playing on different fields at different times. If my husband was home, we would split the detail. However, it is troublesome to me to have to admit to you all what I used to do as a mom back then. You see, my Dad was a basketball and baseball coach. He constantly had tangled wires hanging out of his ears from various radios and televisions all on at the same time for the numerous ballgames throughout my childhood. Mom was a true sports widow, clinging to her New York Times and books.
Sorry…but I’m more like Mom in that aspect. I just was never interested in sports…yet I’m the mom who gave birth to three lively guys. Okay…so it was like this: On Saturdays, I would often be seen in my robe circling our kitchen doing something akin to a rain dance. Yes. You read this correctly. You see, it could be a sunny day with no clouds, yet if the baby was crying incessantly and the idea of heading off to the Staten Island Zoo with my family appealed to me more, then my Indian-style war chants and ritual dance of bobbing up and down in front of my kids revved into action. I kid you not...often within an hour or two, thunder could be heard in the distance and more than a few times, the games would be called.
I know, I know…how terribly awful of me to do this to my kids. But come on now, they dared me! We all laugh about it now. Our oldest is a sports nut just like my Dad was…Go Steelers and Redskins! Our middle guy cheers on the Yankees and Cowboys. Our youngest is a photographer and often covers sports at Carolina Panthers Stadium in Charlotte. He’s even traded recipes with George Foreman in the press box. So you see, we’ve muddled through my apathy towards sports just fine.
I hope Sarah Palin continues to be able to balance family with her duties as vice president if she and McCain are elected to office in November. She got many smiling with her joke about “the difference between a Hockey Mom and a PittBull…lipstick!” I was not the hockey mom but definitely the PittBull.
I look back to those many years of long-term substitute teaching and I KNOW I had trouble dealing with balancing family and work. Many women can and do balance…and God bless them…especially nowadays with families needing a double pay check just to survive. The stress factor targeted my life many times and I found it difficult bringing up strong-willed children of my own while trying to make a difference in so many classrooms filled with children who came to school without eating breakfast, many who were pushed to the limit to be number one in their class, quite a few who could function and shine so much better in a classroom atmosphere that wasn’t typically rote…I could go on.
Speaking of schools…as a teacher, I still do not know WHY our children and our schools are still not a priority at the top of either party’s list of concerns. And I’m sorry, but vouchers just don’t cut it for me. Sure, parents have the right to choose what type of education is proper for their kids, but how about those families who cannot afford to send their children to private institutions, and do they all possess the aptitude to home school? Why do we continue to ignore the fact that since the late sixties, teachers are still using their own monies to purchase classroom necessities? EVERY SINGLE PUBLIC SCHOOL throughout America should be equipped to provide the finest education to each and every American child. No Child Left Behind has proven to be a dismal failure. Schools are more hell bent on achieving top test scores than on the actual teaching of material. Is it any wonder we are floundering with accreditations and holding our breath while being held captive for school funding?
I was a lousy cook as a wife and mom, but I’d like to think that maybe, instead of time being spent preparing great meals, that I was more adept at preparing to roll up my sleeves and tackle the head of a gifted program (in our youngest son’s elementary school) who actually used an adorable jingle that our son wrote, yet did not allow him to stand on the stage with her “gifted group” to recite! Boy, I was glad I was at home the day he stormed into the house and threw his loaded book bag full force against our plate glass doors. Talk about a blow to self esteem to a child who was a great student at everything except spelling in those days.
Our older son had injured his knee playing football earlier on at another high school and did not want to continue playing the game. He did play baseball at the present school and loved it. However, a coach continued to belittle him every chance he got because our son refused to go out for football. Neither my husband nor I would or will accept belittling…ever…from anybody.
Then there was the time in the mid-1980’s our middle guy was cutting classes in high school and his grades were heading down the tube quickly. Neither my husband nor I condoned this kind of irrational behavior. Yet we and many other parents whose children were pulling this, never got any phone calls or warnings from the school until we went to our mailboxes and found three inch high letters filled with pink notices of failures. Even the guidance counselor told us to “go easy” on our son, as he was such a “sweet guy.” What does “sweet” have to do with anything?! I was labeled a bad mom who was making a black sheep out of him because both my husband and I refused to allow him to go out with his mostly undesirable friends until all hours of the night after school. The vice principal strongly suggested that I quit my subbing and concentrate on my son. I did just that…thinking that perhaps I was at fault for not always being there after school. However, after many sessions with a psychologist, I found out that I wasn’t losing my mind after all; if I hadn’t fought the system, it would continue to function as was. Even driving my son to school each morning still allowed him to slip out the back doors. Yes, I was sorely frustrated to the hilt.
Never mind, I got my ‘evens’ when I appeared at the courtyard where that particular high school in Connecticut allowed the students to smoke (picture this…parents getting numerous pink slips about their children, yet the school allowed a place for students to smoke, causing many to be late for class…and smoke they did and late they were!). I happened to be dressed in jeans and wearing a jean jacket with the collar purposely pulled up one Friday morning as I sauntered into this high school’s courtyard. I strutted over to “J,” my son’s best friend, and pulled a cigarette out of his shirt pocket while asking him for a light. His eyes were like large brown saucers stuck in gigantic headlights. Within a few seconds, the other students noticed me…my own smoking son standing in a corner wondering what would happen next. The entire courtyard became silent except for a few warning bells. “Hey…don’t we have classes to attend guys?” I shouted out to them all. Many scrambled and others started looking at somebody behind me. There, standing sternly, while glaring right through me, was the principal… in all of her glory and wisdom.
“You have no right to be here, Mrs. Steadman,” she hissed.
I smiled. “I’m taking my son, who has never had my permission to smoke, to his English class.”
“You just can’t march in here and do that!” she retorted.
Motioning my son to join me I quietly hissed back, “Watch me.”
So you see, I’ve never played in the big league of politics, nor would I ever want to. However, I caution those running for high office who have so many lofty goals in mind: Cheer on those who can and will make a difference, but don’t belittle those who are trying and not succeeding right away. Life hands us all curveballs… and whether we pitch or whether we catch, play the game with dignity and respect…and make that difference!
Until next time,
Pam
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