Today is Easter Sunday. Like the majority of American Christians, we celebrated with church, candy, family and picture taking. While I do have some very specific spiritual beliefs (definitely the topic for another blog or 10), I'm not a particularly religious person. I don't feel compelled to have anyone else practice or even acknowledge my religious preferences. I am not offended by the term, "happy holidays". There are times when I am not even sure Christian defines my beliefs.
So, I am somewhat surprized by my own reaction to today's Google doodle of Cesar Chavez because frankly, I find it offensive. Christianity is the world's largest religion. Easter is its most significant holiday. To ignore that while highlighting Chavez is incomprehensible to me. Google's position seems to be that the doodle frequently acknowleges significant historical and cultural figures. Hello? Regardless of your particular religious beliefs, it would be hard to argue that there has been anyone more historically OR culturally significant than Jesus Christ. Cesar Chavez most definitely does not fit that bill.
I also don't buy the explanation that Google does not regularly produce a doodle for Easter or other religious holidays. That may be true, but obviously they don't create a doodle for Chavez's birthday every year either. They could have done it last year when it was his 85th birthday (a little more significant than 86), or waited for his 87th, 90th or 100th birthdays.
Do I think Google has an anti-Christian agenda? No, I don't want to believe that. But, Google, you need to own up to your mistake today. There's no excuse for it.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
It's spring, watch out for motorcycles!
I love facebook. I am on it every day. Now that it is officially spring it's time for those constant messages about how as a driver I should be watching out for bikers.
To my very good friends who ride motorcycles on a regular basis. I hope and pray that as you are being responsible riders, wearing helmets and following the rules of the road, that the drivers around you are also responsible, alert and following the rules of the road. I understand that many people are careless and you are concerned about your safety and the safety of your fellow bikers.
I think it goes without saying that everyone who is in control of any vehicle on the roadways should stay in their lane, keep their eyes on the road and don't follow too closely. I also think it should go without saying that if you are riding a motorcycle, you have a good understanding of the risks you are taking. You realize that there is no seatbelt, no metal frame, no airbag, nothing between you and the road you are riding on. You realize that if you choose not to wear a helmet and you are involved in an accident, you will likely die, even if the accident is not your fault.
As the driver of a car, I am not responsible for anticipating that someone is going to appear on my right hand side while I'm sitting at a red light and try to edge in front of me. I am not responsible for someone who cuts across two lanes of traffic to make a left hand turn because they think they have room. I am not responsible for the person who feels the need to cross the yellow line to zip past me on a 2 lane street because they are enjoying the feel of a country road. I am not responsible for the person who wipes out in front of me because they were driving too fast or the one who tries to wedge themselves between me and another car on a highway.
I love my friends who ride and I want them to be safe and live long healthy lives, and continue to enjoy riding. Being responsible is a two way street.
To my very good friends who ride motorcycles on a regular basis. I hope and pray that as you are being responsible riders, wearing helmets and following the rules of the road, that the drivers around you are also responsible, alert and following the rules of the road. I understand that many people are careless and you are concerned about your safety and the safety of your fellow bikers.
I think it goes without saying that everyone who is in control of any vehicle on the roadways should stay in their lane, keep their eyes on the road and don't follow too closely. I also think it should go without saying that if you are riding a motorcycle, you have a good understanding of the risks you are taking. You realize that there is no seatbelt, no metal frame, no airbag, nothing between you and the road you are riding on. You realize that if you choose not to wear a helmet and you are involved in an accident, you will likely die, even if the accident is not your fault.
As the driver of a car, I am not responsible for anticipating that someone is going to appear on my right hand side while I'm sitting at a red light and try to edge in front of me. I am not responsible for someone who cuts across two lanes of traffic to make a left hand turn because they think they have room. I am not responsible for the person who feels the need to cross the yellow line to zip past me on a 2 lane street because they are enjoying the feel of a country road. I am not responsible for the person who wipes out in front of me because they were driving too fast or the one who tries to wedge themselves between me and another car on a highway.
I love my friends who ride and I want them to be safe and live long healthy lives, and continue to enjoy riding. Being responsible is a two way street.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
High School Athletics (or who wants a scholarship?)
My daughter is a high school athlete. She swims and plays lacrosse. She is also an outstanding student, a member of her school's student council, National Honor Society, DECA and ski club. Yes, we have a busy schedule.
I love that she is an athlete. I never played a sport in my life. In my home, growing up, there was absolutely no emphasis on sports or physical fitness in general. (More about that some other day, I'm sure). I am so proud of the work she puts in to succeeding on a team and I am so happy to see the joy it often brings her.
I know my daughter is not a superstar athlete. I know she loves playing lacrosse. She loves it enough to play most of the year and to give up many weekends to attend tournaments, clinic and training. I'm happy that we have the time and resources to allow her to do this. I have absolutely no clue as to whether or not she is good enough to play at the college level. I assume it would depend on where she chooses to go to college. Herein lies a problem.
Thankfully, there is no such thing as professional women's lacrosse so neither I, nor any of the lacrosse parents I've met, need to concern ourselves with our daughters' futures to that extent. There is, however, a disconcerting push for college recruitment. My daughter is in 10th grade. She is sure that she wants to go to college, somewhere for something. That's the extent of it. Yet, there is a tremendous amout of pressure to have our video ready, know which coaches we want to see, contact schools about the summer tournaments we are playing in, prepare her NCAA resume', go to camp, join the "best" club team, train harder, play more, and chant Division I in our sleep. Whew! Please refer to the first sentence of this paragraph.
And according to some people, we are getting a late start here in 10th grade. Apparently I should have had her training year 'round for the past 4 or 5 years and attending national tournaments so she would be "seen". I hear a lot of people say that these crazy parents are trying to relive their glory days through their kids or that they are using their kids' athletic success as a mark of their own success. There probably are parents like that, but mostly, I think they are parents who want their kids to be happy. It is so easy to be sold on the idea that you are giving your child an advantage by spending thousands of dollars a year (really, thousands) because you want your child to succeed and there is NO ONE who will tell you they won't. There is NO ONE who will walk up to you and say, "Your child's time as a student athlete will end after high school."
So, bucking what seems to be the trend, I am working to help my daughter focus on identiying what she might like to study in college, and finding a school that is the best fit for her with that major. We don't have a video, or an NCAA resume'. We haven't contacted any coaches. If she finds a school she likes that has a lacrosse team, maybe we will. Some people would tell me I'm doing her a disservice. I hope I'm teaching her to aim for the bigger prize.
I love that she is an athlete. I never played a sport in my life. In my home, growing up, there was absolutely no emphasis on sports or physical fitness in general. (More about that some other day, I'm sure). I am so proud of the work she puts in to succeeding on a team and I am so happy to see the joy it often brings her.
I know my daughter is not a superstar athlete. I know she loves playing lacrosse. She loves it enough to play most of the year and to give up many weekends to attend tournaments, clinic and training. I'm happy that we have the time and resources to allow her to do this. I have absolutely no clue as to whether or not she is good enough to play at the college level. I assume it would depend on where she chooses to go to college. Herein lies a problem.
Thankfully, there is no such thing as professional women's lacrosse so neither I, nor any of the lacrosse parents I've met, need to concern ourselves with our daughters' futures to that extent. There is, however, a disconcerting push for college recruitment. My daughter is in 10th grade. She is sure that she wants to go to college, somewhere for something. That's the extent of it. Yet, there is a tremendous amout of pressure to have our video ready, know which coaches we want to see, contact schools about the summer tournaments we are playing in, prepare her NCAA resume', go to camp, join the "best" club team, train harder, play more, and chant Division I in our sleep. Whew! Please refer to the first sentence of this paragraph.
And according to some people, we are getting a late start here in 10th grade. Apparently I should have had her training year 'round for the past 4 or 5 years and attending national tournaments so she would be "seen". I hear a lot of people say that these crazy parents are trying to relive their glory days through their kids or that they are using their kids' athletic success as a mark of their own success. There probably are parents like that, but mostly, I think they are parents who want their kids to be happy. It is so easy to be sold on the idea that you are giving your child an advantage by spending thousands of dollars a year (really, thousands) because you want your child to succeed and there is NO ONE who will tell you they won't. There is NO ONE who will walk up to you and say, "Your child's time as a student athlete will end after high school."
So, bucking what seems to be the trend, I am working to help my daughter focus on identiying what she might like to study in college, and finding a school that is the best fit for her with that major. We don't have a video, or an NCAA resume'. We haven't contacted any coaches. If she finds a school she likes that has a lacrosse team, maybe we will. Some people would tell me I'm doing her a disservice. I hope I'm teaching her to aim for the bigger prize.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
I am so not sure I want to do this....
I went to see a psychic a few years ago. One of the first things she said to me was, "You're a writer." Nope, I'm a stay-at-home-mom, at the moment. Before that, I worked in finance. The best writing I did there were some scorching emails to people who weren't performing their jobs. No time for that reflective nonsense.
When I was young (as under 21 young) I wrote prodigiously. This was mainly due to the fact that I was a miserable teenager. Except for some poetry, the vast majority of these works have been thankfully destroyed. Several years ago my mom gave me a box of stuff from my youth that contained some journals I had written. The depth of their sadness horrified me. I couldn't get rid of them fast enough.
For the most part these days, my life is angst free which has lead me to think I have nothing to write about, but maybe that's not true. I love writing. I dreamt of living in a converted barn outside a small New England town and churning out pages and pages for my literary fans. What I hadn't considered though, is the fact that it is downright intimidating to think about real people reading what you wrote. I am petrified beyond belief. So, I'm going to do it anyway.
When I was young (as under 21 young) I wrote prodigiously. This was mainly due to the fact that I was a miserable teenager. Except for some poetry, the vast majority of these works have been thankfully destroyed. Several years ago my mom gave me a box of stuff from my youth that contained some journals I had written. The depth of their sadness horrified me. I couldn't get rid of them fast enough.
For the most part these days, my life is angst free which has lead me to think I have nothing to write about, but maybe that's not true. I love writing. I dreamt of living in a converted barn outside a small New England town and churning out pages and pages for my literary fans. What I hadn't considered though, is the fact that it is downright intimidating to think about real people reading what you wrote. I am petrified beyond belief. So, I'm going to do it anyway.
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