Mindy Memories

Monday, August 06, 2007

Sick of hearing about the Duggars

OK, so they had another child. I personally don't agree with it, but people don't personally agree with everything I do, so there you go. They appear to be cared for and doing well, so that's that.

What bothers me is that this one family gets so much attention when there are others out there who do more for this world. Whenever I hear about the Duggars, I think of a kid who used to work for me at Burger King about 12 or so years ago. Stuart was 18, one of 21 kids -- yes, 21. He was the second oldest so you can imagine how many little ones were running around. Some of them were her natural children. However, the vast majority were adopted and some were foster kids she was planning to adopt. I was never at the house so can't speak for it. I do know that Stuart was a great employee. He was funny and helpful, pitched in where I needed him, and the customers thought he was great. He wasn't surly or grumpy.

Stuart's parents, to me, are examples of real heroes when it comes to kids. They took in kids who had nowhere to go and gave them a loving home. I also think of the people who take in kids who are born with all sorts of mental and physical problems and addictions. You don't hear about them very often, do you? No, we only hear about a woman who has the ability to give birth to 17 children and wants more. Again, I really do think they are cared for, but it bothers me that this one family gets so much attention when there are others out there scraping by just to help kids who aren't as fortunate.

I also think of a woman I work with, who was telling me about how her mom used to teach kids in Camden, NJ (one of the worst if not THE worst places in the country). Not only were these kids living in horrible communities, but they were mentally challenged in various ways. This woman, and others like her, didn't have to do this for a living, making mediocre (if not worse) pay. Yet there they are, doing what they can to help kids in unspeakable situations, trying to help them get as far as possible.

I really wish the media would focus on people like that, people who are helping the kids in awful situations and those already here, rather than focusing on one family simply because it's large and the kids all dress alike. I know I could not do what Stuart's mom and my coworker's mom do. I don't have that in me, which is why I am so in awe of people who can give of themselves in such a way.

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Thursday, March 15, 2007

Various stuff

Haven't been here for a while. We're having a bit of March Madness at work, but it will be flowing into April and the beginning of March. Just a lot of stuff going on.

1. Is it really necessary to listen to your voice mail on speaker phone at the highest volume possible with your door open? What if somebody is telling you something confidential? Do you have any idea how distracting and rude this is?

2. So, I hear that students who do their homework while on MySpace tend to see a drop in grades? Really? I never would have guessed! You mean if you're writing that term paper while talking to your buddies about that cute guy (or God knows what else) that you may get sidetracked while writing? Well, I never! Of course it's all the fault of MySpace, isn't it? Personal or parental responsbility has absolutely nothing to do with it.

3. Yesterday's weather was awesome! I wore my crop pants and a short-sleeved shirt. Today I'm wearing a skirt but am back to tights and a sweater, and tomorrow is a jeans and sweater/sweatshirt day. We are having our Wellness Walk on Saturday. If it weren't for one of my coworkers organizing it, I wouldn't go because it's going to be in the 30s. However, I really need to go to show support.

4. We are painting a huge mural next week. One of our programs has a huge (almost 100 feet) wall that has no windows or anything and needed something. So, our designer is sketching it today, with the help of some other staff members. It's going to consist of several panels of different scenes reflecting Philadelphia. We are getting clients from various programs, as well as staff, to paint it next week. I'm very excited, and scared. :) I hope I can get some press there.

5. Can you believe I'm STILL not done with Mermaid of the Pearls? I thought I'd be done with the stitching by now, but hope to finish this weekend. Yeah, I've said that before. Things have been crazy and I've been working more so haven't been stitching at night. This won't last forever, so I should be back into good stitching mode by May.

6. Tim and I are going away for my birthday, which happens to fall on Easter this year. We're going to New Hope, PA. I think it will be nice to get away for a few days and I'm taking the 9th off from work as we have the 10th off already (last day of Passover). Have I mentioned that I LOVE that we get normal holidays plus Jewish holidays?

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Friday, February 23, 2007

A few tidbits

1. This was pretty cute. The sidewalks lately have been very icy in my neighborhood. Everything was melting during the day and then refreeze overnight, leaving a very thin and very slick coating of ice over everything. So, walking to the trolley this week has been... interesting. Anyway, I walk by an elementary school on my way to the trolley, and there were two kids on their way to school. I'm assuming they are brothers, one looks about 5 or 6 and the other looks about 8 or 9. The little one was running around, and the older one caught him, grabbed his hand, and in a matter-of-fact way said, "Stop running and be careful. Nobody wants to see you fall on your ass." I thought it was hysterical.

2. OK, this isn't so funny, this is ridiculous. One of the stitching boards has a debate regarding whether or not the head honchos at Panera should make some sort of public statement because two of their store managers have been *accused* (not even tried and convicted) of animal abuse. I abhor animal abuse, and hope they get punished if they did this. However, why the heck is Panera responsible? Panera should pay for the vet bills? Wha? Can you imagine the backlash if Panera made some sort of public statement about how they are going to fire these managers and how awful they are? Good grief! Only a few people think this way, but I don't get it. They think that any employer who hires people like this should be "investigated" on principle. Investigated for what? Not hiring private detectives to follow around people they interview for a $10 an hour job? Note where they go, if they drink at all, what they drive, if they've ever had a parking ticket, if they've ever had a one-night stand, if their mother missed a class in college 50 years ago?

Aren't we living with enough Big Brother crap? This is getting insane. Luckily, most people didn't agree, but I find it scary that anyone thinks this way.

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