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Is It
That Obvious?
By Mona Lease
Hi, all!! I was waiting in line at a local store. The accent drew my
attention to the gentleman speaking. With his face hidden in the
shadows of a huge Stetson hat perched on his head, I heard him say
Darke County is shrouded in all this "secrecy." He remarked that around
here all he heard "us" say was: all was ok - we're all doing good -
business is booming - family life is great.
He said he knew the "score." He said he knew that everything was no ok
- if it was, why do we have so many women walking around with kiddies
and no wedding ring - no Daddy in sight? I watched him leave the store.
He dressed the part of a rancher - huge Stetson hat, cowboy boots
complete with toe and heel rands, and a denim shirt paired with jeans.
However; I think it was his parting comment that got my brain zinging.
He said the gals around here should not be so loose with their legs. If
this speculation of his is drug-related...that might not be the
problem. That might be a symptom.
The problem might be that we - as a people - have traded our "safety
net" for a mess of "popularity pottage." That is to say that we did
have a few "checks and balances" in place. The "not so popular" teacher
was the one who demanded adherence to an "approved standard." And that
teacher was not afraid to hand out a punishment - detention...extra
homework...the "dreaded and revered" paddle.
The paddle is gone now - to be replaced with medicine (ADD, ADHD, PTSS,
and a host of other maladies), redirecting a kiddie back to a desired
task, timeouts, etc. And I wonder: Take a look at the sugar content in
breakfast cereals, breakfast bars and the like. Could this sugar
overload in any way contribute to the above-mentioned maladies? This
above morning-starter breakfast menu has replaced Mom's homemade
breakfasts: eggs, toast, hotcakes, hot rolled oats (oatmeal), etc.
Gone also, are the days when kiddies ran and played outside: wiffle
ball, baseball, football, badminton, tag, etc. That's all been replaced
by computer-driven games of "skill": street gangs fighting other
street gangs, a game played around the world called Castles (more
violence) and the like.
Also missing are the times when girls around the age of 13 started
taking a hard look at themselves: What do you want to be when you grow
up...where do you want to live...what kind of a guy do you want to
marry...what kind of a guy do you want to be the father of your
children...what kind of a guy do you want to look at every day? A girl
would get a hope chest at maybe 14 or 15. She would put her favorite
doll in it for her own daughter. She'd embroider pillow cases and such
for her future home.
The guys did the same "soul-searching." You guys will have to fill in
the rest here. I had no brothers. I never heard any personal
conversations from my male cousins.
I'd actually like to speak with the gentleman who wore the Stetson. Is
it really that obvious that we traded a few things we thought were
unneeded... outdated... "antiquated thinking" - for what we call our
"great American standard of living?"
I read somewhere in some book: "...ever learning and never able to come
to the knowledge of the truth."
Remember the kiddies and our service people. Take good care of the
furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next
time. Ever Toodles!!! MONA
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