My Mamaw

My first memories of my Mamaw include grabbing underwear so that I could spend the night with her. Soon, I was spending every night with Mamaw. She was born before everyone had a car. She walked to school and lived through the Depression. My Mamaw married a farmer and worked side by side with him. He died young, 52. He had a bad heart. She remarried, but it didn't last long because he was not my Papaw. Mamaw had three children. The last one, a boy, died. The middle one is my Mom. My Mamaw is the strongest woman that I know. She does not always agree with this world, but she does not change her mind to appease others. Some say I am just like my Mamaw. I hope so.

I think we need to think.

I think we need to think. We need to think about who we are. We need to think about where our country is going. Why do we continue to support the rich with tax breaks and raise taxes on the poor? The rich are not creating jobs for the middle class. Jobs are being created in other countries. Why do we vote for reverse Robin Hoods who do not represent our interest? Will the rich leave wheat in the fields? Is freedom dead? Did freedom ever exist? Does my vote count? Do I have a voice? I think the answer to many of my questions is no. What can I do? Has the battle been fought and lost? Can I make a change? I think "we" can make a change. Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? Does the size of your purse determine your worth? Is it hard to get through the eye of the needle? What would Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin say? What would FDR say? Reagan had his say. The trickle did not "trickle down." Why are we constantly at war? Are we losing? Are we winning? Are we losing because we are winning? I think 1984 was a warning, not an instruction manual for the rich. We will all be old one day. Will you get to retire? The rich will retire. Will the poor get to retire? Does God love the poor? Does God love the rich more? Why do we all think that we will be rich one day? I think we all deserve a place to live and healthcare. I think we all live on the same planet, Earth. I think we exist together. Alone we die. Together we live. I think. Do you think?

Bottled Water

I have a dirty, little secret.
I hide bottled water in my car trunk.
Bottled water is not allowed at home.
Why?
Bottled water is wrong.
Bottled water causes drought.
Bottled water comes in cancer-causing plastic.
Consumers pay too much for bottled water.
I know this, but I hide bottled water in my car trunk.
Friday night, I was busted.
It was the typed of "busted" that you see in Busted magazine.
I didn't have an excuse. I could not defend myself.
I pleaded guilty.
As part of the trial, the bottled water was tested.
The bottled water scored 62 on the pollution scale.
Zero is the best.
The kitchen tap water scored 30.
Why is the kitchen tap water cleaner than the bottled water?
I still have bottled water in my car trunk.
I am ashamed.

(I purchased the dirty, bottled water at Wal-Mart. It is bottled by Nestle.)

Recycling

I hate recycling.
I recycle. I must recycle. There is not a choice.
I live with the recycling king.
Recycling is his religion.
If I forget to recycle, it is a sin.
Wrong bin, I must beg forgiveness.
Room 101...I see a rat.
My soul is not in the right place.
It is a way of life.
I must recycle for the future.
I hate trash.
Trash is everywhere.
I just want to throw away all the trash.
Dirty trash.
I recyle. I must recycle. There is not a choice.
I love recycling.

The Chicken Biscuit

This morning I was late for work. I didn't have time to make breakfast, so I decided to stop by a local restaurant for a chicken biscuit.
As I entered the restaurant, I remembered an email sent to me at work: Teachers get a free chicken biscuit with id.
During my order, I asked the waiter about the free chicken biscuit. and whether it was still available. He said, "Yes, with an id." I showed him my id, and the interrogation began.
"How long have you taught at the school?"
" I graduated from the school; I don't remember you."
Again, I showed him the id, and he acquiesced. I save around $3.50 despite the embarrassing interrogation.
I arrived at work. This may have been the best chicken biscuit ever.
Just as I was finishing the chicken biscuit, a colleague offered me a free chicken biscuit from the same restaurant without the interrogation. I was full, so I declined the offer.

The Asparagus

What?! The Asparagus.
What could I possibly have to say about this vegetable?
The Asparagus seems simple enough. It's green. Some actually enjoy eating asparagus. Who knew that Asparagus could almost cause an international incident.
Today, I was asked to get asparagus on the way home. Then, I was told if I got the Asparagus, someone would toss it in the trash. Why? I decided to go exercise before going to the grocery store. Does the order of getting the Asparagus really matter? No and Yes.
No, it should not matter because I volunteered to get the asparagus after a trip to the gym.
Yes, it matters because Person A is trying to save me a trip.
Meanwhile, the Asparagus is shouting and laughing.
I exercised today, but I did not get the Asparagus. The Asparagus lives.

My Drink Cup Lid

Today, I lost my drink cup lid. Well, I didn't really lose the lid; the janitor tossed it in the trash because I left the lid in a common area.
When I asked the janitor about the lid, she said, "I tossed it out; you shouldn't have left it on the counter." I only left the lid on the counter five or less minutes.
I started digging through the trash, and she told me that she had taken the trash to the dumpster. I told her that she owed me $20. She laughed at me.
The rest of the story...I am a teacher. Teachers get blamed for everything: trash, low grades, low attendance, low test scores, earthquakes, and asteroids. Most people dislike teachers.
I've heard different stories...teachers get paid too much, teachers get too many vacation days, teachers are lazy, etc. The truth is that many teachers do not get paid enough. Most teachers work hard, and go beyond the basic requirements.
It's more than the drink cup lid. It's basic respect.