Rated "R" (for a REASON)

So I went to the movies last night and in line behind me were a handful of teen aged girls chatting as teen aged girls do, and cursing like sailors (sadly, as many teenagers do). It was just so unbecoming. So unlady like. Really disturbing.

So as the line moved along they continued their cursing and unlady-like language and were pointing out people in the line who they were going to ask to buy their ticket to a rated "R" movie.

As we were just about to get to the window they finally decide on ME. ME! Little did they know, I was NOT the one.

So they proceed to ask me to buy their ticket and I very politely told them NO. I'm sure that I became the subject of their next unlady-like conversation, but there was No Way that I was going to contribute to the continued degradation of their development.

Was I being prudish? Probably. Do I care? Not at all.

First of all...I would not want somebody buying a ticket for my under aged children to get into an "R" rated movie. Movies are powerful. They place images into our minds that can not be removed. I wouldn't want someone to help those negative images to be placed in my child's mind, and I will not be responsible for jackin' up the mind of someone else's child. Yes, my friends...it truly takes a village.

After I told the girls no, the cool lookin' dude who was ahead of me in line asked me what they wanted. I told him that they wanted me to buy them a ticket to an "R" rated movie. To my surprise, he agreed with me. He said, "Ahhh nahhhh...that's right. Some things they just need to wait for".

I was already feeling okay about my choice, and to have this dude agree with me just confirmed my decision.

In my opinion, children/teenagers are exposed to waaay too much too soon. I believe in letting them be youthful for as long as possible. They have all their lives to do and see adult things. But while they are children, they need to be just that...children.

Maybe I'm on a mission all by myself. Or maybe me and the guy in line in front of me are the only two on this bandwagon. But please people...stop exposing your "children" to adult situations...especially if you're gonna turn around and complain about them being "too grown".

Let's help our kids be kids. And stop sneaking them into "R" rated movies. Afterall...the movies are rated R for a REASON (Sex, drugs, language, adult themes,violence, etc.,etc). They may THINK they're ready for adult situations at 14, but how 'bout WAITING until they're 17 to know for sure. Even at 17 I think there are some things that they're not ready for. But that's just me.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! Have you ever paid for a ticket to allow a child (not yours) into an "R" rated movie? If so, why? If not, why not?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

What's the Rush?

Clocks.

I've never been too fond of 'em.

In my opinion, clocks are the primary reason for so much unnecessary rushing. Clocks (and calendars) create the need for deadlines, and needing to be in a certain place by a certain time.

Rushing to go here. Rushing to go there. Just rushing.

Don't believe me? Let me ask you this then...what happens when you set your alarm and it doesn't go off? Ever had that happen to you? I have.
You wake up in a state of panic...heart racing...forgetting to do half the things you'd normally do had your clock gone off on time.

When the alarm doesn't go off, you're whole "internal clock" is thrown out of whack.

If you didn't have to wake up by a clock then your body would simply wake up to it's natural rhythm and you could go about your day as you were meant to.

Me, I've just never been one to be ruled by a clock. I don't even wear a watch. I like to go with the flow. Wake up when my body says it's time. Get to where I have to go in the time that it takes me to get there. After all...what's the rush?

Yet everywhere I go, people around me are rushing.

I watch cars on the freeway swerve in and out of lanes just to get ONE car ahead of where they were. Doesn't make much sense to me.

I watch drivers illegally enter the carpool lane because they are too impatient to wait for the lane to open up where they may enter legally. Doesn't make much sense to me. Is it worth the ticket when you get caught?

I listen to people complain in lines at the grocery store (or any other store) when there aren't enough registers open. I mean people get really nasty if they have to wait in line for more than two minutes. They start talking negatively about the store and about the cashiers and I just think to myself, "If you think the store sucks that badly, then WHY are you shopping here"? I just don't get it.

And then there are the cashiers who rush me at EVERY store that offers a savings card. Before they even say hello, they ask for my "club card". Time and time again I tell them that I have it and will swipe it once I find it. This drives them nuts.

Tonight's cashier was truly about to crawl out of his skin because I was taking waaay too long for his liking. He starts with asking for my card. I couldn't find it so I started shuffling through the zillions of savings cards that I keep in my wallet. Couldn't find it on the first go round. So I started over. While I'm looking he's firing a series of questions at me...anything to get my info keyed into the computer so that we could move forward. None of my answers were sufficient for him though and I kept telling him to just be patient and I'd find it. He wasn't hearing that.

So guess what I did. I slowed down my search even more...on purpose this time. I wanted to teach him a lesson. He was going to slow down, even if it was only during his forced 3 minute encounter with me. He continued to rush me. Now it wasn't like there was a line full of people behind me, because there wasn't. I wouldn't be that rude. There really was no need to rush. Yet he has been conditioned to do everything quick, fast and in a hurry. I don't work that way. I take my time. And that's in everything that I do.

I eat slowly. Always the last to finish my meal when I'm eating with others. And I'm typically the last one to arrive at events, gatherings, get-togethers, etc. Most of my friends know this and have accepted the fact that that's just me. I get there when I get there. So don't wait up.

I guess in a nutshell, I'd put it this way:

Life is meant to be lived...at its own pace.

YEP! That's it! Don't know if anyone's ever said that before because for me, it's an original thought. Simple, yet profound. Just like me.

There's only one reason that I can think of that's worthy of being in such a rush. That would be to be by the side of a loved one who is about to transition from this life into the next. Being there in time to say a final goodbye...the last "I love you". Yet even if you didn't make it in time...if that person knows how you feel about them BEFORE they're about to go, then even at the end it wouldn't matter if you didn't get there in time because your feelings were known to that person during the times that you shared with them. Even then, it would be okay if you got caught up in traffic. That's why it so important to tell those who mean the most to you exactly how you feel about them...while they are here...LIVING...so that you don't have regrets if you get caught in traffic at the end.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! Are you one of those who rush through life? If so, why? Would you like to live life more slowly, or does the hurried pace work for you?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

p.s.- If you're ever in my home, you'd enjoy the sound of my living room clock that chimes every hour on the hour from 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Westminster Chimes. So you see, I do enjoy the look and sound of a clock...just don't like LIVING by one.

The Things We Say

Wow. I've really gotta get better at this. I have sooo much that I want to write about, but my life doesn't allow me to make time to get here often. I can't tell you how many times in a day I think of something that I want to write about. But when I get home from work I am absolutely SPENT, and don't want to do much of anything except clear my mind of the days happenings.

Now today is Sunday, so my head is a whole lot clearer than it is Monday through Friday. Nevertheless, there was still plenty to keep me from getting here to the blog. FINALLY, I had to say enough is enough, and here I am.

I wanted to talk today about the Church School (some call it Sunday School) lesson from this morning. The lesson today came from Psalm (no "S" on the end), 46:1-7. In the lesson we learned that God IS our refuge. That is a blessing in itself. Not only does he provide refuge, but there is so much comfort, joy and peace that comes from knowing that He IS our refuge. He is in the midst of everything that we go through, so we NEVER have to feel like we're "in it" by ourselves.

As the day progressed, I began to think about some of the "catch phrases" that we use about God. And one that came to mind was "When God shows up, He shows out". You've heard this before, right? And I admit...I'm guilty of having uttered these very words myself a time or two.

But today I realized...God doesn't "show up". You see, when someone "shows up", it means that they weren't there already. It means that they've just arrived. So surely, this doesn't apply to our God Who is Omnipresent. He's everywhere, all the time. That's another comforting FACT.

Now, I understand why we say what we say...it's because at times, we don't FEEL like He's present. At times, we FEEL like we are in the circumstance by ourselves. Then, when the way is made for us, and we are brought out of that circumstance, we feel that THAT is when God has shown up. Hopefully after reading this, you will realize that He was with you ALL the time, and ALWAYS will be, because He promised.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! What "catch phrases" have you heard being used to describe God, and do you feel that they are accurate or inaccurate?

Talk to me!

Til next time...