Since I have no pictures that really go with this blog, I have separated the parts with pictures of nature, to kind of soften opinionated rants.
1) People who move from the city to the country to "live the good life"
Where to start? I moved to a small town 20 years ago. Knowing it was a small town and that I would have to go to the nearest city (25 miles away) for some shopping. I mean, we had a grocery store, a pharmacy, a video store, a hardware store and a dollar general store. We had several gas stations and a couple of local restaurants. There was a place to get bait, and a thrift store, and for those who imbibe, a place to get beer on the edge of the precinct. Then, the people from the city came, because living in the country was the thing to do. And they changed things. My night sky is lit up with "security" lights from houses and big box stores. The little grocery store that donated to every event in town (even the library camps we had in the summer) closed when we got a big chain store. My little hardware store that could tell me how to fix my 70 year old plumbing closed when Home Depot came ("yeah, don't know, can't help you....plumbing items are in aisle 12"). The video store is now closing next week. The dollar general store is holding out ("I have never been in one" someone said recently to me "what does it have?") and the thrift store is doing well ("I have never been in a thrift store " some one else said to me recently "do they take donations?"). They want to BUY organic things but don't know what to do with the eggs that a local family sells ("you mean you can use them like regular eggs????"). Our precinct became "wet" and with it, two bars in the historic downtown (but one local restaurant closed). And the final blow, is a new subdivision coming to town with 500 more houses, all along "scenic" Onion Creek (so, how scenic is Onion Creek going to remain with the runoff from 500 lots) with lawns and pulling water from an aquifer that is already taxed. And along with all this comes the people who ride their bicycles along our "scenic" curvy county roads, where there is no shoulder and a steep embankment.....and gives you dirty looks when you have to follow them because you can't see to pass.
2) People who work in service jobs who should not be there.
Went to the grocery store the other day. Yes the big box one they built here in town that ran out the old small grocery store. There was no hamburger in the meat refrigerated section. I buzzed the butcher, who came out and I asked "do you have any hamburger?". "No", he replied "we stop grinding hamburger at 600, you will have to come back tomorrow". I wanted to say, "I am a customer, you are a butcher.....you CAN'T find me any hamburger?" But, I didn't. I completed my shopping and went to pay, the bill was $47.46. I gave the young cashier $47. 51. She looked at me like I was crazy and said "you gave me too much money". I said, "but you will give me change". She looked at me again "but you gave me too much money". And I said , "you will give me a nickel in change, put it in the computer and see". And sure enough.....there it was, a nickel. Went to the bank to get change to go to the farmers market. I said, I want 25 ones and 5 fives. The teller said, you want 2 20's and a 10? I said, I want 25 ones and 5 fines. She started counting out 20's and 10's. I said "I really want 25 ones and 5 fives". She rolled her eyes and gave it to me. (she no longer is a teller there) Another store, cashed a check, and the young person gave me all my change, all wadded up, and as I started counting it, I said to her "you know, it is a really good thing to count back the money to the customer so they know what they "got". She said to me "I never learned how to do that and most my customers don't want to wait for me to do it anyway". (How do you know if you don't ever do it?) Another store, the cashier was talking to a friend, and NEVER looked at me, rang me up, took my money and never spoke to me. At the end of the transaction, I said "thank you" and he didn't respond. So, I waited and then said "YOU'RE WELCOME". He finally looked at me with a look of "say what?". I said, "normally you say you're welcome when a customer says 'thank you'". The woman behind me said "YES!"
3) People who make comments about homeschooling without knowing anything about it.
We homeschool. We have been homeschooling since the beginning. One child is now 17, the other 7. They are great. We get compliments when we go places about how polite they are. My daughter has an internship and is already learning much about her chosen field of study. My son is inquisitive, loves science and to draw and loves learning new things. However, it does not stop people from saying things like "how do they get 'socialized'?" What one WANTS to say is, oh, they never see other people, we lock them in a closet. However, one goes through the spiel of all the things they do and where they go and the activities they are involved in. How do they get socialized or informed of the world around them without going to school? They go to public meetings and accompany us when we vote, they run errands with parents, they go visit the elderly, they have internships, they meet and talk with people of various ages and backgrounds, they play with siblings and younger children. So, going to a public school where they only interact with the same age group, of generally the same background, and get in trouble for talking or playing on the playground is better? Where they learn about the world around them from their peers, who may be unkind or already doing things that are not appropriate for kids that age? Hmmmmmm...... We'll continue homeschooling.
4) The prevalence of technology
I am tired of seeing people on the phone in the grocery store, in restaurants, IN A PUBLIC BATHROOOM. I mean, people get a real life! Look the people around you in the eye when you talk to them. Yes, I have virtual friends, but I have ACTUAL friends, too. I talk to them, laugh with them, listen to their stories. And by the way, my cell phone is a PHONE. I don't text, I don't connect to the internet, it doesn't take pictures. It rings when someone calls me. And sometimes, believe it or not.....I don't have it with me! You have to leave a message and wait for me to call you back. I am tired of the immediacy of our life. Sometimes, things just don't have too happen fast.
Ok, I am done now and feel better (smile).....lets see what bugs our other bloggers!
