In my writing group today we discussed the timely topic of World Peace day, which is today or actually yesterday since it is now after midnight. It was also my granddaughter's birthday and she is now 12 which has been dubbed the tweens. Her name is Lily and I love her very much and miss her because she lives 1500 miles from me. I'm hoping to visit them at Christmas, but if I do go I'm not allowed to tell the kids I'm coming (my daughter's rule). She wants them to be surprised. She doesn't want them to nag her for 4 weeks about when gramma is
coming - over and over. So I will try to comply, but some-times I slip. My other 2 grandkids also will be very happy to see me. They love having grandparents. They are also close to Lily's age 12 and 13 (soon to be 14). They were adopted so of course there ages are not what one would have with biological grandchildren. I love them of course. I don't get to FL often. It's just a lot of planning either a
very long drive, or a flight and all the planning that takes. I like to fly, the details
associated with that are tedious. But it will be good to see them all.
Musings of a retired nurse, mother of one and grandmother of 3. Doing some part time work editing papers and writing stories. I Worked 34 years mostly in L&D and newborn special care, taught childbirth education classes, and worked with the VNA and did home fetal monitoring for high risk patients. I feel privileged to have shared such wonderful and private moments with so many families. I do miss the work that I did, but not the stress I experienced so often.
Famous Seamus
Love that belly
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Talking to the Radio
I admit it!! I talk to my car radio, or to the people inside the little electronic device. Of course I know they can't hear me, but I just have to let some of that anger out. I had to stop listening to Rush Limbaugh because I was afraid I'd catch his ignorance. Of course I only listened twice - that was enough for me and it included a fair amount of yelling at the radio.
Most of the time I listen to CPTV in CT and NPR International programs that are aired on my local public radio station. They seem to present the most objective reports. I listen to music stations when I've had enough serious stuff for awhile.
It's not that I don't want to hear people who disagree with me. I don't mind a give and take, but I find with conservatives and rednecks (you know who you are) there is only take. They take all the time for conversation, and they are usually loud and obnoxious , and will not listen to anyone who disagrees with them.. My mother-in-law was from the south, republican, and set in her ways, but she on ocasion would at least listen to another view, but the rest of her family would only shout out stupid stuff about guns, hunting and hurting animals etc and political differences. These topics were serious to me, and a big joke to them. I happen to be liberal though when I met them I just thought I was normal and they were strange. They were a little strange especially in the area of humor.
Most of what they laughed at struck me as some kind of atrocity or inhumane treatment of animals and certainly not funny. But what drove me crazy was that I would sit politely and not interrupt waiting patiently for my turn to speak. When that happened, I didn't get to say much before being interrupted repeatedly.
They were very loud and didn't know how to listen. Coming from a Catholic education with nuns who made us keep silent during class, especially when another student or the teacher was speaking, I found their behavior repulsive. The idea about having a conversation in which one says something politely and then gives the floor to someone else and remains quiet while that person speaks was a totally foreign concept to them. My inlaws had never heard of this form of conversation. For them it was the loudest, biggest mouthed, and most long-winded who held the floor as long as he could and felt free to interrupt when it wasn't his turn. I say "his" because it was the men more than the women who were like that: loud, interrupting and rude that is. When all the guys went outside to play some sport the ladies were much better behaved allowing the give and take more easily. My mother-in-law did tell me once that they only did that to me because they
enjoyed seeing me get angry and frustrated with them. And that I did.
So back to the radio thing: when I'm listening to something exciting or far right about something like gun control I have to speak quickly or I'll lose my turn as has happened to me many times years ago (guess I'm still scarred). The good thing about talking to the radio is that one doesn't really get interrupted. If the speaker continues while I'm trying to make a point I can turn the volume down and speak to the ghosts in my car or the people on the radio. I know they don't hear me, I don't care. It just feels good to let it out. Once or twice I've had to stop to write down a thought or 2 that I don't want to forget, and once or twice I sent an email to the station giving them my opinion even though they didn't ask for it.
Email has made things like "letters to the editor", or comments to tv and radiio news programs so much easier than years ago when we had to find the addresses, and the proper salutation depending on the person's role or title. Even writing to a senator is easy now, and I have done it a few times. I'm not sure if anyone listens any better than the radio does, but I still send my opinions.
I do think, though that if one wants unbiased news that is relevant and current, NPR is the way to go, though it may be a tad liberal. But liberal is why we get to hear both sides. Conservatives seem only to want to hear their own side at least that is my experience with them, and they are more fear oriented rather than concern for what is safe, moral, fair, necessary and under whose jurisdiction it lies. And writing my blog is the only way I could ever get the last word with a group of conservatives.
Most of the time I listen to CPTV in CT and NPR International programs that are aired on my local public radio station. They seem to present the most objective reports. I listen to music stations when I've had enough serious stuff for awhile.
It's not that I don't want to hear people who disagree with me. I don't mind a give and take, but I find with conservatives and rednecks (you know who you are) there is only take. They take all the time for conversation, and they are usually loud and obnoxious , and will not listen to anyone who disagrees with them.. My mother-in-law was from the south, republican, and set in her ways, but she on ocasion would at least listen to another view, but the rest of her family would only shout out stupid stuff about guns, hunting and hurting animals etc and political differences. These topics were serious to me, and a big joke to them. I happen to be liberal though when I met them I just thought I was normal and they were strange. They were a little strange especially in the area of humor.
Most of what they laughed at struck me as some kind of atrocity or inhumane treatment of animals and certainly not funny. But what drove me crazy was that I would sit politely and not interrupt waiting patiently for my turn to speak. When that happened, I didn't get to say much before being interrupted repeatedly.
They were very loud and didn't know how to listen. Coming from a Catholic education with nuns who made us keep silent during class, especially when another student or the teacher was speaking, I found their behavior repulsive. The idea about having a conversation in which one says something politely and then gives the floor to someone else and remains quiet while that person speaks was a totally foreign concept to them. My inlaws had never heard of this form of conversation. For them it was the loudest, biggest mouthed, and most long-winded who held the floor as long as he could and felt free to interrupt when it wasn't his turn. I say "his" because it was the men more than the women who were like that: loud, interrupting and rude that is. When all the guys went outside to play some sport the ladies were much better behaved allowing the give and take more easily. My mother-in-law did tell me once that they only did that to me because they
enjoyed seeing me get angry and frustrated with them. And that I did.
So back to the radio thing: when I'm listening to something exciting or far right about something like gun control I have to speak quickly or I'll lose my turn as has happened to me many times years ago (guess I'm still scarred). The good thing about talking to the radio is that one doesn't really get interrupted. If the speaker continues while I'm trying to make a point I can turn the volume down and speak to the ghosts in my car or the people on the radio. I know they don't hear me, I don't care. It just feels good to let it out. Once or twice I've had to stop to write down a thought or 2 that I don't want to forget, and once or twice I sent an email to the station giving them my opinion even though they didn't ask for it.
Email has made things like "letters to the editor", or comments to tv and radiio news programs so much easier than years ago when we had to find the addresses, and the proper salutation depending on the person's role or title. Even writing to a senator is easy now, and I have done it a few times. I'm not sure if anyone listens any better than the radio does, but I still send my opinions.
I do think, though that if one wants unbiased news that is relevant and current, NPR is the way to go, though it may be a tad liberal. But liberal is why we get to hear both sides. Conservatives seem only to want to hear their own side at least that is my experience with them, and they are more fear oriented rather than concern for what is safe, moral, fair, necessary and under whose jurisdiction it lies. And writing my blog is the only way I could ever get the last word with a group of conservatives.
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