Iowa
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Conversations in a Car
A friend of mine said that she didn't mind running around to hockey practices with her daughters, because they told her things in the car that they might have never told her before. She also said there is a wealth of information shared by teens in a car on a long trip to a hockey game when they forget there is an adult in the car. I have heard some of the best things in the car with the kids. On our road trips, they sing, they talk....oh, yes, and they argue. Bean and I get very silly in the car, but we also get pretty serious sometimes. This week we talked about the election. She was telling me that in her civics class they had to make a presentation on one of the presidential candidates. They researched them, read about their policies and did a PowerPoint presentation regarding the candidate of their choice. I asked her if there were discussions about the presentation per se or if there were any arguments. She said that it was kind of funny (her words), but that the kids not only discussed it, but some kids took it outside the classroom and had vociferous discussions outside of the classroom. There was an incident here in our city where a supporter of one party said that she had been mugged and when the man who mugged her saw she was a supporter of that party, he carved an initial in her face of the man representing the opposite party. It was all a hoax, but it caused quite a stir for a while. People called into talk shows, saying this was indicative of what would happen after the election. I am old enough and I have been through many elections in my time. I have never seen a country more polarized regarding this election. A friend of mine said that when she and her seven year old walked to the store the other night he began to say how he hated people who had a certain sign in their yard. Apparently he got very loud and passionate about it. A seven year old. I believe our country is in a very sad way right now. In every way. I wouldn't want to be president. Where would one even start? There are so many things facing us now. I hope when November 5 comes we put aside our differences and all work towards getting this country back on track, whatever that may be. I have heard many people say that they will leave the country if their candidate doesn't win. It doesn't sound like people are ready to come together and try to make this work. In the meantime, I will listen to the kids in the car. It is a lesson not to be forgotten. Have a wonderful weekend.
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8 comments:
I heard about that incident, it was on the national news. How sad! I agree, people are so angry about everything that is going on, and the arguments about the candidates are bitter and angry. I cannot wait until it is over. I hope that somehow we can come together and that should be the first job of the new president, to mend some fences. And how tragic about the seven year old, don't you wonder what they heard at home?
I am so sick of all of the ads and I cannot wait until this is all over! How sad that a seven year old is taught to not be tolerant of the view of other people. It begins so early, doesn't it? Makes me depressed. I'm going to the mall. Have a nice weekend.
Maybe it's the work that I do, that I go into people's home and see them in their environment, but I am hearing that they are very frightened right now. Not so much about the presidential race, but about their homes, their savings. I do home improvements, and I have several men working with me. Our supplies have gone up drastically. Hence, our costs to the customer goes up also. I've had two jobs cancelled and three more scaled down. But, I am working and I know lots of people out there aren't. I agree, Mia, let's get beyond this and work to find some solutions. I'm going to Lowe's. You should try it Sam, it's a pretty nice place to shop! Go Steelers!
Yes, we will all be glad when this is over. Whoever gets in we have to make it a priority to stand behind him. I think Congress has the final word on a lot of bills that the President wants passed so maybe we should look more to which congressmen we vote in. It's a thankless job and I sure wouldn't want it, no matter what the salary.
Now, to more important things! Let's get behind the Steelers, I think they are going to need our cheers this weekend.
Yes, moving on to more important things-Lumber Yards and Hardware Stores are also great places in which to lose oneself and to use the imagination. After art supply stores, of course.
We vote by mail here in Oregon, so we were "finished" with the elections a couple weeks ago at my house. I am now tuning out all the ads, flyers and arguments, including one that a PTA member got into yesterday with an 11-year-old Christian home-schooler who stopped by our book fair at the mall. Eleven-year-old insisted she is voting for McCain, and our PTA member (a huge fan of Obama's) argued and argued with her.
Thing is... SHE'S ELEVEN. She doesn't get to vote yet, even in liberal Oregon.
Cool that Bean's class dove right in.
It does seem as though people have extremely strong opinions this election. But, alas, in eight days it will be over and we can get on with life. Our kids are having a mock election in school and are campaigning for their candidate. We did that in school when there was an election when I was a kid.
I think that our cheerleader has let us down, Steelers lost and what a tough game it was. It's ok, Kitty, there's always another game.
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