The parents I spoke of were not American-born. They could barely speak English & didn't when speaking to their child. They still did nothing to control her. Not just something in the western world.
I have a tolerance for disruptive children in public. As I've stated, mine was. But that doesn't mean I didn't try to calm her down. There is nothing more irritating than when a child is acting up & the parents do absolutely nothing to contain him/her!
I was at a pizza restaurant with my oldest grandson a couple of years ago. While we were sitting & trying to eat, the owner's daughter came over & was sitting with us. I'd never been there before & had never met them or their child. Wouldn't you think the parents would've been worried about their child sitting with a total stranger??
She also didn't have any shoes on & was placing her bare feet on our table. I'm sorry... that's a big red slash to the Dept of Health. And to boot, she was taking my grandson's french fries & eating them, herself!!
All the while, her parents were oblivious as to what their child was doing until I said something to the child & asked her to please leave us alone! I mean, really!! What DOES it take for some people??
Now, I'm not saying this is ALWAYS the case. But if parents know their child is acting up, at least something should be said to that child. Again, this is JMHO.
Fourth Important Lesson - The obstacle in Our Path
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
The moral: Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explai ned the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment, then taking breath, and saying, 'Yes I'll do it if it will save her.' As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, 'Will I start to die right away?'
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
Most importantly.................. Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching. I wish I could be more like all 5 of these people
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:
'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?'
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know hername?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
'Absolutely, ' said the professor. 'In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.'
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, b ut wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console colour TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.
It read: 'Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.'
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.
Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked. 'Fifty cents,' replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. 'Thirty-five cents,' she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins. 'I'll have the plain ice cream,' h e said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies..
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
I stopped taking my daughter to church when she was a toddler. She had ADHD & would disrupt the entire congregation. It was such an unpleasant experience, I just gave up. Yes, they had a nursery... when it was open. Half of the time, there was nobody there to watch them. And I couldn't concentrate on the sermon with her bouncing all over... & under... the pews!
I'd like to say I wouldn't have met or dated my ex-husband. But then, I wouldn't have my wonderful daughter or my gorgeous grandbabies... now, would I?
sweetowen Forum Posts (8,850)
RE: It's time to draw a line in the sand
Bleu cheese goes great with celery when you're eating hot wings!