The next sound I heard was my own snorts of laughter.
Showing posts with label quotations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quotations. Show all posts
Monday, January 25, 2010
Fathers Say the Darnest Things.
Dh takes TheBoy to the bathroom every night before we go to bed. For those who don't have boys, I will explain that there's some penis tapping/shaking which occurs after such an event. The other night, I heard dh exclaim, "That's enough. It's not a guitar."
Monday, January 18, 2010
In honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Here are some quotations from MLK Jr. that I want to share.
Dr. King, your message lives on.
"Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better. "
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom. "
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. "
"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. "
"Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. "
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. "
"The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists. "
"The time is always right to do what is right."
Dr. King, your message lives on.
"Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better. "
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom. "
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. "
"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. "
"Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. "
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. "
"The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists. "
"The time is always right to do what is right."
Monday, June 08, 2009
Home is...
This post is written in response to Twitter Moms' Away We Go Contest: Tell Us What Home Means To You and Get Prizes!
We were, until fairly recently, a military family. We have been moved around. Some of our things still have moving ID stickers from 2 moves ago. We have been dropped in areas where we have no family. We have had to split up our family for deployments and training. We have had to create our own definition of home.
Before dh and I married, home was the same house where I and 3 other generations of my family lived. If you look in my father's high school year book (the same high school I attended), you see the same address listed under his name as you find in the back of mine 37 years later. Home was the same town and house in which I had always lived and I had deep roots there (literally).
I had a difficult time feeling at home anywhere once I left that house. We moved into an apartment when we were first married and I liked it, but it wasn't home. It was exciting when we rented our first house, but I was never comfortable there. When the military moved us, that was the most awkward of all.
Before we had children, when my husband was away & we didn't know where the military would send us next, my husband told his friends, "Home is where the wife is."
We had children, the "War" started, and my husband left. He eventually came home to much older children who could do so much more than when he left. He came home to a house completely redecorated. He came home. He would leave again for training and not too long after, he left for yet another deployment. Each time, he was welcomed home.
Right now, "Home," for us is our house with our family. Home is the bedroom where our youngest daughter was born. Home is where our children took their first steps. Home is where we cuddle under the blankets and listen to the rain fall.
But take away this house and we know we'll still be able to find home. As a child, "Home," was that house. As an adult, a mother, and a military wife, I've come to realize that home is not always one specific place. Home is a feeling of comfort, familiarity and safety.
"Where we love is home--home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
We were, until fairly recently, a military family. We have been moved around. Some of our things still have moving ID stickers from 2 moves ago. We have been dropped in areas where we have no family. We have had to split up our family for deployments and training. We have had to create our own definition of home.
Before dh and I married, home was the same house where I and 3 other generations of my family lived. If you look in my father's high school year book (the same high school I attended), you see the same address listed under his name as you find in the back of mine 37 years later. Home was the same town and house in which I had always lived and I had deep roots there (literally).
I had a difficult time feeling at home anywhere once I left that house. We moved into an apartment when we were first married and I liked it, but it wasn't home. It was exciting when we rented our first house, but I was never comfortable there. When the military moved us, that was the most awkward of all.
Before we had children, when my husband was away & we didn't know where the military would send us next, my husband told his friends, "Home is where the wife is."
We had children, the "War" started, and my husband left. He eventually came home to much older children who could do so much more than when he left. He came home to a house completely redecorated. He came home. He would leave again for training and not too long after, he left for yet another deployment. Each time, he was welcomed home.
Right now, "Home," for us is our house with our family. Home is the bedroom where our youngest daughter was born. Home is where our children took their first steps. Home is where we cuddle under the blankets and listen to the rain fall.
But take away this house and we know we'll still be able to find home. As a child, "Home," was that house. As an adult, a mother, and a military wife, I've come to realize that home is not always one specific place. Home is a feeling of comfort, familiarity and safety.
"Where we love is home--home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts."-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
On a lighter note.
The other day, I heard proof that my middle daughter really is mine.
The three oldest were playing an aleph bet match card game. Little brother insisted on turning over all the cards to see where the letters were. This compelled his sister to tell him, "Stop that. That defeats the purpose of the game."
Oh yeah! She's mine.
Out of the mouths of babes... come the words of their parents.
The three oldest were playing an aleph bet match card game. Little brother insisted on turning over all the cards to see where the letters were. This compelled his sister to tell him, "Stop that. That defeats the purpose of the game."
Oh yeah! She's mine.
Out of the mouths of babes... come the words of their parents.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
“We can survive functional illiteracy or shattered windows of vulnerability, but not the demise of The Decent Cup of Tea”
There's a military-related topic I've always wanted to blog about, but never have. Honestly, I have no idea why. So I'll do that now.
I don't think civilians have any idea how vulnerable military wives are when their husbands are away. We often have no family in the area and our husbands are gone for long stretches at a time.
When we had an exterminator come to our house during dh's first desert deployment, the exterminator looked at the photos on the walls and commented on dh being in the military. For a brief moment, I was terrified. Here's this stranger in my house and I'm one step away from letting him know I've been alone for months and will continue to be. I choose my words carefully and, while not outright lying, didn't mention the deployment and made it sound as though he was working at the local military instillation rather than carrying a full load of armor and guns in the desert.
I was sensitive to any sign that we were a military family. Anyone with even the slightest amount of common sense could put two and two together and figure out that we were defenseless and alone and would remain so for a long time.
Now, I'm a feminist. I don't need a man to take care of me. Still, when your husband is across the world, particularly when your husband is across the world and you have small children, you're left feeling very vulnerable.
I know many mothers teach their children to call 9-1-1, but there was an urgency and vulnerability to making sure my daughters knew how to call for help. Should something happen to me, the only way the world would know is if a set of toddlers could call for help.
When I went into the attic, I had to call my sister beforehand to let her know and instruct her, "If you don't hear back from me in 15 minutes, call to check on me." I sometimes wondered, if I got hurt, how long it would be until someone even noticed much less sent help. With three small children (at the time), that was far more frightening.
Another thing that leaves you feeling vulnerable is that you can't do anything for your husband. I recognized the signs of PTSD pretty early on in his last deployment, but there was nothing I could do. I tried every option I had, but in the military, there's a fine line between getting help and getting the spouse in trouble. Plus, even all these years later, PTSD still isn't taken seriously. I cannot tell you how many times I was asked how long we had been having marital problems during that whole ordeal. We weren't. It was the deployment that was causing problems. I can fix damn near anything, but when the higher ups choose to believe you're just a silly little dramatic wife, there's nothing you can do. You're a world away and completely helpless while you recognize the signs that your husband is morphing into someone very different. There's nothing you can do. Well, you can scream and cry, but you and your husband both are vulnerable to the system.
People have their own ideas about what it's like to be a military family. There's quite a bit of coverage on the news and in articles. Yet, I've never read anyone even touch on that vulnerability and that can be a very big part of the experience in oh so many ways.
I don't think civilians have any idea how vulnerable military wives are when their husbands are away. We often have no family in the area and our husbands are gone for long stretches at a time.
When we had an exterminator come to our house during dh's first desert deployment, the exterminator looked at the photos on the walls and commented on dh being in the military. For a brief moment, I was terrified. Here's this stranger in my house and I'm one step away from letting him know I've been alone for months and will continue to be. I choose my words carefully and, while not outright lying, didn't mention the deployment and made it sound as though he was working at the local military instillation rather than carrying a full load of armor and guns in the desert.
I was sensitive to any sign that we were a military family. Anyone with even the slightest amount of common sense could put two and two together and figure out that we were defenseless and alone and would remain so for a long time.
Now, I'm a feminist. I don't need a man to take care of me. Still, when your husband is across the world, particularly when your husband is across the world and you have small children, you're left feeling very vulnerable.
I know many mothers teach their children to call 9-1-1, but there was an urgency and vulnerability to making sure my daughters knew how to call for help. Should something happen to me, the only way the world would know is if a set of toddlers could call for help.
When I went into the attic, I had to call my sister beforehand to let her know and instruct her, "If you don't hear back from me in 15 minutes, call to check on me." I sometimes wondered, if I got hurt, how long it would be until someone even noticed much less sent help. With three small children (at the time), that was far more frightening.
Another thing that leaves you feeling vulnerable is that you can't do anything for your husband. I recognized the signs of PTSD pretty early on in his last deployment, but there was nothing I could do. I tried every option I had, but in the military, there's a fine line between getting help and getting the spouse in trouble. Plus, even all these years later, PTSD still isn't taken seriously. I cannot tell you how many times I was asked how long we had been having marital problems during that whole ordeal. We weren't. It was the deployment that was causing problems. I can fix damn near anything, but when the higher ups choose to believe you're just a silly little dramatic wife, there's nothing you can do. You're a world away and completely helpless while you recognize the signs that your husband is morphing into someone very different. There's nothing you can do. Well, you can scream and cry, but you and your husband both are vulnerable to the system.
People have their own ideas about what it's like to be a military family. There's quite a bit of coverage on the news and in articles. Yet, I've never read anyone even touch on that vulnerability and that can be a very big part of the experience in oh so many ways.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Commenters say...
Capri left an absolutely brilliant comment on my last post about my sister and her animated Jesus forwards.
"Well, that's further proof that chain letters really do act as a drug to people afflicted with forwarditis. They kill common sense and numb the part of the brain responsible for rational thought."
YES. That is certainly an accurate assessment of the situation.
And FTR, yesterday, I received another forward from the same sister. This time, it was the one that brags about Oliver North and his warning about Osama Bin Laden. I knew it was false because I checked it on Snopes a while ago. I replied with a link and a note about it being false with a reminder that Snopes exists for a reason. My sister's response was to tell me that I'm, "Always the one to ruin it."
If, I'm the one known to stop stupidity in its tracks, well, then that's a title I will gladly wear. :-) Quick, someone make me a little sash with that written across the front. I will gladly be crowned the "Common Sense Queen."
"Well, that's further proof that chain letters really do act as a drug to people afflicted with forwarditis. They kill common sense and numb the part of the brain responsible for rational thought."
YES. That is certainly an accurate assessment of the situation.
And FTR, yesterday, I received another forward from the same sister. This time, it was the one that brags about Oliver North and his warning about Osama Bin Laden. I knew it was false because I checked it on Snopes a while ago. I replied with a link and a note about it being false with a reminder that Snopes exists for a reason. My sister's response was to tell me that I'm, "Always the one to ruin it."
If, I'm the one known to stop stupidity in its tracks, well, then that's a title I will gladly wear. :-) Quick, someone make me a little sash with that written across the front. I will gladly be crowned the "Common Sense Queen."
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sharing a link: The Day After He Left for Iraq
I had to share this link. The Day After He Left for Iraq
I particularly like this line:
"There is no graceful, easy, painless, romantic way to send your husband off to war. The emptiness left behind the fading sound of his boots is deafening."
The very last portion reminds me quite a bit of the portion of Hello Jupiter that I quoted here.
I really like this as well:
"With my belly swollen, again, I stood in a parking lot, holding our second newborn and searching for a way to say goodbye. Again. This time, Iraq beckoned. I had no way of knowing what would become of us. Of him. Of our marriage. I only knew one simplified version of our life, our struggle: I loved him."
Great read. I want to add the book to my wishlist.
I particularly like this line:
"There is no graceful, easy, painless, romantic way to send your husband off to war. The emptiness left behind the fading sound of his boots is deafening."
The very last portion reminds me quite a bit of the portion of Hello Jupiter that I quoted here.
I really like this as well:
"With my belly swollen, again, I stood in a parking lot, holding our second newborn and searching for a way to say goodbye. Again. This time, Iraq beckoned. I had no way of knowing what would become of us. Of him. Of our marriage. I only knew one simplified version of our life, our struggle: I loved him."
Great read. I want to add the book to my wishlist.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Currently reading
I have about 4 books currently checked out from the library. I'm reading two of them right now (which is strange for me because I usually only read one book at a time). I started with Joseph Telushkin's Words That Hurt, Words That Heal. I'm probably a bit more than half done with that one. It's an interesting read. I think his stance may be a bit too extreme, but it has made me think twice and it has affected what I say. I think a mark of a good book is whether or not it causes you to evaluate and change behavior.
I'm also reading The Art of Blessing the Day which is Marge Piercy's collection of poems. This is an easier read for me and is going much faster. I'm probably 3/4 of the way done. Overall, I'm enjoying it. I find that difficult to say because many of her poems touch on difficult subjects. Still, they're very compelling. Thus far, my favorite line is from a poem titled, "House built of breath",
"When we are alone, the walls sing
and even the cats talk but only in Yiddish."
I can't quite explain it, but I love that line.
I'll be back when I finish them to give you my final thoughts, but thus far, I like both books. I read David Wolpe's Making Loss Matter, but was not impressed. Genius me brought it back to the library before I posted here about it. Sorry about that. I'll get it back out again and do a propper review on a future date.
I'm also reading The Art of Blessing the Day which is Marge Piercy's collection of poems. This is an easier read for me and is going much faster. I'm probably 3/4 of the way done. Overall, I'm enjoying it. I find that difficult to say because many of her poems touch on difficult subjects. Still, they're very compelling. Thus far, my favorite line is from a poem titled, "House built of breath",
"When we are alone, the walls sing
and even the cats talk but only in Yiddish."
I can't quite explain it, but I love that line.
I'll be back when I finish them to give you my final thoughts, but thus far, I like both books. I read David Wolpe's Making Loss Matter, but was not impressed. Genius me brought it back to the library before I posted here about it. Sorry about that. I'll get it back out again and do a propper review on a future date.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
I love my kids and the things they say.
Dh just sent the kids to brush teeth. When he turned around, Girl2 was still sitting on the couch. He asked why she was sitting there in the same room and her response had me absolutely rolling.
"Because the couch exists and so does the playroom."
These are SO my children.
"Because the couch exists and so does the playroom."
These are SO my children.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Fun with misspellings.
We arranged to have some items picked up today for a local charity. Those items included one futon, one microwave cart, one computer monitor, one vase, and one random tchotchke.
The receipt listed, among other things, a "Photon."
How in the world did we manage to donate one single photon? How am I supposed to deduct THAT when it comes time for taxes?
The receipt listed, among other things, a "Photon."
How in the world did we manage to donate one single photon? How am I supposed to deduct THAT when it comes time for taxes?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
What's better than friends?
Smart friends who say funny things.
This is far too perfect. I just have to share. Baby Proofing is Like Running a Marathon
In that entry, she includes not only an adorable picture of her youngest, but also this fabulous observation about baby-proofing as a marathon:
"Where the sponsors are sadists who keep moving the finish line whenever anyone gets close to crossing."
In that entry, she includes not only an adorable picture of her youngest, but also this fabulous observation about baby-proofing as a marathon:
"Where the sponsors are sadists who keep moving the finish line whenever anyone gets close to crossing."
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The great political divide
You'll have to forgive me while I sigh. I'm so fed up with the huge rifts created by politics. Yes, I know I have been pretty vocal in my feelings, but in general, I try to be respectful. I take a bit more liberties here than I do in mixed company, but in general, I try to stick to the issues and not get sucked into name-calling.
I recently got back in touch with a friend from high school. She was abrasive back in the day, but we had a lot of fun together and we have some great memories. Well, recently, she has taken to sending out horrible messages (sometimes racist) about Barack Obama. She just won't stop and I'm getting increasingly annoyed.
That incited a great desire to let her slip out of my life again. I'm not the type who will run away from a group because of a disagreement or who will drop friends because of a different political stance. Hell, some of my best friends have very different political views and we've always been respectful.
Then I was reminded that only two years ago, this friend's mother died from Cancer. The anniversary of her passing is fast approaching. I've written to her to let her know she's in my thoughts and prayers. That served as a reminder about the connections we share and the divisions we create.
Why in the world do we need to use politics as a wedge between us? Why can't we simply discuss the issues like rational human beings or take the issue off the table? I am very sensitive to certain political topics because they relate directly to me whereas most people just use them as talking points without fully understanding the situation. So I recognize when those topics are or are not appropriate* or I simply watch my language.
Why must we focus on the differences? Why do we try to separate from others based on politics? What in the world are we doing?
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Audre Lorde
*Yes, I realize I'm a hypocrite because I call Bush a name in that link.
I recently got back in touch with a friend from high school. She was abrasive back in the day, but we had a lot of fun together and we have some great memories. Well, recently, she has taken to sending out horrible messages (sometimes racist) about Barack Obama. She just won't stop and I'm getting increasingly annoyed.
That incited a great desire to let her slip out of my life again. I'm not the type who will run away from a group because of a disagreement or who will drop friends because of a different political stance. Hell, some of my best friends have very different political views and we've always been respectful.
Then I was reminded that only two years ago, this friend's mother died from Cancer. The anniversary of her passing is fast approaching. I've written to her to let her know she's in my thoughts and prayers. That served as a reminder about the connections we share and the divisions we create.
Why in the world do we need to use politics as a wedge between us? Why can't we simply discuss the issues like rational human beings or take the issue off the table? I am very sensitive to certain political topics because they relate directly to me whereas most people just use them as talking points without fully understanding the situation. So I recognize when those topics are or are not appropriate* or I simply watch my language.
Why must we focus on the differences? Why do we try to separate from others based on politics? What in the world are we doing?
“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Audre Lorde
*Yes, I realize I'm a hypocrite because I call Bush a name in that link.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Quotation on parenting
I love this one and simply had to share.
"I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves." Anna Quindlen
"I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves." Anna Quindlen
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Hello, hello, hello is there anybody out there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone at all?
I'm still here. I know I've been scarce and for that I apologize. Lots of chaos occurring at and around Chez Reiza. I still exist, though and I promise I will post something of more substance in the not-too-distant future.
Until then, here's a comment from the husband that struck me as funny.
"I don't believe this dog has to go to the bathroom. I think he just has a good memory and really wants pie."
Until then, here's a comment from the husband that struck me as funny.
"I don't believe this dog has to go to the bathroom. I think he just has a good memory and really wants pie."
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Wise words from a very dear friend
I'm having a conversation (well, the internet equivalent thereof) with a friend of mine. She just told me something I consider blog-worthy. This bit of information simply must be shared with the masses. Here's the ever-so-slightly edited version,
"If I've learned anything about relationships, it's this--Choose your battles...and sarcasm goes a long way."
Oh how true!
"If I've learned anything about relationships, it's this--Choose your battles...and sarcasm goes a long way."
Oh how true!
Monday, June 09, 2008
Professional Idiot Do Not Attempt.
I saw the above warning on a commercial and loved it (the warning, not the commercial). That should be the caption for oh so many snapshots of my life/day (based on both my actions and those of the people around me).
Wouldn't that be the most wonderful subtitle for a blog?
It just made me smile, so I figured I'd share.
Wouldn't that be the most wonderful subtitle for a blog?
It just made me smile, so I figured I'd share.
Monday, May 26, 2008
I could have taken part in this conversation.
More Women With Dirtier Minds Than Men
Girl #1, pointing to bag of peanuts: Are those your nuts?
Girl #2: No, they're Bob's* nuts.
[brief pause, then both girls begin laughing hysterically]
Girl #1, after a few minutes: That was the stupidest thing ever.
Girl #2: You know you liked it.
Overheard by: I laughed because I didn't know what was going on
via Overheard Everywhere, May 23, 2008
Girl #1, pointing to bag of peanuts: Are those your nuts?
Girl #2: No, they're Bob's* nuts.
[brief pause, then both girls begin laughing hysterically]
Girl #1, after a few minutes: That was the stupidest thing ever.
Girl #2: You know you liked it.
Overheard by: I laughed because I didn't know what was going on
via Overheard Everywhere, May 23, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
I could have said the exact same thing.
2PM I Don't Even Try to Fit in Anymore
via Overheard in the Office, Apr 23, 2008
Coworker #1: Yeah, we should go ahead and fix that. Then, when we're done, we could dance around it like pagans.
Coworker #2: What? I don't even know what to say to you sometimes.
Coworker #1: Just stand back and pity my mother.
Washington, DC
via Overheard in the Office, Apr 23, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
I swear I've dealt with this person.
Oh no. There are idiots like this outside the States? Damn it! I thought they were all confined to our borders. FTR, it's people like this who sent me running and screaming from retail when I was just a teen. I swore I'd never go back. I did briefly at a college bookstore, but that was a bit different.
At my first retail job, when the store was closing, we put up signs to alert people to that fact. Oh my stars and garters! The influx of asinine comments was astounding. That lead me to put up a sign that implored our clients, "Please refrain from asking stupid questions."
And yes, I had one middle-age woman who then went on to read the signs, ask a stupid question (After looking at the, "Store Closing on this date" sign, she asked, "What do you mean the store is closing?"). Only then did she see the stupid question sign. She then asked, "Was that a stupid question?" AHHHHHHHH.
9AM Might Be Best to Start with the Sunday Through Friday Ones
via Overheard in the Office, Mar 11, 2008
FTR, my refusal to work in the hell that is retail did not insulate me from the idiots. I had a conversation VERY similar to the one quoted above when I was trying to book tickets to go to my cousin's funeral. I'm sorry, but you have no right at all to be an idiot when someone has experienced a death in the family and made you aware of that fact right from the initiation of said phone interaction. If that person is being an ass, you have a little bit of leeway. I, however, was not. Well, I admit I did turn into one after I tried to tell the agent the same thing 5 or 6 times, but I was pleasant and polite initially.
Perhaps I'll post that conversation in the future. Maybe I'll submit it to one of the "Overheard" sites as well.
At my first retail job, when the store was closing, we put up signs to alert people to that fact. Oh my stars and garters! The influx of asinine comments was astounding. That lead me to put up a sign that implored our clients, "Please refrain from asking stupid questions."
And yes, I had one middle-age woman who then went on to read the signs, ask a stupid question (After looking at the, "Store Closing on this date" sign, she asked, "What do you mean the store is closing?"). Only then did she see the stupid question sign. She then asked, "Was that a stupid question?" AHHHHHHHH.
9AM Might Be Best to Start with the Sunday Through Friday Ones
Caller: I need to know about courses on Saturday.
Bored operator: Which center would you like to go through to?
Caller: Yes, uh, Saturday courses. Nine o'clock 'til five o'clock.
Bored operator: Okay, which department?
Caller: Saturday -- S-A-T--
Bored operator: --Which center? Clapham, Vauxhall, Brixton?
Caller: Uh, no, I want to know about Saturday courses. Saturday courses!
Bored operator: Do you have a contact name? ... I'll just put you through to someone, then. Bye!
College
London
England
via Overheard in the Office, Mar 11, 2008
FTR, my refusal to work in the hell that is retail did not insulate me from the idiots. I had a conversation VERY similar to the one quoted above when I was trying to book tickets to go to my cousin's funeral. I'm sorry, but you have no right at all to be an idiot when someone has experienced a death in the family and made you aware of that fact right from the initiation of said phone interaction. If that person is being an ass, you have a little bit of leeway. I, however, was not. Well, I admit I did turn into one after I tried to tell the agent the same thing 5 or 6 times, but I was pleasant and polite initially.
Perhaps I'll post that conversation in the future. Maybe I'll submit it to one of the "Overheard" sites as well.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
A productive member of society
I'm trying to force myself to think in new "outside the box" ways and do some writing. I need to do something a bit more creative than schleping through the endless lists of blogs in my Google Reader. Unfortunately, that productive thing is not working (and I marked 94 entries as read just to end the insanity).
I had a brilliant idea. I would ask dh for a word (without an explanation). I would then head to our bookshelf and find a book with that word in the title. From there, I would ask him for a number and turn to that page. After he supplied another number, I would count down that many lines and use that as the opening for a short fiction piece.
He gave me the word, "Cup." After some initial hesitation (aka freaking out), I realized that while I don't see that in any titles (which genius came up with this idea? We have several hundred books on our bookshelves. How in the hell am I supposed to read through all the titles in search of a single word?), I knew I owned a book with a picture of a cup on its cover. Good enough. I searched and found that book. Then I left it on the couch while I ran around doing completely random and relatively useless things.
Give me a moment to get all the sighing out of my system. Then we'll see where I go from here.
11:17 pm edit: After turning to a random page (621) and asking dh for a number (34), I came across this paragraph which I adore,
"Not even then did she speak. As a powerful Jewish woman, intelligent beyond the average and capable in many untested directions, she began to find reassureance in her unexpected resolve, which she expressed only to herself by keeping her hands pressed tightly against her sides until her fingertips grew white with controlled fury, and in that insolent pose she stared back at the rabbi until the pusillanimous lawgiver left the room....
It's actually from one of the stories that bothered me the most in the novel (Shimrith, her evil brother-in-law, and Jewish law regarding a childless widow with a childless brother-in-law). It's such a powerful paragraph. Hmmm... Perhaps I can do something with this.
I had a brilliant idea. I would ask dh for a word (without an explanation). I would then head to our bookshelf and find a book with that word in the title. From there, I would ask him for a number and turn to that page. After he supplied another number, I would count down that many lines and use that as the opening for a short fiction piece.
He gave me the word, "Cup." After some initial hesitation (aka freaking out), I realized that while I don't see that in any titles (which genius came up with this idea? We have several hundred books on our bookshelves. How in the hell am I supposed to read through all the titles in search of a single word?), I knew I owned a book with a picture of a cup on its cover. Good enough. I searched and found that book. Then I left it on the couch while I ran around doing completely random and relatively useless things.
Give me a moment to get all the sighing out of my system. Then we'll see where I go from here.
11:17 pm edit: After turning to a random page (621) and asking dh for a number (34), I came across this paragraph which I adore,
"Not even then did she speak. As a powerful Jewish woman, intelligent beyond the average and capable in many untested directions, she began to find reassureance in her unexpected resolve, which she expressed only to herself by keeping her hands pressed tightly against her sides until her fingertips grew white with controlled fury, and in that insolent pose she stared back at the rabbi until the pusillanimous lawgiver left the room....
It's actually from one of the stories that bothered me the most in the novel (Shimrith, her evil brother-in-law, and Jewish law regarding a childless widow with a childless brother-in-law). It's such a powerful paragraph. Hmmm... Perhaps I can do something with this.
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