Friday, June 22, 2007

Parenting 101


Some things just bring out the inner preacher in me.
Maybe I was the one in another life, who they gathered around the campfires to listen to and learn from. It is me, the one who thinks she is a fraud, who cannot help speaking her mind from time to time. I am amazed that anyone listens.

The young ones are starving and no one seems to care or notice since they're all well fed and well dressed. I feel outrage I said; when I see you all get treated like criminals, ignored and pushed aside.
One of the daylight robbers, their Chief actually, asked some of us to comment on what we thought was wrong in the sandbox and asked for ideas on how we thought it could be made better. That's simple says I; ask the children what they want. Give the children what they need. Why is that such a revolutionary idea?

Then I went on to tell them seated campfirelike, with eyes, I swear had begun to glow. They were so attuned to what I was saying. I told them the story of the Disconnected Daddy. I saw him and his wee one in a store one day. Daddy was so plugged into his i-pod he didn't notice mini-me trying to get his attention in front of the chocolate Easter bunny display. It was sad really. The wee one was so small and daddy was moving so fast and obviously had no intentions of listening to his child at all. Why else would he have the ears plugged with digital sound?

Ya see chil'ren, it's like this, no one talks to you anymore and you need to be heard, to feel like you matter to the people whose sperm and egg brought you into this god forsaken world. You are warehoused and dehumanized almost from birth. You don't even have June Cleaver as a facsimilie to know what a mommy is.

I was on a roll and told them how it's wrong, downright criminal that stores are used as baby sitters these days and how I want to bash the head of every parent dragging their kids around Wally World at 11 o'clock at night; when the wee ones should be snug in their beds being read to. I mean have you ever really looked into the face of a tired child who just wants to go home?

Parents treat children like accessories. I take that back. You hold acessories and dogs. I don't see much cuddling going on these days. Oh those faces looked up at me in hero worshipping adoration. Some said I should spread the word on the radio.
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Would anyone listen?