Rant in the time of shutterfly

I might just write this to get it out of my system and never post it. We’ll see.

I received what I consider the worst Christmas card of this year. Let me tell you why. First of all, it was addressed to A. Bell. Like junk mail, like from someone who doesn’t know me. Exactly.

On the back of the envelope is a handwritten line – from (insert name of church here).

So I’m thinking, it must be from my church. Sent out by someone I don’t know, but it must be a card from the church in general.

I open it to find a shutterfly, picture-perfect card of a family I’ve never met. I flip it over. More pictures, including the dog. No handwritten message. No signature. No Biblical message or scripture verse. Just a printed script about a trip they took and how 2020 was a different year with unexpected changes.

Yes, it was.

I search around and find this was from an elder in the church.

I leave you with your own thoughts.

Bookcase Browsings #4

On a shelf I found a National Geographic from November, 1967. That’s the month I turned nine. I remember three things specifically from the year I was nine.

I was in fourth grade and my teacher, Miss Schnupp,  I do believe  was six feet tall and she seemed to enjoy embarrassing her students. She did this to me and I still remember the embarrassment I felt at being teased about liking a boy just because I talked to him a lot in class. I mean, he sat behind me, so I talked to him. His name was Perry and he had red hair and lots of freckles.

It was also the year I first found out about sex. Seems like everyone knew what that word on the bathroom wall meant except me.

Lastly, it was the year of long division. For me, it was VERY long division. Sloppy writing had me lining up my numbers wrong and then I’d have to start all over.

This National Geographic issue had an article on Buenos Aires, Argentina. Now, I know when I was nine I’d never heard of Argentina, much less dreamed that I’d grow up and have a daughter who lived there for awhile. She loved it!

I just skimmed the article, but I came across a funny conversation with a man who was describing the parking situation.

“You find a place that’s maybe too short for your car, ” Señor Medus explained, “so you just push the line of cars in front with your bumper, and the line of cars behind, until you can jokey your way in. Nobody sets brakes; to do that and walk away leaving your automobile locked is , well, unsportsmanlike. Of course, you want to avoid parking a car at the spot nearest the corner. You might come back from your errand to find to find that your car has been pushed out into the intersection and hauled away by the police.”

All of this reminded me of an episode from Seinfield.

 

No Mayo!

In E.B. White’s essay on New York, written in 1948, he mentions, “…being slapped down by a bus driver for asking an innocent question..” This brought to mind my one and only experience of being in New York City for one day back in the 1980s.

Chuck and I were trying to squeeze in all we could: our first taxi ride, first ride on a subway, Empire State Building, climbing the Statue of Liberty, and seeing a bit of Central Park. This worked up an appetite, so we stopped at a hotdog vendor. My mistake was asking for mayonnaise. The guy lit into me like I’d asked for chocolate on my hotdog. I didn’t know mayonnaise on a hotdog was a southern thing, or maybe it was just a thing in my family. Talk about being embarrassed.

Pay College Football Players? Say What?

I like a good college football game. I watch Georgia play with my mother, who is a huge fan.

But, I despise pro football. Okay – I said it. It’s out there.

I just read a letter from the editorial page of my local newspaper. The writer was advocating for pay for college players. To me it is just typical of the backward thinking of the entertainment-driven society of the US.

The following are some of the statements made and my rebuttals.

1. Football is a tough sport to play.

Response: Motherhood is even tougher. Obviously the letter was written by a man.

   2.   … spend three hours a day getting into shape.

Response: And we should PAY them for this? 

   3. Don’t forget the film study

Response: ditto the last response

   4. The argument that the players receive a free education is ridiculous

Response: collegedata.com says “In its most recent survey of college pricing, the College Board reports that a “moderate” college budget for an in-state public college for the 2012–2013 academic year averaged $22,261” If a student was in school 12 months a year, that would be $1855 a month. The writer thinks they should get a $1000 a month stipend on top of this.

  5. Coaches are getting paid off the backs of the kids they coach…

Response: And?  

   6. If everyone could do it at a high level, then it wouldn’t be that special and people would not pay stupid amounts for the entertainment.

Response: Stupid amounts = stupid is as stupid does.

Okay, I’ll step off my soapbox now.