Happy Freedom Day: My Own Protest

I did it again, read one to many of the plethoras of social media posts by people I respect that have a difference of opinion and am on a fuming tangent. When this occurs I need to write it out of my system, I do not engage in direct comment wars. Why? There are those that do not realize what they say, some that refuse to recognize the difference of opinion as valid, and those that are simply unreachable and unteachable. I can actually do educated research to act as a foundation to support why I believe and act on the things I do; not on a meme, or a skewed headline. Real, we are in a pandemic. Real, it is spreading. Real, intubation, and putting people in body bags is not fun. 

Today is the 4th of July and I am home social distancing and working on my Master’s in Science with a focus on Nursing education. Instead of writing on the assigned task of standard nursing terminology (SNT), I am writing my opinion on the varied extremes on masking and belief in a virus.  As a concerned human “old enough to know better, but I'm still too young to care” (Hayes, 2009). Just kidding I care a lot. I live my life as a volunteer to help people learn the truth of the gospel and heal them of health disparities. Unfortunately, this means people believe they can treat me (and anyone in public or health service) however they want and state it’s what we signed up for. Thanks for the hero sign, the unpaid time off, and the stress that I have from saving the world’s humans while putting myself and family at risk.  Unfortunately, many that don’t care about anyone outside themselves because they are either just living their life with no regard to others or those who do care but believe their freedoms will be taken (or already have been) by being asked to mask up and stay safe. Medical people have masked and gowned up for hours or days on end out of necessity and evidence-based practice to stop the spread of illness for years. No one loves personal protection equipment (PPE) but we use it for safety. 

I don’t want to take your rights.  I want you to contribute to safety. I don’t want you to stop working, lose your money, home, rights while you shut up and do what you’re told, and shiver in fear while the [insert your personal theory/politics/conspiracy here, or share a meme about it] takes over. I want you to be smart enough to wash your hands, believe health and public workers about what their day is like. I want to decrease the spread of illness, to keep it from spreading so fast that those workers are unable to help because they are outnumbered and out resourced and sick themselves. I want you to respect the fact that people have no symptoms and are positive and can spread it for about ten days everywhere they go. 

The sad part is the fact that we mostly see and believe far extremes of what’s reported. I believe there are enough health and public service workers that see the medium of truth through the number of people requiring assistance, yet none are allowed to speak publically about it or have it accepted as a resignation. I am appalled daily by the opinions and behavior of others especially since my life and career are spent as a servant to my God and community. I am mostly tucked away in an office taking care of health keeping people out of the doctor’s office. I not working on the front lines during the coronavirus but know some that are, and am part of the plan if they get overwhelmed on the frontlines.  We are in for a rough time because is inaccurate reports, politics, individual choice, and finance playing with human lives. The people that criticize everything and everyone then turn around and ask for a helping hand from public and health that “signed up for this”.

Think of the times you’ve walked in the other person’s shoes and developed an understanding of how someone with a different opinion may have come to where they are. Have you any compassion? Have you enough common sense to believe that reports of happenings that don’t personally affect you are could be true-life events for others?

I protest people not fact-checking the foundation of their own protest before causing irreversible damage to others with their word and or actions. I want to live to see the next Independence Day and I want you to. I don’t want your next holiday to happen six feet under while someone wipes a tear while they stand on your grave.

References

Gerd Altmann. (2020). Coronavirus protests. [Phontograph]. Pixaby stock photos. Retrieved 

from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/corona-coronavirus-virus-protests-5184533/

Hayes, Wade. (2009). Old enough to know better. Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvECozWfZR4

Broken?

Sometimes when you are surrounded by the broken you find a crack in your own foundation.

Now what? Patch it? Call for help?

It’s been a rough year in a certain area of my life. I’m cracked, kinda broken, yet still repairable.  I like to rebuild and restore. Find the base of the crack dig out the destructive  issues that could cause a break and fix things before they are broken beyond repair.

Sadly, often  it’s people that are broken in their own foundation that try to crack others. They  bring others down with them, or just use them to stand up.  They do it by what they’ve been taught, or with apathy, spite, jealousy, vanity, and “helpfulness” (the sink or swim, watch you drown, and laugh kind). Whatever the reason they world is full of people that teach ugly lessons. I’ve been a student so long as I picked away at my degree and planned for my future. I love learning, even the hard lessons, and will always continue to do so.

What I’ve learned this year:

Who I do and don’t want to be.  Every interaction with someone negative or positive is a choice. Just as our response is. I choose not to be flippant when someone asks for help, I chose to be helpful. Why? They admitted they needed guidance or a hand. So, I plan to help them, teach them, and show them. Why? Doing this means I helped lighten a load, or helped them gain confidence, and maybe they can share what they’ve learned with others. Helping others does not mean I am less awesome because I helped, shared knowledge, or skill. It means I invest in others and love seeing success.

I am a tall woman syndrome savant. What is this? An accumulation of responses to small people that has become my way, also a play on words. I am a tall woman, and most small men seriously cannot interact me without a show similar to how a rooster would act if someone was after his hens. Seriously, you are still a man, even if you are shorter, if you feel you have to prove some sort of dominance, um...that makes you less manly. Small “man” can also be woman or anyone that somehow feels small inside and overcompensates by show of constant force, trying to prove themselves relevant. This happens when they encounter anyone, younger, taller, smarter, richer, older,  happier, you name it.  It reminds me of a cheer we used to do “They got it, we want it, so take it, take it, take it”. Lol, you can’t take mine, your game is weak.

Move forward. Success can come from failure. Failure teaches a lesson on what not to do next time you try. I tell my kids that every time they want to give up.  Along with a reminder to always try to work smarter not harder, but not to be afraid of hard work.  Moving in is hard work and scary. Trying to be stable or succeed while staying in place becomes redundant.

Sorry world I have hella offense and defense skills. What’s that mean? I’ve got it, or I’ll work for it, and I will win. Ok, I lose sometimes, but I keep playing. My game is played honestly, without cheating, with hard work, smart work, without putting others down, and with teamwork. God is always on my team. He knows I’m broken, and I’m working on it, He’s planning on my progress. So, I pray for those that I don’t want to be like, those I admire, and I move on.

How'd I Do?

Day 1 of Vegan: I  managed to eat vegan most the day and vegetarian for a couple food items. I had chicken broth for my minstrone soup, a sprinkle of real Parmesan cheese, and caved and ate a yogurt with strawberries. Other than that I did not eat animal products. I was no more hungry than usual, and drank half as much caffeine. This morning I didn't even drink coffee, yet. I had an apple, some old fashioned oats, walnuts and almond milk for breakfast today, and made some chia pudding for later.

Go Vegan?

Yesterday I went to the endocrinologist prepared for war. I quit one of my meds, and knew they would want to try another. Of course she gave me my new med options. Then she said "or" I could go off my meds and go vegan. She assigned a documentary on Netflix called "Forks over Knives" along with the cookbook. So, I am starting my day with new library downloads, Pinterest, a documentary, and morning free of animal ingestion. Yes, coconut oil in my coffee.  Wish me luck, I will try, we will see what my A1c is in August. Today it was 7.3.

Your Civic Mind Teaches By Example

Ways to teach children change can happen using love while being civic minded.

•  - Volunteer for your community and put others first 

What does this look like?

• coaching, making lunches for school children or seniors, a shift at the food bank, mentoring, making care packages, after school programs, donate to teachers/school needs, arts programs, read to them, hold a door, or smile.

Spending time complaining about change and hating anyone with a different viewpoint doesn't fill a child with anything but hate and intolerance.

Spending time being the change can meet their immediate needs- it's a safe place to go with friends, a sandwich, kind words, playing catch.

 What are you teaching with your words and actions?

Use Guns As Tools & Love to Overcome

I am saddened every time the gun issue comes up. I don't  usually push my opinion anyone one or say anything about theirs. When I woke up today I saw guns being blamed for being used for violence. Violence that takes lives and leaves a hole in the hearts of those left in grief.  Why?  To disrupt the freedom of others in the name of what? Hate, agenda, terrorism. I have never met a gun that did violence on it’s own. I have never heard of a time in history where tools weren’t also wielded as weapons. Today I am saddened that once again the gun is blamed for “terror”.

In my America, in my family, guns are a tool.  Our son and daughters have shot them for target practice. They are taught to respect them. They are taught to be thankful for the meat they help bring to the table. They are taught never to point one at someone. They are taught that action has accountability. As we were taught.

They are also loved, hugged, kissed, and trained up to be respectful of others. They are taught that different people live different ways.   I try to teach them people are people. We are not to judge. Today, I shake my head, hold my heart, hit my knees, and choose love. I will hug my children, continue to teach guns as a tool and use love as something that overcomes.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Dear Children, School is Never Out

Dear Children,

I love you. I will push you harder than you push yourself at times. You don't have to like it. I will not apologize for making you do school things online before I let you play a video game or ride your bike. I may even bring home writing paper and make you do it in cursive. I may add keyboarding. If you keep asking why you will get a lecture about synapses.

Yes, again, I know school is out. I also know what it's like to move to a different school district to find what I thought I knew is remedial in comparison. No, we don't have current plans to move. Yes, I will fill the gaps I see in you education. My mother did it for me, she also didn't allow video games at all. #persevere

At least you get to do it on a computer. Your older sister used to have worksheets sitting on the table for her. Basic multiplication, division, grammar, social studies, science, and money will not be something you spend time thinking about. They will be reflex facts that are as quick to answer about as the color of sky and grass. You're welcome. You don't even have to thank me in twenty years when you realize how others find “basic” things difficult.

Sincerely,

Your Mom