Hoop Dreams...

Just felt like showing admiration for my son...Like many children, they hope to be great at sports..

My son wants to be an technical engineer, he says he won't mind going to the NBA too!

We'll see...next time in HOOP DREAMS!

Precocious Child!!!

PRECOCIOUS CHILD, mentally advanced for age: developed or mature, especially mentally, at an unusually early age, or showing such advanced development. Microsoft® Encarta® 2006. © .1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

When you ask a 3-year old what they wanted to be when they grow up you would expect them to say,

A FIREMAN!

A DOCTOR!

A LAWYER!

A TEACHER!

Well, I asked my little cousin above what he wanted to be, he gave me a typical answer with a remarkable despriction as to the reasons why he wanted to be this certain profession. This is a very watered-down desciption of what he said to me:

Me:"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Cousin:"I used to want to be a fireman, but now I wanna be a policeman."

Me:"Is that so?

Cousin:"Yeah. I want to be a policeman because I want to catch 'crimiduls'."

Me:"Aw. Ok, that's good."

Cousin:"I don't wanna be a "Marquette Police" tho."

I'm cracking up at this point because I'm trying to figure out why even knows about the Marquette Police. They are a little security firm that monitored the neighborhood two years ago, that would have made him only one-year old!

Cousin:"Marquette Police don't do nothing but drive around and push big kids off of the corner." "I want some action."

Now I'm on the floor crying...literally, I'm in tears! I can't believe he's saying this stuff to me.

My little cousin is what we call "grown." He says and does things you don't expect a 3-year old to do. Some things not so good, some great...

I love him through all of it!

Judge Not...well, not so much!

Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me. Zora Neale Hurston

Sounds cocky? A little bit.

Does Zora Neale Hurston have a point? I think she does...

Her opinion counted when she lived...and now, long after her passing, her opinion still counts. I read this quote from her somewhere, I can't remember where, but it became resolute in my mind, long ago.

When I feel that I'm discriminated against, I blow it off...somewhat.

To know me is to love me. Or at the very least, tolerate me. I'm a fairly decent individual so I've been told. So, it tends to perplex me when I get unfair treatment from people who don't know SugarHoneyIceTea about me.

I'm sure most of us, if not all have been guilty of being a tad-bit too judgemental of someone else. I have made it a constant effort to avoid doing that, but it still happens. I'm human. Its usually out of fear, ignorance, or just plain reluctance on changing what I know as safe. People who admit their apprehensions, will have a better chance at acknowledging distinctions they encounter.

Some people are trouble. Some people present themselves like they would be a problem. Some people would do anything and everything for another if given the chance.

In my opinion, looking for the good in people should prevail over casting outright doubt in people for no particular reason.

Just proceed with caution....

If your instinct is telling you to run, then run...

BUT...if you bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head and you pass someone up because they are not not over 40, then you should bleed to death!

GET THE POINT!

Understand this. We don't live in 'candy land.' I know that people say and do things according to how they live and what they know. Fine. That's understandable. Just don't be a butt-head, make sound judgements....

For myself, I could careless, but if someone comes across me professionally and won't let me do my job because of something they don't like about me personally (say, the shape of my nose) you'd best believe that it will be a problem...It would be their lost. I'm not in the business of sticking around where I'm not wanted, but I'm not in habit of running either, so its just up to how pugnacious I'm feeling at that moment.

People...

If someone does an awful job, fire them!

If someone does a good job, but you don't like that they are younger that you...get the hell over it!

Here is my story:

Its not about race. I don't believe that I've ever come across any upfront race discrimination, this is about ageism....

When I was 21 years old I had the opportunity to be promoted from secretary to Office Manager of a non-profit organization that I was working at. I was often called on to delegate duties to the other secretaries. I was often praised for my work and ability to come up with new ideas for the the organization as a whole. I went over and beyond my duties as an office manager and did things that were unexpected of me...

Long story short, my supervisor resigned. I was up for her position. One of the secretaries happened to be 30 years my senior, and I was initially passed up because they felt like I shouldn't supervise her because I was too young. Never mind that I could run the office my eyes closed and my arms tied behind my back....

Nevertheless, I was feeling feisty...I had a lot of supporters and I got the job. Despite all of the many other problems she stirred up, I remained with the organization for over 10 years before moving on. I hear that same vindictive women who tried to bypass me for the position is still there....still causing problems...

Get this...I ran into her yesterday.

ON MY TURF!!! Her face was that of utter terror! You would have thought I was going to beat her up or something...I was so funny, mainly because she knew that she was bogus. Her eyes were telling me not to smack her one! Funny...

Lol.

What Not to Say - !@#% I Put My Foot in my Mouth!!!

Earlier this month, I put my foot so far into my mouth, I should have choked on it.
I've said something so RIDICULOUSLY insensitive that I still find it hard to forgive myself for it...
I said it to my MY COUSIN & BEST FRIEND UNTIL THE END!!!

OK, so here's what happened. We were leaving a meeting that we were both attending together when he told me that he had a picture of us from 5 years ago.

When he brought the picture to me, my immediate reaction was -- the picture is so f-ing GAY!

What the heck was I thinking...why did I say that! Then I thought, I say that very often...I just didn't want to admit it to myself, or my gay cousin for that matter!

He was really cool with it, he told me that him and his friends say that all of the time. I still couldn't get with it because -- I felt like the biggest fool alive.

My point for this blog is to remind myself, and to encourage others to watch what we say. Especially around others. Some of our comments may be insensitive to others feelings, maybe not, but it's always good to know that you haven't hurt someone with your words unintentionally.

Don't Call Me A Stay At Home --Nothing!!!!

This is my son....he is the reason why people keep giving me the title, "stay-at-home-mom," or "work-at-home-mom." I hate these titles with a passion...

You can call me unconventional, unorthodox, untraditional, unusual, unthinking, or an other "un" words you can think of, but there is something very irritating about hearing the words "stay-at-home."

I think its because I tend to associate "stay-at-home-mom" with things like:

• 
  mini vans - I'm a mustang, kinda momma. I like to do what they call "riding slick." I don't care how many special features it has to keep the kids busy or how much space it holds in the dang, blasted floor! I just have to keep it "slick." Now, since riding in a mustang does not offer practical means for toting around kids, I will settle for driving my SUV, which I affectionately call "Lucy." Lucy, has everything coming loose on her now, she been around almost 10 years and she has taken a pretty good beating from most of the kids in my extended family.


• arts &crafts - I want to hurl every time I see some woman on a talk show talking about getting a "fun bag" together for the kids while they are taking long trips, or raving about some new, exciting arts & crafts project "you and kids can do at home!" Maybe if I had some 'martha' in me, I wouldn't be so "unwilling" to accept the gift of craft, but as it stands, I can't stand it.


• PTO meetings - I have three sons, all of whom have and always had very good grades in school. I interact with the teachers all of the time, I'm a very involved parent, but don't ask me to join the PTO, cause I ain't baking no cookies!!!! Now, don't get mad all you other PTOnians. I'm just saying, I can't do it...As soon as I see a bunch of women who look like they are ready to bombard me issues about what my little "Jason" does versus what their little "Taylor" does, I want to run for the hills!


• play dates


• room parents


• chaperone's


• bagged lunches


• gymnastics


• car-pools


• soccer games


• little-league

Of the above-mentioned activities there is none that I won't consider doing...its just the irksome notion of looking outside of myself (if that makes any sense) and seeing myself looking like one of those women on television who fret daily about their kids schedules.

MAYBE SUBCONCIOUSLY, I RESENT THE FACT THAT I HAD TO STAY AT HOME SO MANY YEARS (3). Naahh, I don't think so...

MAYBE I'M TRYING TO HOLD ON TO SOME OF MY YOUNGER YEARS BY EXCLUDING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT STAY AT HOME MOTHERS, AND WORKING MOTHERS DO. Yea, could be...

MAYBE I'M JUST PLAIN GOOFY, AND I NEED TO JOIN THIS WHOLE STAY AT HOME MOM REVOLUTION.

MAYBE, NOT!!!