words

I overheard a beautiful woman say the other day.."I am at that invisible age". "He did not even make eye contact with me." The other woman in her 70's said.."We have had our day in the sun".



I thought we were supposed to get better with age? Doesn't anybody watch Oprah anymore? Doesn't anyone take out their notes that they took so militantly when The Secret was popular and look over them everyday? It really saddened my heart to hear these words. These women are daughters, sisters, mothers, wives, hard working, alive and breathing, lovely women. I was taken back with their carelessness of their own word. How dare they think that since one idiotic dude did not have the manners to speak and look them in the eye, that they deemed themselves insignificant. All the wisdom. All the pain. All the learning, reading, watching, listening. crying, laughing..tossed aside. One step forward, two steps back.


I took this very seriously. OK..maybe it was a particularly sensitive time for me..and I just so happened to pick up on the conversation..maybe these women didn't talk like that all the time..maybe they live a fabulous life and I caught the one shitty sentence..like when you accidentally litter and somebody catches you. It stuck with me though.


I love Oprah. I really don't watch her much anymore..but when I do I really like her messages. In all of her richness and success, she still has that weight issue that she battles with. We all have that weight issue..whether it is literally weight, baggage from childhood (me and Jr high) (well..weight and baggage from Jr high) fear, lack, worry ..you name it..we carry it. So much so that we might get charged extra next time we take a flight.


Our friend and Texas Shaman, Bill Worrell has a great idea. He wants to build a graveyard. A graveyard with gravestones that say..Pain...Guilt...Sin..Sadness...Hurt...Anger...etc. Somewhere where we can all go to let it go. Write it on a piece of paper and bury the sonsofbitches that keep us feeling less than. I might bury Jr high.


Tonight I watched TV. I felt glued to the Sanyo after I flipped channels (I actually had the eve to myself..rare..strange..fun..strange.) I landed on "My Sweet Sixteen" something on the loser channel. (there go my chances of a guest appearance). Here is a show to completely shut out all communication between parents and teens. Oh yes..after your teen views this show..the Rio Grande will be a tiny crack in a sidewalk. This show documents a girl's 16th birthday celebration. Not just any girl. A superrichrichrichspoiledrichiebrattyyuckymememetextybarfytexttextungrateful girl's birthday.


I loved it. I could not get off of the couch. I am not kidding. It was so totally over the top, that I thought I was watching a Saturday Night Live segment. Cars. Dancers. Costumes. DJ's. Circus animals. $5900.00 dress. Party coordinator. Fireworks. Acrobats. Trolleys to take the guests home. All on prime time for your teen to see and hate you for working at Dell. Sure, you may be a doctor or a teacher or a pastor .. or a musician...but I want a fire eater at my party or else. I can hear it now. Makes me grateful we have a boy. I think if you give a boy the keys on his 16th birthday, that's enough. Doesn't even matter what it's to. Could be to the lawn mower..but it starts and goes and gets you away from home.


Somebody had the brilliant idea of filming it all too. Let's put this on TV. This will make everyone feel like shit and make them buy stuff.


Funny life we live. Man, do we have to edit things. All the crap that is thrown at us on a daily basis...makes it hard to live a life of meaning sometimes. And speaking of meaning..


Luke went to a Vacation Bible School last week. My in laws really wanted him to participate in their church's version of this right of passage. I for one was raised Catholic, so the only Vacation Bible School that I ever had was cleaning the basement of the rectory.


He had a really good time. It was based on Paul and his trials with the Romans and the secret underground Church. None of which I remember. But again, Catholic. Well, turns out he (Luke) was the star. He got really into the story and jumped up on stage, rolled underneath the curtain and tried to rescue Paul (dressed in period dress..well..a burlap sack and sandals and a Linus towel on his head). He said.."I will save you Paul". "It's OK to love Jesus."


Nice. Next I have to worry about The Dali Lama coming to the house to find his successor.

Then we would have to go and visit him in Tibet. I don't do well in the cold..and no one really looks that great in orange..except my Friend Melinda Ann. Then we would have to ride a Yak to see him. And call him the DaliLukie and bring gifts.

Luke is a really soulful little dude. He probably gets it from his daddy. They can cut out the bs that clouds our days and bring us right back to where we are suposed to be. In fact, if they heard those ladies talking like they did , they would quietly ask them to dance. And all would be right in the world.

Comments

  1. I blame the "sweet sixteen" show on the looooser channell (and all the "reality" teen shows where they live a fabulous life) on my girls materialism....plus the fact that we raised them in Tyler, TX--big mistake-- Shows like that make the Christmas gifts I work so hard to get look like "a bunch of crap!!"...........I hate those shows. It seriously warps our teens (and so called adults) outlook and focus on what is important. It puts a wedge between the mother and teen daughter relationship. A wedge that frankly, I didn't really need. Unfortunatly, in large part to Holleywood, it will be many many years before my girls mature enough to loose the rose colored glasses the looser channel puts on our teens.....Thank you Tina for bringing this important issue to the light. One more reason our society sucks! Just joking, well maybe not....some suck for sure...

    I've got some stuff to bury in Worrell's graveyard. Brilliant idea! I'm not suprised though.....the man is full of it....good ideas that is.

    signed,
    tressie seegers
    mother
    teacher
    artist
    musician
    owner of a rich life

    ReplyDelete
  2. Really like Worrell's idea of the graveyard. I've done something similar before and it is very therapeutic. "DaliLukie", that cracks me up. You know, it would be ok to post more than once a week. Always look forward to reading your postings.

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  3. Excellent message Tina! I guess when you live in a society that puts the trivial above the substantial, people forget how to find their sense of value and self worth. They allow themselves to slip in to the role of bystander, which really hurts us all. We don't get their seasoning on the plate anymore.

    As for forgetting about Paul & the Romans, I forgot that one too... I'll say a few Hail Marys and an Our Father for us ;)

    -A

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  4. What an awesome message, Tina! I was just sitting here thinking I wished we all could go back to a simpler time. I for one would give up ALL the technology for a simpler existence.

    What a coincidence I got an email from myspace this morning that directed me to this message. I don't even use myspace anymore!! I didn't know you had a blog, but now that I do, I look forward to reading more!

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  5. Hey girl.. good one. Comment: age is a state of mine, and I'm not there yet. I will dance and sing and enjoy till forever. HECK with the DUDES that won't talk, or dance.. who needs it hey it's their loss. I could comment further but will let that Lie..
    As for LUKE he is an awesome little guy,,,and I do so agree Boys are EASY!!! Take Care, love ya Patricia..

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  6. I for one will never give up my day in the sun and I know you won't either :)
    The DaliLukie cracks me up and I am sure that we will be bringing him gifts one day... maybe no Tibet... maybe no orange... he's just going to be a big deal lol

    Love you and think you are a great writer!

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  7. I love the graveyard idea! Let me know if something ever comes of that! I'd totally visit it!

    Don't you miss the good ole days when MTV and VH1 actually showed VIDEOS!!! Granted, even then, most of them were not suitable for younger viewers. But I gave up on MTV a long time ago, and have all but given up on VH1 as well! It's CRAZY what people will watch these days. It's even crazier what tv will AIR these days! You know, MTV once came here to New Braunfels to film a tv show & decided against it. I guess there's not enough drama here in our little town. Thank God for that!

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