Just realized that my cat has stolen my plastic web pot scrubber, and left it in the middle of my bed. No wonder I never seem to have one when I need it! However, it's also cheaper than most 'real' cat toys. On the horns of a dilemma here! Dilemma solved. She started playing with it and how can I deny her something that makes her look so cute and loveable? I'll just get another one and hide it in the cupboard under the sink.
I'm having a difficult time getting into the writing gear, or the exercise gear, or the prayer time gear today. I've spent over an hour reading other people's blogs, and now I'm trying to do my daily writing assignment. I just don't have any ideas, so I'm writing about that. I'm putting fingers to the keyboard and typing whatever comes into my head. It's a good thing that no one reads this post, or they would write mean things in the comments column and I would feel diminished and sad. This way no one says anything and I immediately forget this post, and so have no feelings about it whatsoever.
When I was exploring Ms. Fisher's post, I had the misfortune to read some of the comments. People implied that a woman is dumb because she has 6 kids, is from Texas, and so on. Why do these people even read her blog if they are so hostile to the things that she's believes? I don't understand why they feel that being mean is clever. It's as though we have raised a bunch of sociopaths who know they are entitled to pull the wings off of other peoples' dreams. They think that being negative and ugly makes them clever and witty. [note: while rereading this, I realized that I understand perfectly why they believe this. I used to believe it, too, when I was in my late teens and early twenties. Maybe it's just part of being a kid?]
I remember thinking I was really cool when I repeated, "Never trust anyone over thirty." Then one day I was over thirty and that quote wasn't cool anymore. Is that what is going to happen to these people? Are they going to get old and fat and 'ugly' and experience having their own hearts butchered for someone else's amusement? Will they be able to develop empathy then?
Maybe the source of this exceptional cruelty is the complete 360 degree protection afforded to this generation? They're almost all single kids or one of a pair. Their parents have focused their own lives around protecting and pleasing these kids, so they've know very little denial. Their parents, the entertainment media, and the school system are centered around convincing these kids that they are special, winners, wiser than any adults, constantly entertained, and protected from any pain or criticism. Is it any surprise that they don't develop the capacity to be merciful to people who are less than perfect? How could they learn compassion when it requires understanding what it is like to be vulnerable and hurting?
Well, even though we may be poorly prepared for it, life has a way of knocking down any sand castles we may build. Sooner or later these kids will have to grow up and learn that they are garden variety human beings, rather than demi-gods and goddesses. Painful though that process is, it will make their lives richer, because they will learn to be considerate to others rather than to hurt them for fun.
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