Enough already....

With all of the media coverage in regards to public figures disciplining children, etc... whether you believe in it or not, it’s your personal preference/decision.  I do not condone, nor do I pass judgment on how one chooses to raise their children……It is my expressed opinion that only God can judge, and I am nowhere remotely even close!!

I do thank my parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and especially my brother for either whopping or kicking my tail back in the day.  To this day, some of the behaviors displayed by me to elicit the chosen form of discipline administered has NEVER occurred again…..I can honestly say that I learned from them in more than one way.  A good @$$ whoppin went a LONG way!!

 

Anyone reading this that has ever heard my grandmother Emily (or one of her many brothers and sisters) say in THAT voice, at the house on Mahoning Ave. in New Castle….”go out back and bring me a switch…and don’t come back with a little one either” knows exactly where I am coming from here!  Unfortunately for us, there were an abundance of readily available options when it came to switches….lol (yep I can laugh about it now).  I remember one of us, not saying any names, tried the “coming back with a little switch”, and what a mistake that was….lol   That would mean you got it with the little switch, AND the bigger one that they had to go get for themselves…double jeopardy so to speak!!...lol

I love all of my cousins and family that shared the good times, and some not so good times at that house, and all of the other locations in Western PA.  I can honestly say that amidst all of the fights, arguments, games and laughter…. I don’t think there is one of us that did not get “a whoppin” in or around that house…it was just how we were raised. … You know, I think we ALL turned out just fine!  J  love yall!

The media/society loves to sensationalize those in the public eye, for lack of more meaningful “news”, but that’s our culture, and it is what it is I guess.

 

 A longtime friend posted on his FB asking the question….” how many in your family would be locked up for "child abuse" in 2014…. I’ll let my family formulate their own response for themselves…..but my percentage estimate would be triple digits though….LOL

Again, I am not here condoning what certain individuals do or don’t do with their children, spouses, etc…that’s really none of my business or concern…but one cannot tell me that there are not more important things/issues out there that can and should take the place of the “hot topic/bandwagon/flavor of the week” crap that is plastered everywhere you look!

 Putting the soap box back in its place…and Dropping the Mic!

Change is.....

As the calendar changes, so begins the season of change weather wise (hopefully).  Gone will be the hot, humid and sometimes unbearable days of summer…and the change will usher in the cooler, crisp autumn/fall  weather.  Hoody’s, jackets and long sleeved shirts will replace the shorts and t-shirts (for most of us anyway…but there’s always a few).  I, for one, am so looking forward to the change.  The ability to sit out on my deck with a fire going, sleeping with the windows open and giving the A/C unit a well-deserved break, and just embracing everything that mother nature has to offer during my favorite of the four seasons, all while continuing my work in progress  journey of becoming the “ better me”.

Another form of change will take place in the transition from officiating volleyball to basketball.  I recently acquired my OHSAA certification to officiate volleyball, and I have been busy blowing the whistle ever since.  I’ve never played volleyball, thus I was a bit hesitant to take the officiating class…but it turned out to be a really good move on my part (thanks Kristin Brooks for encouraging me to get my licenseJ). 

Comparatively speaking, the games/matches are so different from basketball.  Coaches really aren’t permitted to say anything to you as an official (BIG change from basketball…lol), the players are generally more respectful of their game and teams, and some would point blank say it’s easy money!  There are no technical fouls (yellow or red cards are used to “quiet” those that may happen to get out of line).

Analogically speaking, one could compare basketball to summer, and volleyball to autumn/fall.  Why you might ask? Summer can be extremely hot, sometimes causing people to “act a fool” or like they don’t have any sense (I guess that is basically the same huh?...lol). Summer requires the majority of us to shower frequently….those that don’t can be “identified” rather easily (don’t act like you don’t know what I’m saying here…)….same goes for on the basketball court.  Periodically there’s someone out there that one would just LOVE to say “Foul (literally..lol)….Why ref??  “Because you need a shower!!”…..LOL
 
 Volleyball, players very rarely, if at all, say anything to or gesture towards you as an official.  The coaches and 99% of the fans are always polite and calm, similar to the typical autumn/fall days and evenings.

 So as we continue to evolve as individuals:

-Change is good
-Change is inevitable
-Change is constant

Whatever change is taking place ….make sure to embrace and take advantage of the changes that life presents you!