Seriously.... I mean seriously?

Seriously? Are these kids for real? I'm not talking about my darling kids who do no wrong. I am talking about the kids in my college classes. True, they are not really kids in all actuality but young adults. Whatever.

I was in my speech class today. The teacher of this class is very nice but she has a zero tolerance for cell phones. I understand because nothing is more annoying than a phone going off while trying to talk to someone. Right before class a phone goes off. It was the guy sitting in front of me. He quickly goes to check it. Two minutes later it goes off again. Everyone in class looks at him because it is annoying. Then it goes off a third time. One of the girls in class tells him to turn it all the way off. The teacher tells him to make sure that it is off. So he gets up and takes the phone out of his pocket. Then he grabs his charger out of his bag and proceeds to the back of the classroom where he plugs it in. Problem solved. No more beeping. Note: If this had been me I would have been embarrassed out of this world. But to this guy it did not faze him the least bit.

Ten minutes into the class period the teacher singles out the guy sitting right next to me. I wasn't paying much attention to what he was doing. Instead I was worrying about her calling on me next. Since he was stammering about I looked up. The teacher asks if something was distracting him. After about 30 very uncomfortable seconds he says ya. He had his IPOD on.

Seriously... I mean seriously? How stupid can you be? Did these kids (I call them this because they obviously haven't grown up) learn anything in high school? Maybe my age is to blame. I may be older than most of the students in the class by a decade but I am not out of the loop altogether. Come on! Where is the respect for the teacher and other students?

I have found that as I take these classes I am easily annoyed by the whippersnappers who act like they are still in high school. I remember what those kids were like then. They drove me nuts. No surprise.. I still don't like it.

I Have a Dream...

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The kiddos are out of school and the hubby is off of work. He works at the post office which of course is closed for this holiday. Its a day that is added to the weekend allowing for short little trips for the family or a day to just sit back and relax. But it is so much more than that.

I grew up right outside of St.Louis, MO. You could see the Gateway Arch from my back yard. Our community was very diverse since we lived outside a big city. There were people of many cultures. My parents taught me at a very early age to treat everyone with respect. It doesn't matter what a person looks like or what their religion is, you respect them.

Even though my parents wanted us to be accepting of all races, my dad was pretty adamant that we (my sisters and I) were not to date anyone of a different race. Of course we did not understand. My dad grew up in Alabama. He knew and understood the difficulties an interracial relationship can bring. Back then I thought my dad was close-minded. Now as a parent myself, I see that he was just looking out for us.

My dad's view has changed since then. My youngest sister is in a relationship with a man blacker than night itself. They have a beautiful son together. I am so happy for them.

I apologize to anyone that is offended to the remark above. "blacker than night itself". We are all different colors. I would glow if it weren't for the insane amount of freckles counteracting against the effect of my very white skin. Apparently the Native American part of me is buried beneath the Irish.

The point of this post is to share with our children that we all are different. Right now my family lives in a small mid-western town that is not very diverse. But I think because of the books they read,the shows on t.v.,and of course their darling cousin, they get to see that not everyone looks like they do.

My dream is that my children will grow up to live in a world where everyone is treated the same. It is a big dream, I know. But it starts with me and what I teach my children. Then they share it with their friends. When they grow up to be parents they will teach their children the same. Its like a snowball. It starts off real small. Then as it rolls it gets bigger and bigger.

Help me make the snowball bigger. Begin with yourself. Then your family. Let's make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream a reality.

PS: Discrimination isn't just about race. It includes religion, political views, gender, sexual preferences, income, what we wear and so much more. God created everyone in his image and by his love. Don't we all deserve respect and love from one another.