Lucky

Yes, that's the title I'm going with as I write this post.
You see; this time last Sunday; Kelly, my eldest, was sitting at the bedside of her son in the ICU as he was suffering from a serious head wound.
The metal arm of his pitching machine had come down on him and effectively "scalped" the right side of his head above and to the back of his right ear. The area was approximately the size of a large man's hand.
Did I mention it got a small artery also?
Yup; got a spurter, too.
When all was said and done. Kel got a chance to tell me how it went down and I have to tell you; I'm proud how she and Matt held it together and got Zack to the ER. How they got him to hold it together and all got through it.
It was an ugly ride. And he landed himself in the ICU for 3 days and a couple of nights. Then on to the floor to be watched for a little bit longer. More IV fluids, too. Kid lost a little over a pint of blood.
Head wounds will do that.
They bleed like a son-of-a-gun.
He's still on antibiotics and having nagging little headaches from being smacked a good one.
Doc said he was one lucky kid. If the blasted arm on the machine had come down on the base of his head. Not gonna write it.
Now do you see why I chose the title?
I went down this past weekend to visit and just see and just...
Sometimes you just have to be around them after something goes down to reassure yourself that all are OK.
It's a thing.
The kids know to deal with it.
Checked in with Karen, too.
I was good.
Yeah, new thing I'm trying. Being good.
You see, I know how lucky I am.
OnceAgain

Shootings/Entitlement

Three people died yesterday. Three more were injured; 2 critically. Scores have been damaged mentally and emotionally. And why?
Because some individual did not get what they wanted; didn't get what they wanted!
And that excused; in their mind; at least for those few horrible minutes; the reason to unload a gun on innocents in their OWN departmental meeting.
That was a premeditated; vengeful; selfish; and an egocentric act.
And I believe traceable to our Societies "entitlement" mentality.
We've been raised and are raising individuals that believe they can not be anything but winners.
Then when something doesn't go as they believe it should or they are confronted with "failure"....
Well surely, it must be the fault of others and they must pay.
So there are rants on Facebook and/or My Space; public tantrums by adults turned 2 year olds; nervous breakdowns leading to family dissolution; or the IDIOTS decide to injure innocent individuals sometimes before committing suicide.
I am going to be cruel and mean and coldly heartless here. If you are so dead set - no pun intended - on being terminally dramatic. Do society at large a generous favor; MAKE THE FIRST BULLET YOUR OWN!
News flash people! No one; no one owes you a thing! Get off that idea!
There are gonna be good times and bad. Up times and down. Sometimes you will get what you think you deserve; sometimes more. And here's a little news for ya; sometimes you aren't gonna get squat.
Yep. That's the way life slaps you in the chops. You'll work your proverbial butt off and not one thing will come of it. Except; if you've got a smidgen of character; the satisfaction of knowing you've done your best.
This bit about always being a winner and always getting some kinda reward is a load of crap. It isn't reality. You can't walk away from every game you play in life a winner.
Sometimes you come in second or third. Sometimes you flat out lose.
If you are a person of character and have true pride of self; you grow and learn. You take the information gained; pro and con; from the experience and move forward. And with any luck, you come out better for the time.
Perhaps, and this is just a suggestion; it's time to teach individuals how to fail or accept criticism. How to deal with disappointment without lashing out in harmful let alone fatal ways.
We need to teach people to accept individual responsibility. It's time to stop assigning blame to others. As the saying goes, put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
And that includes the punishment for the perpetrator. She needs to be locked away forever. She needs to listen to a tape of the screams and havoc replayed once a day. And she needs to listen to tapes of the victims' Families speaking to her as they express whatever they need to express at least once a week for the duration of her life span.
Cruel? No. We're not giving her the death penalty. We're just giving her lectures and education. And if we do it for all murderers; it's not unusual. And the Families can change out the recordings periodically to give her variety. It will be therapeutic for them and it will keep the prisoner from becoming "bored to death."
And those are my thoughts on this day after the slaughter of good people by an essentially spoiled brat. Shot by an adult who did more than grab her basket ball and stomp off home because the game didn't go her way.
If prison can be used as an ultimate time out; then so be it. Maybe while she's there she can learn the error of her ways. Too late for her; but learn none the less. Time out is where she should go. After all, she chose to place three there eternally.
OnceAgain

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Warm?

It snowed again this morning. Yes here in good old Alabama. Now granted this is the northern aspect of Bama land, but still. It doesn't snow here. It...just...doesn't.
But it has. This winter anyway. A lot. And it will again. This weekend actually.
Thank God for global warming. If it weren't for that, we'd be really cold or something.
Oh, wait...we ARE.
It's been freezing here. And elsewhere from what I gather.
This has been an awfully cold, miserable Winter.
I've given up showers. I'm into hot, hot baths. The only time this cold natured old broad is warm lately.
And I don't want to go out. I'd rather stay in once I get home from work and just gel.
Where it's reasonably warm. Snuggie, here I come.
That's one of the drawbacks of really cold weather. The hell with the sexy nightgowns and such. I go for sweats and flannel. If the Skipster wants me; it's a challenge.
Although; that's not all bad. At our age, every little bit helps. So a challenge ain't too bad.
I know......TMI.
Deal with it.
Even ancient, dusty old folks are still active.
As a matter of fact; from where I stand this Winter; the Old Man and I are the only global warming around. If we didn't have each other; we'd be freezing here in the sunny south.
Once Again

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Teacher vs Instructor

I had a chat with one of my fellow "Instructors" the other the day.
OK, she was scolding me. Again.
Apparently I let myself get bogged down with the incidentals. Those being; I add too much extra to my teaching. I embellish. I give the kids the extra info that she deems unnecessary to classroom instruction.
Okey dokey.
I respect her opinion. She is after all, a bit more of the expert in the classroom. She has taught longer than I.
But with all due respect, when she looked me in the eye and dropped this on me - "all we need to teach them is to give a proper shot" - I kinda drew back and did a little rethinking.
Excuse me?
Aren't educators supposed to ED-U-CATE? As in teach? I mean not just skim the surface and make it look all glossy and shiny, but like a true wood worker, give the piece a deep burnish and many coats that protect the surface bring out the patina of the wood; the beauty.
And just for the record? I do teach my chicks to "give a proper shot." That's even one of my extras. I've made them a booklet that has illustrations of how to locate and map the proper injection sites on the body.
I've also set up charts on "patients" that have allergies, illnesses, and problems such as they will encounter in real-life situations. These charts are what they will use in their clinical trials for grading. And those are the "patients" that will get the shots. The kids will have to now make sure there are no allergies involved or if permits have been signed or if dosages are correct.
Oh; my. They will have to study the meds and the rules.
They were using charts with their own histories, healthy young people with nothing wrong with them.
Yeah, that made sense. Treat the healthy medically. And I decided they get a practice run thru and then they will have to work it in an exam room setting. They won't know which patient or what Dr.'s order they're gonna have to deal with until they grab a chart.
Just like real life.
And this has bent my coworker outa shape. She thinks once again; I'm putting too much into my work.
Not me.
These kids are gonna be taking care of me, my friends, possibly my family members. I WANT them to KNOW what they are doing and why.
My husband; St. Skip; thinks she's bent because the boss likes it. And because the kids are having fun.
Hell; I'm having fun.
We injected tangerines for practice on Thursday and had a blast. I incorporated their math into the lesson.
When the janitor stuck his head into the room for the trash and saw the tangerines, he raised his eyebrows. He wanted to know what the ....? I loftily informed him those were former patients.
The kids loved it.
You know you're onto something when they help you clean up.
I sat there reveling in a good, good session.
So what? In came Debbie Downer. And then followed the conversation. Or lecture.
Technically I need her lead. She was the one that set up the formula for the Clinical aspect of our Program. She has been guiding me thru the process. Little by little. It's as if she enjoys sharing her knowledge and glories in it. OK. OK. She irks me a little. And I know she probably means well. At least I hope she does. But damn it; I see nothing wrong with giving the kids a heads up for real life. And I see nothing wrong with bringing new ideas into a program. Especially if they enhance learning.
If I volunteer my time; do the work on my own; pay for the materials; and donate the goods which can be used over and over again; what's the big deal?
I've upset the apple cart and a fellow Instructor.
I've been bad. Apparently.
So I'm afraid she and I are going to have to agree to disagree. Respectfully of course.
She will continue to instruct.
I will continue to teach.
OnceAgain

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