Basic accountibility

I go on tangents about accountability and manners, and issues I see as those that distinguish between adults and children. Maturity comes with it responsibility.
Almost two years ago, I got into a fender bender in the parking lot of my daughter's high school. I waited for almost a half an hour for the owner of the vehicle, then I put a note on the car with my contact information, letting the owner of the dinged vehicle that I hit it, and wanted to be responsible for the damage.
When the owner called, he said, he was shocked, not only that I idnetified my self, but moreso, that I simply wanted to apologize.
I apologized to him for the inconvenience, for hitting his car and for the damage I did. I then claimed financial responsibility and he was thankful.
This past week, I had another vehicular incident, where the other driver was responsible, the police confirmed this in their report, and not once did she simply apologize.
I am sorry I ventured into oncoming traffic. I am sorry I caused a traffic collision. I am sorry about your car. I am sorry.  
Not only did she not apologize, but when retelling her version of the story, her response was, "yes, I could not see her coming in the oncoming traffic but once in the center of the street, she was coming fast". She actually tried to toss blame at me instead of taking responsibility for the fact that she thought she could beat traffic.
Also, after contacting her insurance company I have been given the runaround, told to be patient, again with no acknowledgement or apologies for my inconvenience, my vehicle or my life which has been inconvenienced immensely. Not only my life, but the life of my family. How about the work I missed due to this accident? Nothing.
Instances like this, although a reminder of where my value system lies, is also a shock as to how inconsiderate and selfish most people who are wandering the universe constantly feeling entitled yet, with no regard to the lives they affect.
We as a nation, and a world, in effect have stopped teaching our youth how to be responsible and take accountability for the results of their actions. We have grown into a culture of advantage-takers. Irreverent, entitled leeches with no moral compass, content with letting others take the fall, and pick up the tab.
Everybody's trying to get over.
...awesome

Power vs the Penis

Following the scandal of Petraeus, which is now being linked to CIA leaks and the accountability for the Benghazi incident, it has occurred to me how trite it is to follow a trail of bullshit and gossip as "grownups" act out a sophomoric stereotype.

Similar to an episode of Gossip Girl, or any day in any given high school, Johnny slept with Janie, who threated Tammy, who is the bff of Johnny, but is sleeping with Aaron, who is the Capt of the football team. They all have significant others (and families) who are impetuously disregarded  in this scenario. Like a high school love triangle, these professional leaders have reduced our government, and their careers to a joke.
Text messages, emails, late night phone calls.
Whores and the men who pursue them.
Ass-Clowns and the girls who love them.
How shall we spin this?

The people running this country, and responsible for the safety and military action as such, are expected to  have more common sense, and value for their profession and our country, not to mention their families. This submission to human nature is not unexpected, nor is it unnatural. The events which followed are the insults to the American citizen, and show the disregard for the American people, which deem the government as incapable of maintaining security for our State, as they are of keeping their dicks in their pants.
There is a time and a place for everything.
High school was the time and place for this rancid, immature behavior.

Now, what I had to stop and acknowledge was the fact that men in positions of power constantly get caught with their pants down. Why? because women love men who appear to be powerful.
Wife or not. "State at risk", or not.
Historically, women want to taste that power, feel like they have seduced the power of man. Look at the premise of Sampson and Delilah, or the Trojan War. We are doomed to repeat this story over and over because men will always be tempted by Delilah and lose their power.
Women have been used to acquiesce control, and whether that means enticing someone unattainable, or running the home of a powerful man from the back room, women are well versed in where their talents lie and what it takes to allow a man to be in control while still maintaining control.
Chris Rock once said, there is nothing better than pussy, except new pussy. When incidents like this get documented, and powerful men get caught, it seems textbook:
Men appear to be incapable of resisting "new pussy".
And, no doubt, as soon as the newness wears off, it is simply the same punani it was before you needed to confirm it wasn't any different. Or maybe that is the issue. I overheard a bartender telling a  trainee, "well, of course it was different, it's all different." But, in reality it is not the strange that attracted you in the first place - it was the concept of conquering.
Politicians have become rock stars. We expect singers to get ass. That's part of the reuirement for being a rock star...panties. But when did the leaders of the free world get so hot? Oh, Clinton, that's right. The blow job heard round the world, in conjunction with the worldwide spread and access of the internet.

The men that have an ego  large enough to think they can run a country rarely have the moral value (or time) it takes to be committed to that task as well as keep their personal promises. More often than not, you have to give up playing nice if you want to be in control of anything capitalistically valuable. The hours and hours of time you commit to an office cannot be compensated for at home. Relationships take time, and so does building an empire - it is rare that both can be done simultaneously.

photo courtesy AP, USA Today

I do believe that the struggle of man is of the basest sense: power vs. the penis. More often than not, the penis wins. Food water sex = needs of man. Power is contrived. A lion is not only the king, he gets all the girls too.

So, the election is over...

After months of agonizing articles, commercials, protests and internet threads, the election is finally over. The dust has settled, our President is still President.
For everyone who said they would move to Canada or Austrailia, funny, the trailers at the end of the block are still here. For those who marched together looking for change - this elusive animal that people seem to think catapults itself through life, they have all gone back to work and coninued with their day to day.
And here we are again, four years later, with the expectations of a miracle, doing nothing.

I simply want to pose the question today, what are YOU  doing for your country?
What are YOU doing to bring gas prices down?
What are YOU doing to help the economy?
What are YOU doing to stop national and international terrorism?
What are YOU doing to enact bills for healthcare and  equal rights and making sure FAIRNESS and EQUALITY exist in OUR country?
What are YOU doing to make sure the President accomplishes everything he promised, and you cheered for?

Everyone who voted, you know you have a voice. Are you using it?

photo courtesy: thewhitneyway

Maturing

I got the opportunity to hang with my seventeen year old daughter this weekend, just she and I, shopping, eating, chatting, and enjoying each other in laughter and bonding.

I have watched this girl intently for 17 years – every day every week. Watched her growing up, and becoming an individual; A strong, independent, intelligent young woman.  Free willed and stubborn but charming and witty, all the things that make a personality valuable.

All the great things I noticed about her this weekend, I realize I nurtured. Her vibrant personality full of humor and curiosity was seeded very early and allowed to bloom. Curiosity and questions were encouraged. When I didn’t know, I answered honestly, “I don’t know”. “Mommy isn’t good at that”. “Maybe we should look it up”. I encouraged use of the dictionary and thesaurus, and any other resources, to challenge questions, and even my own belief systems.

 I respect the ideas and ventures she wants to make. I enjoy watching her learn. This week she made me laugh again and again, and I value that. I understand this sense of humor she has and appreciate the young woman she has developed into. We shared a butt- gusting session over the dance move, “twerk”, and the action of “twerking”. If you do not know what this is, it is the act of standing on one’s hands, positioning the body upside down with feet placed against a wall, and then booty shaking…upside down. This is dancing. We laughed so hard and so long, I was certain I was getting a simultaneous ab workout. Then we both tried it. Even more hysterical laughter at this point, and I thought, I am so lucky to be sharing this moment…these moments with my daughter right now.

I told her that we should have our own reality show, just her and me. Laughing at all the ridiculous things we think are so outrageous and silly. Our everyday lives that we believe are so fun.  But, throughout the fun, the video watching, the talk of slang and what’s going on in high school, we also got to talk about serious topics. She got an opportunity to ask me about the pending election, the other candidates that get no press on mainstream TV, and all the amendments that are on our local ballot. I got the opportunity to share what I have learned and how I am voting this year on these  ”little things”.  I was glad to share the pros and cons of each issue and explain what I thought was important and why I was voting the way that I was voting. I also got to explain why it was important to the other side and what that meant. We take every opportunity to ask questions of each other and learn something different.

These experiences are invaluable. These experiences make relationships. These experiences are the ones that I hold onto because the memories turn into relationship foundations and structure. The maturing process of my child is also the maturation process of me. I am grateful for every moment, every day, every year.