Going Places

I recently met someone whose claim to fame was they do not go anywhere or do anything.  Instead of going places and learning things they stay home and have "family time."  I cannot possibly fathom this reasoning.  It would be just as easy to spend "family time" with your family at a better location then your home.  I am not saying that hanging out with family is a bad thing to do at home, I simply mean that hanging out with your family and spending every weekend with them at home is not something that can possibly help a young person's social behavior.  This person's children are not allowed to go to sleepovers or hang out with other kids on the weekend because they must be home for family time.  Other children are not allowed over at their house on the weekends because they would intrude on family time. 
I wonder what I would have thought of my parents when I finally reached high school if they had never allowed me to do things on the weekends or hang out with my friends.  I surely would not be a socially acceptable person, I certainly would be more socially awkward then I already am.  But, who am I to judge? Perhaps these children who do not get to have friends outside of school will turn into fantastic human beings and will not rebel when they reach their teenage angst years.  Maybe these kids will turn into doctors, lawyers, or find the cure for cancer or aids?  Who knows!  I don't care to judge people on their choices if it does not hurt me or someone else, but I still wonder will not being allowed people their own age from outside of their family in a non-school setting damage these kids' social behavior forever?  Probably not; but, will they ever know the fun of camping in a friend's backyard or going to a school dance on a Saturday night?  Most likely not, and here is yet another reason I think my parents were great parents! 
We had lots of time to spend with our family, we are still a close knit family ( talk to my mom and my twin sister everyday), but we were also allowed to have friends over and go to friends' houses and do things other than hang out at home all the time.  My parents made sure to take us to as many places as they could.  Although we were not wealthy, at all, my parents tried to take us as many places as they could and for that I am forever grateful because I still want to travel the world and learn as much as I can!

Summer Time

The weather lately has made me crave summer; I have gone to the beach a couple of times since the weather has warmed up and I even got in the water, something I have never attempted before May.  It is not only the not having to work in the summer that makes me enjoy summer though.  The warm weather, sunny days, barbque, and sitting outside in the evenings are what I enjoy so much during the summer.  The thing I enjoy about south Texas is that the weather gets warm early and it is so easy to think it is summer, when in reality we have thirty six school days until summer vacation.  We shall call this the pre-summer bonus.
But, there are also things I enjoy about this pre-summer bonus of south Texas.  Camping in the summer is great, except here when the weather is ninety degrees at night.  So, camping in the pre-summer bonus is wonderful because the nights are cool and the days are warm, but not miserable.   I have inquired of people lately if they try to get out in the lovely weather we get to enjoy so early and the thing I have noticed most is that few people here take advatage of the nice days they get in the spring.   I suppose that since the weather is warm for most of the year here it is easy to forget that some places in the country are still getting snow and cold weather. 

Contradictions

I recently saw a bumper sticker that said "What Would Jesus Do?"  On their back window they had a sticker that said "Obama Sucks."  So, these people think Jesus thinks Obama sucks or they just think Obama sucks.  I love how when it comes to religion people pick and choose what they want to believe.  In this person's case I am sure they are against abortion, but love thy neighbor is something they choose to ignore.  Why bother with being religious if you are not going to stick to what your religion says to believe? 
I suppose people think they are going to try to get better and eventually they are going to be "good Christian" people. But, If you will not accept the world and its people as they are and you are constantly bashing everyone who does not share in your beliefs are you really a "good Chrisitan" person?  I am getting sick of people who claim to be good, but in reality they are not.  It is getting very frustrating to deal with these contradictions in people.   They say one thing, but then do another. 

Hunt

I moved to Hunt, TX in February, 2007.  I had only been to Texas once before on a biology trip in college.  I really did not know what I was getting myself into.  I moved to Hunt to teach outdoor education; the work was seasonal, from February until the end of November, with few breaks during teaching time.  The ranch I was moving to was forty five minutes from the nearest town.  I had seen photographs of it on the internet, but other than talking to my future boss a couple of times on the phone I had no clue as to where I would be living or what it would be like.  All that I knew was that I would be living in staff housing on the ranch and that I could get rides to town to get groceries from my co-workers.  In the summer I would help out with summer camp and during the school year I would teach reptiles, arthropods, freshwater ecology, and canoeing classes, as well as high and low ropes course and team building activities. 
Looking back on it, now, I am very glad I moved to Hunt, TX.  I met some great people and working in the camping industry it is easy to make friends because you generally have a lot in common with your co-workers.  I loved my job, I made plenty of friends, and I was in the lovely Texas Hill Country, it was not as pretty as Missouri, but at least there were trees and hills.  I still talk to my friends from the ranch and we visit eachother when we get time off. I had vowed in college never to move to Texas, but I had little opportunity for work elsewhere after college.  Even though I still am not a fan of Texas I am glad I moved here because of the amazing people I have met.

1970s

I have recently been reading a book for another grad  class.  It is all about the 1970s and at the moment I cannot wrap my mind around Richard Nixon.  He blatantly lied to the American people, reneged on his campaign promises and he actually said that the people expected too much.  I cannot fathom how the man won any elections; he ignored the problems of the poor and minorities.  His lack of condemnation on the shootings at Kent State and Jackson State really say it all.  How anyone can condone the killing of Americans who are standing up for their rights is beyond me.  I do not understand how basic rights are still denied to minorities in America.  The fact that bigotry and racism still run rampant in this country and around the world is just one sign of the lack of civilization in which we live.  I hope that someday we can all just accept eachother for who were are, but the fact remains that the media adds greatly to the problem by portraying minorties as criminals. 

Male Chauvinism

The other day one of my boyfriend's friends told us all a story about trying to get a new phone after he had dropped his into the ocean on accident.  He had insurance on the phone and paid ten dollars a month for the insurance.  He called his phone's insurance company and the young lady who answered could not help him get a new phone, for whatever reason.  He said he tried to keep his patience, but finally, he said "Sweetheart, I know the last thing you want to do is deal with a ticked off cutomer, but you really need to understand that I need my phone replaced and I need it now."  This is the point I quit listening and became utterly outraged.  I asked him why he called this young lady over the phone, sweetheart.  He could not come up with an answer.  I asked him if he would have called a man sweetheart at this point?  He, of course, said no; but, we all know he would not have called a man sweetheart. 
Call me a feminist, but I think calling someone sweetheart that you do not know is crossing the line.  Men feel it is perfectly fine to use gendered, language they would not sue when speaking to men, but they feel is acceptable when talking to a woman.  I am not sure I will be able to be friends with this particular friend of my boyfriend.  He says things without thinking, which in my book is criminal, I am all for being spontaneous, but not at the expense of using offensive terminology which belittles other people.  I hope this person can soon realize that in speaking this way to women he treats them as a lesser class.  Unfortnately, I am now the friend in the group with the nickname "sweetheart" because I had the gall to speak my mind in front of a group of men who feel it is suitable to use familar terms with a woman, but not with a man. 

Media

Recently the media commented that teachers in Wisconsin were the problem for their economic crisis.  They stated that teachers were only part time workers; they get off of school everyday at three o'clock and they have summers off.  Therefore, according to the conservative media which is swarming our television sets, teachers should be paid less.  I ask, where were these conservatives when they were in school?  Were they so selfish that they ignored that their teachers never left school when they did?  Just because students get to go home at three o'clock does not mean teachers leave then too.  As for summers off, most teachers have to go to conferences during the summer and if they coach or work with students in extra curriculars they do not even get summers off.  I come from a family of coaches and they are the most underpaid people I know.  Putting up with parents and atheltes who feel so entitled that they argue with the coach constantly really teaches a person that Americans do not appreciate what their teachers, coaches, and sponsors of activities do for their children. 
I do not understand how the media can say teachers deserve less pay.  They are already some of the lowest paid workers in the market, especially when compared to countries such as Australia and Canada that place a high level of status on their teachers.  In the United States teaching is becoming less and less of an honorable profession.  Parents argues, students back talk, and now the media thinks they are overpaid.  Americans are far too entitled when it comes to the education system today.  They no longer appreciate the sacrifices teachers make; grading papers until midnight, staying after school to coach or sponsor an activity, tutoring after school or even early in the morning.  I know my dad was a teacher and he stayed every day after school to coach or tutor; we rarely saw him at home before six o'clock in the evenings and then he had to go to his night job because supporting four children on a teacher's pay was impossible.  So, I hope the conservative media gets less pay and less viewers for their horrible opinions and if all else fails they deserve to lose their jobs and their pay for spreading lies across the nation.

How Did I Get Here?

I arrived in Corpus Christi on August 22, 2008.   My best friend, CJ, and I rented a car and drove from Hunt, Texas to Corpus on a rainy day.  We passed numerous wrecks as we came into town and CJ asked if we should just turn around and go back to the ranch where we both worked.  I said I needed to do this and I was excited about my new adventure.  This adventure was to be going to graduate school at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and teaching p.e. at an elementary school in town.   CJ moved what little I owned (really just clothes, a feather top mattress pad and some bedding, a camp chair, and camping equipment into my spacious one bedroom apartment.  Then, we went shopping for pots, pans, plates, bowls, silverware, and food.  She had been a nutritionist in Australia so she knew how to cook and what I would need.  I only knew how to cook over a campfire.  We also had to get me a bike, since I did not own a car and that was going to be my main form of transportation until I could afford a car.  CJ stayed the weekend with me to help me get settled in, then she headed back off to the ranch.
Looking back now, it was stupid for me to move to Corpus Christi, Texas.  I did not know anyone here.  I had no family here, and I had only made two trips to Corpus; one was with my twin sister and we camped on the National Seashore one night before deciding it was a miserable place in March and leaving immediately at 6 A.M.  My other trip was my interview with the school I would get hired at.  I suppose that I moved to Corpus thinking it would be just like my move to the ranch.  I would immediately make great friends, I would love my job, there would be all kinds of fun activities for me to pursue on a daily basis, and I would have a great time!  Needless to say, none of these things happened.  I made only a few friends, my job was ok (I love my students, but sometimes it is frustrating being outside in the humidity teaching all day and when it is cold it is not fun at all for me, I HATE cold weather), and as for fun activities, Corpus did not offer any I was accustomed to.  My first year in Corpus Christi was not great, but it has grown on me a bit.

Crazy Cat Lady

I have been called the crazy cat lady since I was a small child.  At one point I did not even have a cat.  My entire family called me the crazy cat lady for yrears.  Even now, they still call me that, although I only have one cat; this one cat is named Mowgli.  He does not act like a cat, though; he fetches a ball and brings it back in his mouth to whomever he wants to throw it.  He does not like to cuddle like most cats and you cannot pet him for more than a minute without him biting you.  This cat is positively evil and if he were a person he would not have any friends.  I am not sure I even like him sometimes, but I could never get rid of him because it would be considered assault once he attacked his new owner. 
So, why does my family call me the crazy cat lady?  I would surmise that it is because for years I said I never wanted to get married or have a family and according to society today that means a woman is either a lesbian or a crazy loner.  When my twin sister got married and I was still single my family did not even tell me it was my turn next.  They were resigned to me being the crazy cat lady.  While I now have changed my tune and decided that I eventually may want to get married and adoption sounds like a great option when I am ready for kids they are slowly retreating on the name calling.  Although, my little brother will probably always call me the crazy cat lady I am proud they are finally deciding that I am not the crazy loner they once believed I was. 

Twin Strangeness

My mother recently told me that my identical twin sister, Danielle, and I have an odd relationship.  According to my mother this is because we give each other expensive gifts for holidays and our birthday, we talk everyday even though we live in different states, and we get more angry if someone slights our twin then if that same person slighted us.  My mother said that she thinks this is the same relationship that a married couple should have, not siblings.  This is where the argument started with my mother.  Danielle and I are identical twins; this means that we have identical DNA and that even though we do not look exactly alike anymore everyone can still tell that we are twins.  So, why should a married couple have a closer relationship than my twin and I?
Danielle and I grew up together and before the age of fourteen the most amount of time we had spent apart was one night and until the end of our junior year of college the most amount of time we had spent apart was one week.  People always ask us if we can read each other's minds or feel each other's pain; while we cannot do these things and I think twins who say they can are crazy, we can tell what the other is thinking when we are in the same situation because we are generally thinking the same thing.  Since we have the same facial expressions a look can often convey more than words between us.  So, why is that my mother thinks a married couple can only give expensive presents, talk everyday, and take up for their partner? 
I suppose that since my mother is not a twin and had eleven siblings she does not understand the closeness that twins feel.  She had lots of siblings to hang out with when she was young, while up until my little brother was born, when we were nearly five, we only had eachother.  My mother's siblings were much older than her too.  She was the eleventh child born in her family and she was picked on quite a bit by her siblings.  So, by the time she was in her twenties she was married and finally had a relationship that was as close as the relationship my twin and I have.  While I think my mother simply does not understand the closeness that Danielle and I have I do think that she also wishes she could have had that closeness with one of her siblings because she did have a very rough childhood and a close relationship with one of her siblings would have made that childhood much easier.