High Horses

We've all done it; we've read some news story on the internet and jumped on the comment thread to spout about why the person in the story is so totally wrong and needs to be charged with something or other.

I've had it.

I recently read a news story about a mom who had returned home from church because she was ill, and forgot her 1 year old child in the backseat, and he was found two hours later.  As I read, my initial horror at "How could she forget...?!" turned into relief as the article mentioned that he was taken to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

But then I strayed into the comment thread, and saw a full onslaught of hate aimed directly at the mother.  I saw so many comments of "I hope DCFS take this kid and any others away from her" or "She doesn't deserve to be a mother" or memes of infants in car seats saying "If you have to be reminded I'm back here, you don't deserve to be a parent".  There was even one that said something like "If your baby isn't getting 100% of your undivided attention, then you shouldn't leave the house."

These people are the Perfect Parents.  They hide behind their keyboards, trolling the internet and pretend that they would have the audacity to say the things they type to their intended audience.

These Perfect Parents say things like "This would never happen to me".  Every parent says that.  And every parent takes steps to ensure that this, indeed, does not happen to them.  Perfect parents, however, conveniently ignore every mistake they've ever made, because no major tragedy occurred.  All of their mistakes miraculously disappear.  But, then again, they are Perfect Parents; how could they possibly have made any mistakes? Ever.

Shut up, Perfect Parents.  No one wants to hear what you have to say.  Sure, sure, it's your Freedom of Speech.  We get it!  I applaud it!  But do you remember when we were kids, being taught "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all"?  When did common courtesy and kindness get tossed out the window?  What happened to compassion?

None of these Perfect Parents ever offer even the slightest bit of compassion for the family.  It's like the thought of being compassionate never even crossed their mind, because they are right about everything.  They have never made any parenting mistakes; nor they have ever made any human errors either. Ever.  Right?  So that's why they decided they have the right to berate everyone else for their mistakes.  Because they have given themselves that title: Perfect Parent. Apparently, it comes with it's own soap box and the right to stand up on it and tell the world how everyone else is doing it wrong.

Enough!

I understand being flabbergasted at seeing headlines glaring about some new tragedy to strike yet another family because of an error a parent made.  But I do not understand how compassion and kindness and humanity are completely ignored, burned, thrown out the window.  How is it that we can set this kind of example for our children to follow?  Because, dear Perfect Parents, that is exactly what you are doing.  You want the world to be a better place?  You want the terrible things that happen daily to stop happening?  Then teach your children to be better.  Show them by your example how they need to be.


Teach them to be compassionate, to be kind, to care about the feelings of others.  Teach them to be better so you can get what you want, what you think you are; Perfect Parents.

New adventures

For the last five years, I have worked for the same company.  I added a second job about a year ago to make a little extra money, since we were a bit tight on money (that is a long story, which I will perhaps tell another time).

But recently, I was able to quit the job I had been at for almost five years in favor of a full time job with benefits.

Talk about adventure!  I get to learn new things, experience a whole new side of customer service, which I love.

I start my new job on Friday, and have been so excited for this new opportunity.  I got the news after a particularly bad day at my long-time job.  I don't think I have ever been more willing to quit on the spot, it was that kind of bad day.  And then I come home to change (because I had half an hour at this point to change, eat, and go to my other job) and I listened to a voicemail asking me to give them a call back.

The phone call changed my entire day around.  I couldn't stop smiling; I was literally that happy.

My final day at my long-time job is Thursday, and I start the new on Friday.  Not even a gap in employment.

I am so blessed.