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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Yeah Yeah Yeah- SHUT IT!

Bare with me, I’m writing a book, so I’m kind of slowing down on the blogs. I went through some of your suggestions for posting topics. Sandi suggested that I write about the health care industry. That is a mammoth. But that’s not the reason I’m not going to touch that topic here. My 16 year old almost died in a car accident 20 months ago. She broke every limb and lost her friend, Amanda. My child is still here. Nuf said.

Barrie suggested T.V. show(s) that I hate. Off the top of my head I can’t think of any, but I know they exist. I’ll definitely write about that down the line. Chatti Patti suggested mother-in-laws as a topic. I’ve been married twice and thankfully, I’ve never encountered any difficulties with the in-laws. My first mother-in-law, who I thought was one of the COOLEST persons I’d ever met, passed away a few years ago. And my present mother-in-law is the second most wonderful person I’ve ever known (the first is her son, my hubby). So I can’t do justice to that topic.

Several of you suggested the presidential race. I gave you my take. And as the November elections draw nearer, I will probably write some more on that topic. Here are my next working titles in random order:

Why I’ll Never Attend Church Again

Sex Before Marriage: What Will You Tell Your Kids?

Sluts and Dingbats In Training: Raising Daughters Right!

Euthanasia- To Kill Or Not To Kill

My next post will appear on Sunday, March 2. Yeah yeah yeah. Shut it! I got a book to finish!

Eyes wide open, icanseeclearlynow

Friday, February 15, 2008

Quid Pro Quo, My Turn

Well here are my answers, not because 15 of you responded, but because I got twice the responses that I expected.

Sex Talk
I began having age appropriate sex discussions with each of my daughters when they were five. Prior to that I explained to them about "good touch" and "bad touch." During that time of my life I was a social worker who taught sex education in a teen-pregnancy and drug prevention/education agency. I’ve also used teachable moments when situations presented themselves since each of my girls were in kindergarten. Examples of those moments came through t.v., comments relayed to them by friends, couples smooching in the park, etc. Today they are 19 and 16. We still talk, but it’s more conversational than didactic.

My Drug Use
When they were 14 and 17 I told them a little bit about my experience, which was very minimal, but not everything. I told them enough to let them know that I would not be where I am today if I did anything more than experimenting. What prompted me to tell them was the stories they were telling me about some kids they’d been observing at their school (users and sellers). And they fessed up to their own experimenting as well.

White People & Black History
I’m not qualified to answer what white people think about black history month.

Black People & Black History
I am a black woman. No, I do not celebrate black history month. I’ve never seen a need. I have shared ALL history with my daughters since they were toddlers. They grew up visiting bookstores and libraries with me. We are of mixed heritage: their father and his family are from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. My parents are black, my grandmother was Cuban, and my paternal great-grandmother was white. History envelopes our lives all year long.

Teenage Sex in My Home
No, I would not permit my daughters to have sex in my home, as teenagers. As young adults, probably yes. (If they are reading this, girls, see me to get an accurate definition of “young adult”).

Death Penalty
No, I do not believe the death penalty is an effective deterrent. Non-killers and non-criminal minded people come up with our laws. Outlaws laugh at them.

Would You Kill?
I would tear a femoral artery and/or jugular vein with my teeth if someone were trying to hurt either of my daughters or my husband.

Neighbors
On our left lives a black family and on our right lives an Asian family. I wouldn’t trade them, not because of their ethnicity, but because for the most part, we’re all quiet neighbors and respectful of one another’s privacy. We don’t invite each other over for barbecues but we exchange warm greetings and look out for each other’s homes when one family is away. Further down are three black families that I’d love to put on a slow boat to China, not because they’re black. It’s because they’re city people who brought their obnoxious city ways to our rural side of the world. Idiots!

Bank Robbing Off-Spring
If my child robbed a bank, I would NOT turn them in. If they were career bank robbers, I would have nothing to do with them. But if in the very unlikely event, they were part of a one-time caper, where they didn’t and wouldn’t get caught, phfft! Their secret is safe with me. I believe that all government, corporations, insurance companies, and ALL such big business are loaded with a bunch of crooks with the law on their side. Scammers! Taking the little guy’s money. One bank robbery? Phfft! I’m not giving up ANYBODY!

There’s my take, guys. Thanks for giving me your views!

Eyes wide open, icanseeclearlynow

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Quid Pro Quo, Readers....

Let's play a game. You KNOW I love to see honest thoughts put out there. I am willing to do a post answering every one of the questions below under one condition. If I can get just 15 of my readers to answer at least three of these questions, let's say over a period of two weeks. I think that's fair, don't you? Let's give it a whirl. I think it'll be fun. NO anonymous comments please; I don't like spineless people. So let's begin, shall we?

At what age do you talk with your kids about sex? And how much did/do you tell them?

Did/do you tell your kids about your experience with alcohol and/or drugs?

What do white people think about black history month? Is it something you talk about with your family or with your kids or with your friends?

Are there black people out there who don’t celebrate black history month? If you don’t would you say why?

Would you let your teenager have sex in your home or would you prefer they go somewhere else? Don’t say not at all cause that’s not happening.

Do you believe that the death penalty is an effective deterrent to murders?

Under what circumstances outside of self-defense would you kill another human being?

What is the ethnicity of the families to the left and right of your home? Would you change this if you could?

If your child robbed a bank, would you turn them in? Why or why not?

Monday, February 4, 2008

You Readers ROCK!!!

You know, it takes big cahoonas to talk about the things I write about on this blog. I know this. But further, it takes those same kind of cahoonas to leave a comment about my controversial topics.

So I’d like to take a minute to give honor, give a shout out to, give a big fucking high-five to my most consistent commentors. To you all I say, HELL YEAH! Like the red-neck chicks, in Gretchen Wilson song. I think you guys ROCK! Oh yes, there are a LOT of lurkers and regular readers who pop in, read quietly, and leave quietly. Anonymous people. But not you. You may as well be the authors of these controversial topics. Most people are afraid to be seen talking to people like me. But not you. You show up AND you stand UP! And you say YES, Maria. I’ve been waiting for someone to bring this subject up.

For those of you who left more than three comments, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! My favorite blogger friends, because they chat with me here on icanseeclearlynow AND on icanseemea, are Cheeky, with 4 comments here, Sherry, with 3 comments here, Misskris, with 4 comments here, Beth, with 5 comments here and Andrea with 5 comments here. You guys are special and I LOVE you much! Seriously.

Another favorite group are the ones that have popped in and left a comment on mostly EVERY single controversial topic. They are Flip-Flop Momma with 5 comments here, Barrie with 4 comments here, and Spades with 6 comments here.

My SUPER-HERO favorite group are the most regular commentors. You are FEARLESS. You speak on many of the topics that others don’t want to touch. Oh how I HEART you! In FOURTH place is Trish, for her 7 comments here. In THIRD place is Chatti Patti for her 9 comments here. Tied for second place is Granny Annie and Sandi for their respective 10 comments here. Drum roll please for my first place commentor and sweet friend, who I chat with regularly on the phone….. Nikki for her 15 comments.

Of course, I must give honorable mention to my THREE TOP FANS that none of the readers will EVER be able to top. My two AWESOME daughters who shocked me by reading regularly, Twinkle and Shrimp. AND the president of my fan club my HUBBY, Quietstorm. They are the best things that’s ever happened to me! Truly.

Thanks blogger people. I HEART you lots!!

Maria