Pope N' Polls, y'all!

Cartoon by Dave Granlund, find more at www.davegranlund.com

 (Disclaimer:  No harm or disrespect is meant to the Pope, his followers, Catholics, the Vatican, or anyone else.  This is JUST a blog)

I’ve already been on the phone to my trusted friend who will listen to me moan about literally anything but here goes to y’all…or all y’all.  Yes, I did that on purpose for all of you grammar people.  That’s Okie and it is plural.

Pope Pope Pope,

kinda over hearing about it.  The news reporter deep down inside understands the need for the media giants to spaz out and run wall to wall coverage but the human mother in me wonders if there isn’t “other” news today.

Gretchen Carlson gets my admiration for being that reporter talking about the other news today.  The other news was Presidential race stuff, like polls.  Polls are really kind of interesting.  They change as quickly as we change our underwear.  We all are doing that regularly, right?  Ok, just checking.

Carlson had the expert on about how we interpret the polls.  Trump is on top followed closely by Clinton in the “likely candidate” poll.  Her resident expert explains the difficulty in just getting an accurate poll taken today because of cell phones.  Forty percent of American households no longer have a land line phone.  So these folks are just using their cell phone that makes financial sense in so many ways.  But one thing that makes gathering relevant information difficult is that people are able to screen their calls.  That smart phone displays the number so many choose NOT to answer their phones.  You have to wonder how accurate the poll is since just a handful will actually answer. You have to wonder WHO is answering these calls.

This just brings me to another thought I had.  If it matters to us who is ahead in the polls, are we really selecting our candidate because he has our values and morals and best interests at heart?  Or perhaps we just want to be on the winning team.  So it really shouldn’t be important for us to know who is ahead, right?  I mean it is interesting and certainly provides some coffee shop talk in a small town but does it really matter?  I guess it might matter to the candidate and their team because they might use that as a guide to know when to call it quits.  You might as well not spend your money running a race you can’t win.  

But….what if?  I mean, what if candidates just ran the race, stayed true to why they’re there in the first place, and didn’t give second thought to polls and numbers?  What would that look like?

When Hannah started running track events at first she never looked back and seemed surprised when she came in first.  Then as time when on, she slowly became interested in how MUCH she was winning by and would look over her shoulder.  This always provided a chance for the number 2 runner to get that much closer to her.  “Just run” I told her.  “Don’t look back; focus on you and your job to win it!”  You can always revel in how slow that poor sucker behind you was later as you’re hanging up your blue ribbon.  

Maybe that would make for a better Presidential race.  What if Donald Trump got up, drank his fancy coffee, secured that gargantuan tuft of desperate hair into place and hopped onto his favorite jet without concern for where he is right now in the race?  Hmmm. And Hitlery Clinton, (no, I did not misspell that so bug off) rolled over and into her socialist slippers, poured herself a cup of organic fair trade environmentally safe sustainable tea and sat quietly checking (and deleting) her e-mail without a care in the world as to where she’s polling?  Would the media care less?  Would we care less?

I would like to live in a world where a few things are still a surprise.  How would that be?  Oh, I know there is a lot at stake in the nation’s highest office and candidates today need to be prepared.  Probably true but I’m just thinking out loud here.  

You should’ve known I have trouble finding my inside voice.

~Carry on,

Anne Taylor

I'm so sorry, yes, I am, I am wrong and you are right and I'm sorry, sorry, sorry

I am certainly having a moment of CRANKY today!

Lucky you, I’m sharing it.  But I think many of you will agree with me.  I hope you do agree for that would give me more hope for our planet.

This started a few years ago with my beautiful pre-teen daughter was only a toddler in pre-school.  She came home one day and did something to upset me, not sure what I don’t remember.  Anyway, she muttered the word, “sorry.”  “What did you say sweetie?”  “Sorry” I am just thinking I didn’t hear all of it correctly.  She said she learned at school (of course she learned it the proper way at home) that when you do something wrong you’re supposed to say “sorry.”

So friends this is the point where you’re thinking I’m just nuts for not being appreciative of such a fine gesture as an apology but I wasn’t and here is why.  When a human messes up something so terribly that an apology is warranted, they should feel remorse and own the mistake or misstep.  How does one OWN a mistake?  I think by including the personal pronoun, I, in the heartfelt apology.  Picky, picky, picky, go ahead, let me have it!  But I think that acknowledgement of a wrongdoing needs to have an owner and it needs to be said out loud for the would-be offender to hear, absorb and chew on and the alleged victim to hear.  Go ahead and try it with me, “I’m sorry for the way I offended you.  It was wrong of me and I apologize, will you accept my apology?”

Kids can’t construct such verbose apologies, I get it.  But can we at least start UN-teaching the teaching of it is ok to half-ass your way into forgiveness.  “Sorry.”  NO!  “I’m sorry.”  Ahhhh, that’s much better, right?

It makes me think the generation who learns to say “sorry” will grow up to be ok with pitiful apologies from politicians who say “sorry” when really what they mean is “sorry I got caught.” (click on that link to see a little goodie I found)  I think we all know who this is; you’ve watched the news this week, right?

And there are different kinds of apologies, right?  “I’m sorry I wrecked your car, I’ll pay for the damages,”  “I’m sorry I’m late, I should’ve called you,”  “I’m sorry that I drank the last beer.” 

 

So I’ll just do the right thing right now while I have your attention and apologize to you.  I am sorry for the way I will correct America’s future generations when they say “sorry” by explaining to them that they need to own their mistake.  

Actually, no, I’m not sorry. 

I’m sorry that I didn’t write this sooner.

Carry on!

~Anne Taylor

History is on TRIAL!

I've been accused of being hateful on some things but nothing describes the amount of disdain I have for the way kids are NOT being taught history today.


Yes, I've joined the ranks of the likes of our grandparents who often said we weren't learning enough in school but what I'd like to throw out there is that I'm afraid it's not that kids aren't learning enough, they're learning a watered down, edited version of facts.

Recently I picked up a copy of a Hillsdale College newsletter called Imprimis.   History, American Democracy, and the AP Test Controversy was written by Wilfred M. McClay from the University of Oklahoma.  Being an Oklahoma State grad, I’ll just overlook this because this guy was spot on. 

McClay writes his understanding of high school education in American history is a way to teach students how to be connected to their political and cultural inheritance.  He calls it a membership in a common world.  He then goes on to remind us that Thomas Jefferson knew well that it took an educated group of folks to make government work as it is intended.  

McClay points out that historian Donald Kagan said, “Democracy requires a patriotic education.”  And elaborates there are two reasons for this.  First, its success depends on citizens being active in their own governance and secondly without this education, there would be no way to persuade free individuals of the need to make sacrifices.

This is all really stimulating my inner nerd, specifically my inner history nerd.  And well, because I am a nerd, I grabbed by orange highlighter at this point (OSU grad highlighter color of choice, of course).  

Stay with me because here is where it really gets interesting.  McClay explains that changes are partly due to the field of history itself and how it is viewed.  It used to be viewed as a science. Social sciences show what countries are doing and their interactions with others.  That has changed.  Now, McClay says it is viewed as a field where all interpretations are equally valid. (McClay, Wilfred, History, American Democracy, and the AP Test Controversy, Imprimis, vol. 44, number 7/9)

I’m going to just paraphrase the rest of this very fine and stimulating read.  History used to be something that we learned to bond and move forward as a nation.  We learned facts about battles, peoples, wars, economies, struggles, strife, challenges, heroic endeavors, etc.  Now, emphasis tends to be more on concerns of small groups.  No more commonality with your fellow man for he might be offended and might feel as though he needs to contact the ACLU.  Don’t get me started.

So historians have lost their audience or their audience is dying or perhaps no one cares as much as they once did.  Why?  I have no idea and if I did, I’d be wealthy.  Or seriously, I could come up with some possible reasons but darlings, that is another blog altogether.

Staying with the article, McClay points out that this country has lately had a very hard time constructing memorials and monuments.  These are places where folks come together to learn and honor something of importance to the culture and the people.  They are affirmations of past, present and maybe future.  Notice that lately, someone is always “offended” and the construction is nearly impossible.  Take anything honoring a Confederate soldier and you’ll find someone mentioning slavery.  So, we’re not even teaching history at the level at which self-proclaimed educated adults are not able to understand that the Civil War was not about slavery but about states' rights and control.  

While some historians feel we are losing our connection with the past with the elimination of memories (not allowing certain monuments and memorials) others are looking at the past with disdain.  This new way of teaching is a push for an agenda.  McClay mentions the agenda is a drive to get rid of the nation-state and bring about a radically new way of teaching history.  Gone are the loyalties, heroes, important events and sacrifices of former generations and so begins the construction of new memories. 

I’d hate to offend anyone.  (Please note sarcasm)

Finally we are getting to that piece in the title of the article, the controversy surrounding the new AP US History test.  McClay says the 134-page framework has an agenda.  It has more centralized control, downplays content knowledge, and downplays American greatness and citizenship while focusing on a global perspective. Compare that to the 2010 version in which American exceptionalism was the main theme. 

My, how quickly it changes!

Take into consideration the shift from national identity to subcultural identities.  Now, folks, I’m not suggesting that your Irish, English, Scottish, Norwegian, German, Cherokee culture isn’t important as it is but the shift indicates that we are not as patriotic as we used to be.  Why would this matter?  Well, if you come together in thought with like-minded fellow countrymen, you are naturally a stronger country.  You all have the same feelings of love of country and pride and want to protect it the way our founding fathers envisioned.  When you connect with your sub-group, you’re basically just an English, Irish, German, and Scottish American living here.  There’s no sense of belonging and patriotism!

Back to McClay’s thoughts, he mentions the phrase global citizenship as something you hear a lot of these days.  He says that actual citizenship is a connection, a membership into a society.  Education is failing to welcome students with equipping them with membership. 

I don’t want to live in a country where students are not proud.  I don’t want to hear apologies made for the “way our country behaves,” It is insulting to the blood shed for the freedom of this beautiful nation when students are not being taught what really happened.  Little Christine has a right to know and appreciate the fact that her fifth great grandpa fought the British in the Revolutionary War.  She needs to know that it wasn’t pretty and it was gruesome.  These are called sacrifices and we had brave men willing to make them for the sake of freedom.  They fought for the right for me to write these feelings down and openly share them with the World Wide Web and beyond.  They fought for the right to raise their families with the religion of their choice.  They fought so that they not be made to house soldiers in their homes in times of war.  They fought to keep their Remingtons and Rugers.  They fought to have a right to privacy and against governmental searches and seizures.  They fought tyranny and knew that a free nation would need to be an armed nation.  They also should be educated about the true and correct events in history.  

“Freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction…”  Ronald Reagan.

Your FRIENDship bouquet!

I do some of my best thinking walking the dogs in the corn fields behind our home so this morning I got to thinking about all of the blessings in my life.  It led me to feeling happy about my marriage, our home, our community, our kiddo, our animals, and our weather today and well it then led to thinking about my many friends.  We’ve been blessed beyond measure with a large passel of wonderful friends since moving here one year ago this week. 

So I was thinking further about friends and thought of this: Friends are kind of like shoes, you need several different kinds for different reasons. Before you berate me for comparing friends with shoes let me explain.  I think the older we get the more diverse our friend bouquet becomes.

When you’re in school your friends are the people around you in your class, your neighborhood and maybe the church.  As an adult, you have work friends, church friends, neighborhood friends, friends you met talking to in line at the grocery store, friends you meet through friends, friends you meet at other friends’ parties, workout buddy friends, etc. etc.

There is the friend who is like you.  Yep, there are so many shared traits and experiences she’s almost like your sister.  She might even start to look like you after a while. 

Secondly, there’s the friend who will tell you the truth no matter what and the friend who spares your feelings when you need it.   

The friend on Facebook that everybody loves to hate at times who is always working out but God love her for that because secretly it inspires you to move more yourself.  The competitive friend is a lot like that last one mentioned but she’s always challenging you to be better.  Since I’m a very competitive person I love this although I go back and forth with feeling capable to beat her.  That’s just why she’s a good friend though, it’s like the puzzle you cannot solve, you never get bored and you never stop trying.  Maybe it’s designed that way; the friendship.  For if you were able to catch her it wouldn’t be as fun.  

That brings me to the fun friend.  She’s always organizing something to do and has the best ideas. 

And of course this won't apply to most of you but some of you....that RADIO friend.  The friend who worked terrible hours in radio with you.  The friend who knows more Ramen noodle recipes than you.  That geeky friend who understands why you're excited with breaking news and severe weather coverage.  That's the nerd who wants to high five you when you've just completed a great "break" or when you hit the post.  Hang in there, non-radio friends, I'm done.....

And the friend who grew up just like you did.  That’s the friend who understands your family sayings and can finish them for you, cause she’s a girl from the south….as if “Girl, I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays!  Have you been busier than a kitty cat in a litter box or something?”  Good gravy!  That’s right.  That’s the girl who knows how to match your iron skillet cornbread and might even make it better….sometimes.  Or actually just kick your fanny across the county with her fried pies.  Yep, that's actually closer to the truth.  She loves guns and to target shoot too so this is a range buddy friend.

I love the friend who is posting inspirational quotes because while I love to read them I can never find them.  I’m usually too distracted looking at something that just makes me belly laugh.  Sooooo, yep, it’s time to honor that friend, the friend who makes you laugh ‘til you pee your panties. Lol J  Yeah, I said it.

There is the MOM friend.  Your mom can finally be your friend as an adult because she’s raised you right and now doesn’t worry that you’ll turn into a brat.  She was the leader and the mom growing up, nothing more, now she is the friend at last. 

There is the friend of your moms who is like a special Aunt.  I have one of those.  She’s so close to me and us to her that we stay with her when we travel back to Oklahoma.  I love her so much, I always have.  So see….I latched on to one of my mom’s friends and now she is mine.  Ha! J  Although, I really didn’t steal her from mom, really, I didn’t.

The cousin friend will help you get into trouble at family gatherings.  He’s the friend that you switched name plates with at the table when your Aunt wasn’t looking because you just HAD to sit with him at Christmas dinner. This will be the friend who you will look forward to seeing the most at family gatherings.  You’ll talk about all of the fun you had when you were growing up and create more grown up memories of your own when your kids get together.  

Or that roommate friend that you lined up on a drill team with to high kick your way across Oklahoma to the Junior college championship.

The college friend understands your crazy passion for orange and black, Go Pokes.  Oklahoma State friends are just cool because they went to Oklahoma State and you dolled up to go two-stepping with them at the Tumbleweed. 

Speaking of that, there is a friend who is like a tumbleweed.  She is a little rough and seems to blow through life without a care in the world.  You wish you could be a little wild like her at times but thankful it’s her and not you.  She’s to be admired because she often doesn’t care at all what others think of her.  Her self-esteem is high and to be admired.  You learned a lot from this friend.  The daisies, roses, sunflowers, peonies, tulips and daffodils in your life all make up your unique friend bouquet. And yes, there are always wildflowers, they’re the unexpected friendships we make.

Finally, there is the solid, strong, long living tree.  The seasons do little to change it.  It always comes back healthy and vibrant. This is the friend who is just there.  You might move away.  You might get busy with work, family activities and so much more.  But when trying to wrap up this little thought today, I think I found something that says it all about a good friend.  

 

~Anne Boswell Taylor

April 6, 2015 
A cute friend song. Enjoy!