When I turn 50 I do not want to be given a birthday card that says some thing like "Aw you're 50 now what a bummer" or a party in all black. Turning 50 is awesome! That means I've lived for half a century, which is 18,262.5 days (can't forget leap years). That means regardless of how tough or how great those days were I made the decision to keep going and keep trying 18, 262.5 times. For that we all deserve the very best party this world can afford. So I plan to be gifted according to the occasion. Keep that in mind.
Dear hippie woman in Hallmark,
You had zero right to comment on that other woman's parenting choices while checking out yesterday. While I agree with you that if the parents set a good example for how to be a respectable and conscience human being said parents should let their child choose what defines their gender--be it letting a little boy play dress up or a little girl play football, you're right, the kid can choose. HOWEVER, saying things like "Well, in my house we don't set those kind of rules--if my son wants to play with a pink Hello Kitty doll I'm gonna let him". Here's where you went wrong, first: Hallmark is not your house regardless of how often you shop there to make it look that way let's not confuse the two, so you have very little lee-way in implementing your house rules ON OTHER PEOPLE outside of your house. Second: if that mother doesn't want her (not yours) little boy playing with a pink Hello Kitty doll and would rather buy him a Tonka Truck (with her money not yours, mind you) that is entirely her prerogative and you should keep your little, progressive nose out of it. Third: perhaps because I took more notice of her given my position as a sales associate and not as a fellow shopper, was it not clear to you that she was struggling? You had your own son with you (who was sleeping), your sister, and your mom. She had only herself and a very awake, very strong willed 17 month old. The poor girl was at her wits end, she was in a vulnerable state and you took advantage of that to impose your own parental ideology on someone who did not illicit it. Fourth: YOU EMBARRASSED HER. Your interaction was immensely hard to watch so I can't imagine how she felt. In short, next time you feel the urge to cross a line to parent someone else's kid for them, unless it's clear that the child is in apparent danger, please don't.
Dear Congress,
Get your freaking act together. Controlling people by fear of an always-impending dooms day is no way to win over the respect of the nation (not that most of us do anyways), but it is a very quick route to get our current era in the history books labelled something like "Dumbest, stoopidest Era of all time"--so if that's what your going for, keep up the great work!
Dear Italy,
My impending trip to see you is currently freaking me out.
Dear March 2013,
Welcome to the present! Please be kind to us.
Be brave, and kind, and strong, and loving, and good today, xoxox