So Little Time...

There is a whole lot that I want to talk about. This week has definately been really crazy, lots of ups and downs. Lots of thinking went on this week. I honestly meant to write every single day, but I was always too lazy.

However, despite overflowing with stuff I'd like to talk about, today I am going to talk about my favorite girl in the world: My mom.

I can honestly say that I owe 98% of everything I have to my mom and dad. My body, my personality quirks, most of my education, it all came from them. I owe alot of my personality to my brothers really, but since they got all their stuff from mom and dad, I can trace it back.

But in all reality, I owe most of myself to my mom. I am the youngest of 5 kids. That means that when all of my siblings were off to school, and my dad was off to work, me and my mom hung out till the time I was 5. I followed her around everywhere, I got in her way, I helped vacuum, I went to the store with her. Me and my mom were tight. Early in elementary school, she always came to all the field trips, she came and helped in class. She was the all American super mom.

I grew up a little more, and she had to start working. This was really weird to me. All my life I'd come home from school, and she'd be there. Now, for the first time ever, I'd come home, and there'd be a note on the table, but no mom. That was actually a really hard couple months before she got her schedule figured out such that she could work in the days, and be with us at nights.

But, because of her working, I finally got a glimpse of the real world, and I think this was where she taught me the very most. You see, every night she'd come home, and we'd all gather round to hear her tell us a story about the day. Mind you, I was in 7th grade, and I was the youngest kid, but we were all super interested, we'd all listen intently, because her stories were always awesome, and usually hilarious.

Anyways, she'd tell us about how a stupid customer came in, and acted like an idiot. How a kid peed on the floor, how her boss called and was stupid, how somebody made a bad decision on the sanfrancisco end. I figured out how the real world works. Have any of you noticed how touchy I am whenever we're at a store or restaurant? How I almost killed robert for throwing those fries at iceberg? You know why? because every single night my mom would come home and complain about people that did junk like that. Sure she got paid to put up with them, but I knew what it was like. I will never make fun of janitors because of my mom. I'll always try to be as polite as possible whenever Im out in public because of her. Because of her working at Jolene's, I understand alot about people. I understand how business works, and I finally realized that people that work in stores are real people, with families. she made me see the world from somebody else's eyes, and that opened me up alot.

A couple years later I got an oppurtunity to work at jolene's one spring break. It was emergency move time. The smart guy in charge wouldnt pay his rent, and they got a notice in the mail saying they had to be out in 4 days. Lucky for mom, all her strong studly boys were on spring break that week, so every day we went in and boxed up dresses, moved heavy stuff, and just worked our butts off.

One thing I noticed that week was how strong my mom was. She never ever ever quit. We would all get tired, we'd all slow down. My brother Nathan who I always thought was a workhorse started to complain a little, I laid down whenever I had the chance. But mom never slowed down, she never complained. She just told us to get up, and she kept on working. She never asked us to carry the heavy stuff for her, she just did it. She wouldn't quit until it was done. She wouldn't let us quit till it was done. I dont think I've ever seen anybody work that hard. It wasn't like she was breaking a sweat, or running around, she just never stopped. She just kept on pluggin along until it was done.

I don't know if my mom ever realized what she was doing to me. But I am the way I am because of her. Do you know the reason Im always real quite in public? Do you know why I don't yell? Do you know why I never climb on junk in the real world? Its because my mom let me know that that wasn't ok. She'd tell me about the kids that did, and how they weren't cool. You know, I won't ever do the things that my mom doesnt like. Ill never buy a little girls dress, have my daughter wear it once, and then take it back. I'll never go try to pay for a 5 dollar item with a 50 dollar bill. I'll be good, just for my mom.

My mom made me who I am, she's the reason I'm good in school. She's why I pay attention in church. She is why I try my best. I love my mom. I talk to my friends, and they talk about how they get in fights with their moms, how their moms are crazy, and I honestly don't understand. I know my mom is there for me. She's always been there, she always helps. Ya know, Ive never yelled at my mom. Me and my mom have never been in a fight. I can think of about 3 times in my life when I've been irritated with my mom because we didn't agree. Guess what, all 3 of those times, she's been right, I was wrong. My friends have problems, I tell them to talk to their mom, and they say they can't. I don't understand it, because my mom is the best. She makes the best cookies, she knows the most, she can do anything she wants to. If ever there is a problem nobody can fix, she can, and she will. I guarantee you right now, if my mom went on apprentice, she would win hands down.

Everything I am, I owe to my mom. She is the very best. I love her so much. I don't know what I'd do without her. Quick, go tell your moms you love them, because I know you do.

Thanks for listening.

What a wonderful world

Kids are sponges. At least that's the theory we're working with right now.

I had a very long argument with stefanie the other night on whether music really makes kids smarter, and whether violent video games make kids violent. Today, we will be discussing this.

How many times have you been watching a movie with a bunch of little kids, and a little less than 3 minutes after the movie is over, the kids are acting out a scene from the movie, and making fools of themselves. 7, that's right.

We all know how it goes, little kids do it all the time, they mimic what they see. It is part of how they learn. That is how we learn to talk, how to take responsibility, how to wash dishes, how to be sarcastic, how to walk, how to open the fridge. We do this because we want to be just like mom/dad/legal guardian, so we act like them. At least, that's the way we see it.

And then we see one freaky kid that does something really stupid when he's 17, and then somebody blames it on a violent video game. And in the words of my good friend mr. brough, the crap hits the fan real quick.

And so, the whole world starts believing that violent video games are bad for kids. I don't have much time, and I dont wanna go too deep into reasoning, but kids do what they see, and if they see violence, they do violence right? Thats the theory.

In the end, a bunch of do-gooders believe that violence in video games teaches kids that violence is the way to solve problems, and that it is culturally acceptable. They blame it for all the worlds problems, and they've got tests to prove it. They've done all sorts of tests, and they all have shocking results. The kind of results that when your neighboor's mother sees it they band 007 from the home.

"80% of kids that see models doing violent things to a clown doll will then go and do violent things to a clown doll if put in a room with a clown doll and a baseball bat."

Sigh. You know, this all makes sense on paper. But I have 3 points that don't make any sense to all of these do-gooders, and here they are:

1) Where are the results?

You know, for how much violence kids see in the media, in the video games, in the world around them, you'd imagine there'd be a riot going on every couple minutes at the elementary school. I don't care what your stupid tests say, they don't apply in the real world. If they did, the whole city would be in ashes right now. You continue to be doomsayers, say that our children are going to grow up to be serial killers. Some will, sucks to be their parents. Most of us won't, most of us will grow up to be amazing people, despite my violent video games.

2) History is on my side

My dad told me a story once about how his sister chucked a steak knife at his brother, and it stuck in his back and stood up by itself. Of course, this was when they were little, and neither of the children died for it. He then told me the story about when he took a rake to his cousins head, and made a big puncture wound.

My dad never played violent video games as a kid.

Its true, I dont even think he played pong, I dont even think pong existed. and here we are, hearing baout a child that went on and did some seriously violent stuff. But why?!?!? There's no media to imitate?! Where'd he get the horrible idea?!

Kids have been doing it forever. Kids will always do it. perhaps my dad was just kinda screwy, or perhaps, just perhaps, it was some other thing that made him violent, and not video games. GASP!

3) I've been there, it doesn't work.

I am a kid. I play violent video games. Guess how many times I've hit somebody? Yeah, none. Never been in a fight, never taken a sword to the school, never tried to shoot my cousin. And yet here I am, being corrupted every day. I don't care what all you psychologists say. It doesn't work. You were never here, you probably never played violent video games. You don't understand why we play, how we play, or what goes through our heads. You just think you know everything, and you have no idea. Until you have blown somebody up in halo, you'll never understand how it feels.

That's the problem. People think they know, when they dont. They think they know, and they think they are helping so they do stupid things like ban games and junk, when really, its just a fear.

A fear of failure. Some kids are violent, I don't know why. But I do know it's not video games' fault. Maybe it's the parents. Maybe they never taught them better. Maybe parent's are afraid they screwed up, and so to fix the problem they ban cool games.

The buck stops at the parent here folks. You can't blame the media for how your kids turn out. Its not the media's fault. If you can't watch what your kids see, watch what they play, you can't complain about it. Shutup, and raise your kids right. If you don't like games, don't let them play it, but don't ever tell me that violent video games make me violent, or I'm gonna bust a cap on y'all.

Just kidding, I wouldn't really bust a cap. You see, I'm a rather gentle and loving individual. Ive never hit somebody as hard as I could. Ive never kicked somebody really. Never swung a bat or stick at somebody with intent to hurt. I won't shoot you, or kill you in your sleep, Ill just write more indignant blogs in your direction.