Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is...

This is my response to a pro-public school essay.

"Put your money where your mouth is"

I can usually go for that...but not in this case. I am putting "MY" money where my mouth is and where it is not.

I am a property owner and as such, am forced through taxes to pay for the public school. I also home school my children, as do many in my area for the lack of good "quality" public education being available. We do not want our children to do well in a school system that is falling in ranks as compared to the rest of the world. When talking about "fitting" in with the community in terms of education...no thanks! I want my children to excel, not only on the local or national level, but also on the international level. No trying to fit in here...leaders never fit in, they are ahead of the crowd.

Here in Arkansas, nationally we rank very poorly, and if I am not mistaken, I heard mention somewhere of Georgia...I think Georgia is ranked lower than we are. Quality teachers were also mentioned, and I do have to agree, there are many fine teachers, but the sad truth is that they are far outnumbered by teachers who can barely be called literate in their own right.

Someone mentioned “sex-ed,” well it works very well. Not until it became required teaching did our school system quickly rise to national status. Yes, we had the highest teen pregnancy rate per capita in the nation. By removing the stigma of sex and becoming able to openly speak of it, we have also encouraged exploration of it and thus encouraged the very state we said we were hoping to educate ourselves beyond.

Being able to gain access to college? You might want to take a look at which children are top ranked (GPA) at the collegiate level. You might also find it interesting that the "college" level instructors are about as disgusted as anyone else opposing the condition of public schools. The state educated children, for the most part, simply are not ready for college, and this is where teaching college freshmen becomes frustrating at all the backtracking required in order to progress. Colleges are now actively recruiting "home schooled" children in an attempt to raise our position internationally. The welfare schools are failing and to defend the institution seems a little like trying to put a fire out with gasoline...a lose-lose situation.

Concerning the whole issue of evolution. I say teach them everything, along with the holes in all the theories and beliefs. This singular issue needs to be decided at a personal level (familial) by the heads of the families, and not by anyone else. No matter how one looks at it, it requires faith. In fact, I believe in evolution and teach it to my children. A simple look at the differing species, and changes within a species requires a thinking person to acknowledge it. But, it is not the answer for the beginning. There’s only one reasonable original cause for being that make any sense.

Children being sent into the public schools as an ambassador for Christ, I don't believe in it myself. We are to be teaching and equipping our children for adulthood, not sending them out into a battlefield. I tend to think it could be for other reasons.

Financially, it is the most cost effective way to educate our children. Who would pass up such a good welfare program? We have allowed our society to get in such a pitiful state that it requires not only one, but both parents to work in order to “almost” get by…if at all. If you’re a single parent, then you are pretty much without a paddle. Also, many parents of this generation simply have not been taught how to parent. They cannot handle their children and find the state school as an easy way out. If you are remotely involved with the state schools, you cannot deny that many parents rely on them in essence, to be the parent. I know many people who rejoice when the summer break ends. They can’t wait to get “their” time back. Well, they sure had the time to make the kids, and now they are an imposition?

I agree with the “OP”. We should not waste our time trying to point fingers at the school. It should be obvious that they are failing, and we are the ones financing it. What we need to do is take a good hard look at ourselves. Decide what we want for our children, and then decide how to best be a parent. Ask yourself, is the state welfare school really the best we can do for our children? I say, get off welfare if you are able, and if you aren’t, then pray constantly.

Enough ranting…I said my nine cents worth and will settle down. Just my opinion and you are most welcome to holler back! This is a very good discussion indeed.

God bless

Now I am angry...

Now I am angry! We have money owed us and it is still not here! It seems like if I am one second late paying anything, then everyone is down my throat, but…BUT…when I am owed, it is just fine for everyone else (the corporate world that controls all the money) can take their leisure and apply their rules of standard operation to delay paying what they owe. So much for the Thanksgiving feast…

Glued Her Head Back On...

Well today started out all well and good. We had some contract work finally come in and while in preparation to head out, our three year old tripped and fell against a dresser and busted her head. There was blood everywhere and when I finally got everyone settled down, she settled down as well. She was actually quite the little trooper. It was very evident that she would need stitches so off to the emergency room we go.

On the way to the hospital we had to travel a rural highway and as par for the course, there was a road crew working and traffic was at a halt, but I was able to talk to one of the workers who managed to get us through without much difficulty. In the meantime, the good wife is sitting in the back with the baby to keep her calm…in reality I think it was the other way around. The baby was sure taking advantage of the attention.

One thing I was happy to see at the hospital was that they have finally gotten with the times. For years, I have been using super glue to mend cuts and such (works wonders on paper cuts), and it was such a relief when they gave a similar option. Stitches on a conscious child are tough, let alone when they are in the face. This turned out to be one of the least traumatic trips to the ER we have ever had. On the way home, we stopped and got her a corndog and completed the day for her. She actually enjoyed how things turned out. I think it was due to the fact the she didn’t have to compete with her siblings…She also was quite proud of the fact that they could, “glue her head back on.”

All in all, a bad day was turned good. Now, trying to figure out when we can get the contracts fulfilled…I hate that money has such a grip on my family…some day…

Crappy Morning...

I woke up this morning feeling fairly crappy, which was not too bad; I determined it would be a good day! I would let my good attitude be the captain of my day. I get out of bed, rub each of my kid's on the head, trip over the cat and give my wife a kiss.

She, the good wife, would soon be heading to a neighboring town to fulfill some contract work that needed to be done today, and me, the good husband, decided to help her out. I went out and loaded the van with all the supplies she would need for the day, and then, only after it was loaded, I notice it had a flat tire. A "crappy" flat tire!

Being the resourceful guy I am, and following the "good attitude" captain, I move all the stuff to our other van and was quite proud that I had managed to deal with the crappy situation without losing my cool.

Now, being that it was the coldest morning of the year (27 degrees) I decide to have the van warm for my wife, so I jump in to start it and, "click, click, click," went the crappy other van! The crappy battery was dead! I didn’t mention that my wife was inside making pancakes, light, fluffy, golden brown butter soaked pancakes; the kind that always soaks up the perfect amount of syrup. I also didn’t mention that I initially intended to be outside for a couple of minutes that I was barefoot and wearing only a T-shirt & my lazy sweat pants (no drawstring).

So here I am freezing to death in a crappy dead van that is parked next to a crappy lame van and all I want to do is be inside eating those pancakes! I decide that I needed to warm myself by setting both vans on fire…but no, the good captain attitude kicks in and say’s, “today is going to be a good day,” so I get out and decide what a good husband would do…better yet, what a “smart” husband would do. Because no “real” redneck would ever allow his wife to be seen driving around in a vehicle with one of those “donut” spare tires mounted, I would have to pull one of the good tires from the dead van and put it on the lame van, and then drive into town and get the flat fixed and have it mounted back where it belonged at the station. I would then drive back home and put the borrowed tire back on the dead van. In all truth, I could have just sent her on her way with the borrowed tire, but redneck pride wouldn’t let me suffer having my good wife being seen driving a vehicle with a wheel that didn’t match.

In my new direction, I head back into the house, walk past the inviting pancakes, reassure my wife all would be well, and put some shoes and jacket on. I then head back out past the pancakes and commence the operation. I jack up the dead van and remove a tire and position it for placement on the lame van. I then jack up the lame van and half way into the process it slips off the jack, which becomes pinned underneath. Now I am really mad! My only choices were to either place the borrowed tire back on the crappy dead van and borrow it’s jack to raise the lame van so I could retrieve it’s jack, or dig the trapped jack out. I chose to dig the jack out because a good redneck never does the same work twice.

Now with the jack back into position I remove the crappy flat tire and the stupid jack slips again! So back I go digging the jack out and once again, raising the vehicle, and finally I get the borrowed tire put into place. I have never, ever, had a vehicle fall off a jack like this!
Now that the vehicle is mobile, I drive to the station in town and get the tire fixed. I wasn’t able though, to get fixed tire placed back on the van because the station’s crappy jack was in use elsewhere…I would just have to put the right tires back onto their rightful owners back home.

Back home, I jack up the lame van and put the right tire back into place and then move to put the borrowed tire back onto the dead van when it’s crappy jack falls! So…I get the jack from the repaired van and go to work on it when “that” jack falls! Now I have both jacks trapped underneath the crappy dead van. An hour later I have them dug out and place them both under the vehicle and finally get the stupid crappy borrowed tire back into place.

Oh, being that it was freezing cold, it would figure that I would have my lazy sweat pants on which resulted in the constant battle of plumber’s pants syndrome…crappy sweats!

I have never had such a crappy morning! But, when I went back inside, the good wife makes me a stack of pancakes that would bring Paul Bunyon to his knees…I have never had such a good morning either…

Money...Money...Money

It is a rough one this morning. It seems that the hardest time of the day is the morning. Everything hurts. I did manage to get to sleep around 3 am, so that was good.

The good wife is out and about early this morning on a job that should last her throughout the day. Hopefully I will get a couple of writing assignments so I can add to the money puddle. I like that; Money puddle instead of pool. I do hope that things pick up. Surely they will.

I do so hate that money has become such an issue to us. I never would have believed if someone had told me ten years ago about the me of today. Money, or the lack of, has too strong a hold on the world. Wouldn’t it be great to have access to all the money one could ever need? I would go out daily looking for people to bless. I would try to find nobody in particular, but people who have the look in their eyes that could use a break, you know, strangers. I would just send the people I know a pile of money anonymously so no thanks could be given and no chase taken up. I would also not want anyone to know about my setup. Money, money, money…

Anyway, back to the real world. Might write more later…may not.

My Little Girl

My Little Girl

“One more smile daddy…say cheese.”
She doesn’t understand “past due”--
mortgage not in her vocabulary.

“Look this way daddy…say cheese.”
The Car’s broken down--
won’t be fixed for a week.

“Over here daddy…say cheese.”
The boss say’s I’m his best worker--
can’t hold my job.

“This will be good daddy…say cheese.”
The doctor’s did all they could--
I’ll walk no more.

“Pictures for Grandpa daddy…say cheese”
He’s gone to Heaven--
his visits are done.

“Just one more picture daddy…say cheese”
She doesn’t know there’s no film--
she’s only three.

©10-23-2005Darrell Bottoms

Here's a poem I like

Where I Am

The Season:
Hope left the dream
No longer counted worthy
Life became misplaced
-Yesterday-

The Time:
Life will be recovered
Visions will be seen
Standing center stage
-Tomorrow-

The Date:
Tomorrow never came
Yesterday never ended
Where I am I live
-Today-

©2005 Darrell Bottoms


I like it . Say's so much. I really like the last line.

If you want to be Right…Do Right!