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Is It That Obvious?
By Mona Lease

Hi, all!! I was waiting in line at a local store. The accent drew my attention to the gentleman speaking. With his face hidden in the shadows of a huge Stetson hat perched on his head, I heard him say Darke County is shrouded in all this "secrecy." He remarked that around here all he heard "us" say was: all was ok - we're all doing good - business is booming - family life is great.

He said he knew the "score." He said he knew that everything was no ok - if it was, why do we have so many women walking around with kiddies and no wedding ring - no Daddy in sight? I watched him leave the store. He dressed the part of a rancher - huge Stetson hat, cowboy boots complete with toe and heel rands, and a denim shirt paired with jeans. However; I think it was his parting comment that got my brain zinging. He said the gals around here should not be so loose with their legs. If this speculation of his is drug-related...that might not be the problem. That might be a symptom.

The problem might be that we - as a people - have traded our "safety net" for a mess of "popularity pottage." That is to say that we did have a few "checks and balances" in place. The "not so popular" teacher was the one who demanded adherence to an "approved standard." And that teacher was not afraid to hand out a punishment - detention...extra homework...the "dreaded and revered" paddle.

The paddle is gone now - to be replaced with medicine (ADD, ADHD, PTSS, and a host of other maladies), redirecting a kiddie back to a desired task, timeouts, etc. And I wonder: Take a look at the sugar content in breakfast cereals, breakfast bars and the like. Could this sugar overload in any way contribute to the above-mentioned maladies? This above morning-starter breakfast menu has replaced Mom's homemade breakfasts: eggs, toast, hotcakes, hot rolled oats (oatmeal), etc.

Gone also, are the days when kiddies ran and played outside: wiffle ball, baseball, football, badminton, tag, etc. That's all been replaced by computer-driven games of "skill":  street gangs fighting other street gangs, a game played around the world called Castles (more violence) and the like.

Also missing are the times when girls around the age of 13 started taking a hard look at themselves: What do you want to be when you grow up...where do you want to live...what kind of a guy do you want to marry...what kind of a guy do you want to be the father of your children...what kind of a guy do you want to look at every day? A girl would get a hope chest at maybe 14 or 15. She would put her favorite doll in it for her own daughter. She'd embroider pillow cases and such for her future home.

The guys did the same "soul-searching." You guys will have to fill in the rest here. I had no brothers. I never heard any personal conversations from my male cousins.

I'd actually like to speak with the gentleman who wore the Stetson. Is it really that obvious that we traded a few things we thought were unneeded... outdated... "antiquated thinking" - for what we call our "great American standard of living?"

I read somewhere in some book: "...ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Remember the kiddies and our service people. Take good care of the furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy. See ya next time. Ever Toodles!!! MONA


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