|
|
You'd Never Know It
By Mona Lease
Hi, all!!! You'd never know it to look at us. We're seemingly as
different as night and day. She wears long dresses all of the time. Me?
I'll wear a dress. Just not all of the time.
Our speech is the same. We wear our hair up...hers in a bun...mine in a
clip. She always wears a little cap. I'll wear a hat occasionally.
We both like to garden. Baked goodies from our own oven is a preference. We love the shade and shelter of a huge spreading tree.
Our homes are powered by electricity. We own automobiles. We have a
telephone in our home. We mow our own yards. We pull our own weeds.
We do our own dishes by hand. We wash and iron our own clothes. We mop
our own floors. We dust our own furniture and wash our own ceilings and
walls. And these are all outward details.
This woman (I just recently met her) and I started chatting
"deeper." You know...discussing issues close to your heart. We
chatted about things that "define" us. We discussed issues in which we
wholeheartedly believe. As it turns out - under the "differences" are a
whole lot more "similarities."
We discussed out government. We discussed the kiddies at large and how
they are being "raised." We discussed what they are being taught in the
schools and by example "on the street" and on the internet. We
discussed how early is "too early" to discuss certain topics...namely
sex or alcohol/drug use ...in front of the kiddies.
We discussed the internet...computers...smartphones (which can allow
you to access the internet). And we discussed the truth of the fact
that: When you go on the internet to look up something and you click on
one of the choices you are given - there is a computer (maybe a
smartphone) at the other end who now knows all about your computer (now
they can get all of the "business" you've transacted) AND - in most
cases they can see the location of your computer, iPad, iPhone,
smartphone, etc. We discussed all of this in front of her
grandkiddies...ages 9 and 11 years old. She (the woman I just met) told
me she has to discuss these issues "openly and honestly" - IT'S all
"out there." We agreed - that in today's world - most
kiddies are "innocent" (in every sense of this word) until around the
age of 8 or 9 years old. We agreed that the biggest "culprit" here is
the internet - by way of the iPad, iPhone, and Smartphone. A computer
is now pretty well defunct...passe...or "bypassed for more
user-friendly...more streamlined technology."
There is now (and has been for a while, I'm told) a wristwatch-looking
"gadget" (it has a much bigger face). I've tried these a couple of
times on display models at WalMart. In it's "at rest" mode it's a
wristwatch. One kiddie who learns of these things on his
internet-capable devices will "share" it with the kiddies who do not
have these devices.
On the drive back to my house I mulled over our conversation and the
outward appearance of the woman with whom I'd just conversed. Haven't I
encountered this before...somewhere? I've experienced this
previously....somewhere. Maybe not this conversation...maybe the theory
behind it...kept needling at me.
And then it hit home to me. We had discussed many major
issues...including guns...who should own one/who should not own
one....when and why do you pull the trigger. What pulled at my mind was:
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view."
"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand."
"People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for."
"The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."
"Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I'd have the facts."
"Atticus, he was real nice." "Most people are when you finally see them."
"People in their right minds never take pride in their talents."
"Mockingbirds don't do but one thing but make music for us to enjoy.
They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't
do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to
kill a mockingbird." Excerpts from "To Kill a Mockingbird" -
Harper Lee (Last I checked, this book was no longer
required reading in the Greenville Sr High School).
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. EverToodles!!! MONA
|
|
|
<
|
