And You Spend Your Life Putting Money in His Wallet

For 120 years, Americans have celebrated the first Monday in September by taking the day off.  We enjoy the long weekend.  We host barbecues and make a family day out of it.  But, do we really know what Labor Day is or how it came to be a national holiday?  Is it something we cover in detail in our history classes?  Would we remember if it had been?

Labor Day is the result of the 19th century labor movement.  In the  midst of the Industrial Revolution, the average American man worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week.  Children as young as 5 years old were forced into horrific working conditions.  Mothers in textile sweatshops brought their toddlers to work because, even at age 2, little ones were capable of earning a living by picking up buttons and sewing scraps from the floors.

In the late 1800s, as industry replaced agriculture as the main American employment, labor unions gained strength and became more vocal.  Demands for better working conditions and pay, as well as strike threats (and follow-though,) became more common.  People grew tired of working their lives away for very little pay.  Workers were robbed of dignity and humanity.  It was a new breed of slavery.

On September 5, 1882, more than 10,000 laborers took unpaid time off to walk from City Hall to Union Square in New York City. It was the very first Labor Day parade.  When news of this parade traveled, the idea of a 'workman's holiday' caught on.  Many states passed legislation dedicating the first Monday in September to the workers.

Congress, however, did not pass legislation to recognize the holiday until 12 years later when employer practices could no longer be ignored.  On May 11, 1894, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest the firing of union employees and wage cuts.  On June 26, 1894, the American Railroad Union called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars to show support for the Pullman workers.  The boycott immobilized railroad traffic across the nation.

In order to break the strike, the feds sent troops to Chicago resulting in a wave of riots.  More than a dozen American workers were killed. In an attempt to appease and heal the American workforce, Congress passed an act declaring Labor Day an official holiday.

Many would argue that not a lot has changed.  Workers in industry and service still sweat to put money in the rich man's wallet.  However, conditions for today's worker are much, much better than those found 120 years ago.  If you're lucky enough to earn a livable wage and work a 9 to 5 job OR if you're enjoying this day off OR earning holiday pay/double time at your work, thank those hard workers whose blood, sweat and tears inspired this day.  Happy Labor Day.

As Real as it May Seem

Dreams.  The mind's representation of our deepest wants.  In dreams, we're given precious moments with those taken from us.  Or, we live our fantasies.  And sometimes, we have crazy, wackadoo,  off-the-wall dreams we wish we could understand.

Like this one.

The other night, I dreamed John and I were no longer together. (This could be fantasy or nightmare depending on how much he's pissed me off lately.) He wasn't even a part of the dream.  No mention of John.  Perhaps I had never met him.

I believe I was 34, as in current time.  However, I was dating a college boy.  And he was a FRESHMAN. (WTF?)  His name was Bryan and we were in love.  I moved into his dorm room so that we could spend all our time together.  Ah, true love.

Here's where it really gets weird.  Bryan was an Animagus.   He preferred to be a dog.  Most people were unaware that he was human, as they had only met him as a dog. He brought dog friends to the dorm room where I fed them raw steaks on China.  The only time he kissed me in the dream was a big, sloppy dog kiss.

What could this possibly mean?  Other than the obvious...that I'm slightly nutso. I kissed a dog. Thank God it was only in my dreams. 

Exactly How it's Supposed to Be

A teacher once told me that God had a plan for me.  That was about 20 years ago, when a small town teacher could make a religious comment and not lose her job.  The nation still respected your freedom of religion and didn't constantly beat you with a freedom from religion.  (That's a conversation for another day.)

I liked knowing God had a plan for me.   I kept my eyes open, waiting for that grand plan to be revealed.  I'm still waiting.  I once really loved "God has a plan."  But now, I think it's, well, stupid. 

Have you noticed when people use this old adage it's usually to justify some terrible decision they've made?  Or when an unfortunate or untimely death occurs?  Or to give reason to the unreasonable? 

Listen, people, sometimes shitty things happen for no reason at all. Or for humanly reasons, completely unconnected with the Lord. Or, my favorite reason, because God stands back and allows us to make our own decisions and feel pain.  

Yes, God has plans for each of us.  We don't know these plans.  However, we can keep our eyes open, listen with our hearts, and look for signs of what He wants from/for us.  

But how many of us do that?  Don't we typically get in the way?  We do what we want without thought of the consequences.  We become obsessed with what feels good in the present and give little thought to our futures.  We ignore our limitations.  

Grown adults make incredibly childish, selfish, stupid decisions.  We say it was an accident and throw out "God's plan" to justify what was really a natural consequence of poor judgment.  God will let you fail and give you space to find Him, to hear Him, to succeed.  Don't get in the way of that.  Don't miss your chance to be new again. 

(*Warning:  the video link features footage from The Passion of the Christ.  It is graphic and may not be suitable for children.) 

Made of Scars and Filled with My Old Wounds

It's been more than 10 years since I graduated from law school.  More than 13 years since I made the worst decision of my life and applied for admission.  What in Hell was I thinking?  Why didn't someone warn me:  Miss April, don't go. You'll take on $100K+ loan debt and you won't do a damn thing with your education. In 10 years, all you'll have is an overpriced piece of paper sitting in your attic closet and a collection of scars.

I hate myself for having been so stupid.  Why did I go, you ask? Honestly?  Because Dr. Stacia Straley told me to and (and this is a really big AND) my mother said I couldn't.  Her words when I told her I was applying were "Yeah, right."  She didn't believe in me and I was determined to throw that in her face.

Maybe she was right?  What good is graduating from an intense, expensive, law program if you piss it away?

I knew the first semester I did not want to be a lawyer.  I found it difficult to make friends with other law students.  It was clear that most of them grew up much differently than I did.  In 3 years, only 1 professor learned my name. (Section 1 friends: it wasn't Sahl! Ha!)

I was never impressed with the corporate world. I took an internship in a public defender office longing to find something to help me love the profession.  I left it feeling even more jaded.  It truly was a revolving door: the same clients over and over and over.  While I was mentored by 4 very fine attorneys, I identified more with the office staff.  The same is true of my first real job post law school.  I befriended the office secretary and felt "out of place" with the attorneys.  I DID NOT FIT IN.  You can't expect a gold fish to thrive in the ocean.

I was so busy running from my roots.  I wanted to be as detached from "po-dunk" as possible.  I wanted to show "them"  I was more valuable than they ever gave me credit for being.  All those smug, "I'm better than you" teens that made fun of me because they saw my mom use food stamps or noticed my free lunch. (I stopped eating school lunch in 11th grade because I was teased so badly.  It was humiliating.)

So I went to law school, completed 3 grueling years, graduated....suck it, naysayers... and then failed myself.  I happily accepted my husband's wish to move back to his hometown,  a crap town full of crap people who largely remind me of those I ran from.  (There are many wonderful exceptions. You know who you are. And I hope to meet many more.) I left a real profession to be a bar manager.  I wasted years at home.  My post-children brain is not what it once was.  I am no longer smart and often wonder if I ever was.

When I figured out what I wanted to be, graduate program admission counselors recommended teaching elementary kids.  My response was "No thanks.  Little kids give me hives."  <---That's true.  Instead, I opted to become licensed in grades 7-12 Integrated Social Studies and am apparently unemployable. Why?  Because I don't coach football.

School districts invent positions for football coaches.  Someone like me, with 2 advanced degrees, can't even land an interview.  *Sidenote: I wonder if I could sue all the districts in Ohio that have hired sub-par social studies teachers on behalf of the students they've failed?  (Here, failed means 'to let down' rather than 'to flunk.') Of course, if I did, I would never, ever, no-not ever be hired as an educator in any district in the nation.* I now realize admission counselors pushed me toward elementary education because I am a woman and am employable in elementary schools.  And now I almost wish I had listened.

So, here I am, nearing 35 years old, watching my teacher friends in the midst of their careers and I haven't started mine.  I graduated high school determined to make an impact on the world.  To change it.  But I've yet to do anything.  If life is a mirror, I have no reflection. 

Oh, Pool of Blue Sky

I've known Nurse Gina my entire life.  Ok, so maybe I didn't actually meet her at birth, but our parents were friends so I have very early memories of her.  She was always cool to me.  When I was in elementary school, she was in high school and in the marching band.  The marching band came to our school to perform and I was so envious.  It looked like so much fun.

Gina graduated and moved on.  I heard she became a nurse.  I don't think I saw her for 20 years.  I ran into her once at a football game.  Then, Facebook reconnected us. I learned that she is a nurse AND she works for Medflight.  As luck would have it, she's sometimes stationed at the airport closest to my home.

She invited us to visit the airport to check out the Medflight helicopter. We tried last summer, but there was an emergency and the unit was called away.  We arrived at the airport in time to watch the helicopter take flight.  Just that experience was pretty cool.

Today, we actually got to see the helicopter.  Gina was awesome.  She took time to show things to the children and explained how equipment works.  She described her flight suit and explained how it protects the staff from fires.  She even invited the children to sit in the helicopter!

It was awesome!  Here are some pics.

Showing us how the gurney pulls out. 

Nurse Gina is pretty awesome. 

Jonah didn't want to go and didn't want to leave. 

Mason looks grumpy in this pic, but she wasn't.  She really wanted to sit inside the helicopter. 

The pilot's seat (or as my kids say, "The driver's chair.)

Mason is into posing for pics these days.

Family pic.

More posing. 

The airport staircase was a big hit. It's not every day you see a staircase that goes no where. 

While we were checking out the helicopter, this plane landed.  Bonus!  I'd like to learn to fly.

Thank you, Gina Peterson.  We very much enjoyed our tour today.




***Title song:  Unthought Known-Pearl Jam

Cause Yeah, We're Over

Dear American Whiners,

When did you become so sensitive?  The worst thing anyone in our country can do is offend another person.  Seriously, where have you put your big girl pants?  And why do you make it so easy for me to offend you?

I struggle with understanding this, American Whiners.  I am not easily offended by the general public.  I'm fairly liberal.  You know, the live and let live bullshit. It takes a lot for me to hold onto anger...and usually that is only in regard to my screwed up family.  But you, American Whiners, you're quick to react.  You drama EVERYTHING.  You stand up on your soapboxes and lecture the rest of us over the most mundane of things, finding injustice where none exists.

Why?  What have you accomplished?  Some weaker minded people will be shamed into agreeing with you, but not me.  I will be sitting at home, busy with my loved ones, not giving one minute of thought to you and your latest cause.  How does it feel to wave a flag only you can see?  Not very effective, is it?

So, American Whiners, I dump you.  Piss off.  Hit the road.  Kick rocks.  Delete yourselves from my Facebook and my life (most of you already have...because I'm damn good at being offensive.)

We're through.  It's the getting over it part .  Also, this:

A meme adds class to my post, right? Right???

Regards,

April

A Light that Shines on You will Shine on You Forever

My baby is growing up.  My girl.  My light.  Tonight, I dressed her and sent her on her first date....with her daddy.  It's Father-Daughter Dance night.  Mason has been talking about it since the flyer came home from school.

For awhile, we were unsure whether John could go.  We don't have other male role models in her life, so I would have taken her...the consolation prize for having a Daddy with a lousy work schedule.  BUT, the moon, stars and planets all aligned, God sent us some grace, and Father And Daughter went to the dance.

I've never seen our daughter so excited.  At dinner, she told John, "You'll get to meet some of my friends, Daddy!"  and "Oh, we're going to have so much fun."  She told her brothers, "I have a special date with Daddy, boys!" She told me, "Daddy is a prince and I am a princess."  For a moment, I was jealous.  Tonight, he gets to be a part of her inner circle.

I took a few pictures.  I tear up when I look at them.  All too soon, someone else will be taking her to dances. I hope that poor kid is prepared.  She's one tough cookie.  For now, it's Mason and Daddy.  Half my world. Don't they look great?!!