The Gay Life of a Country Boy

“I’m sorry” is something we hear an awful lot these days.  It’s not only for Canadians anymore!  You hear it when a polite person bumps into you.  You hear it when someone doesn’t hear you well and needs you to repeat yourself.  You will even hear it from children if they’ve messed up.  Well, those who have been raised correctly, that is.

There have been a good amount of people lately who are in the “spotlight” who have said it.  For instance, one or two people have used the Big-T word to refer to a transgendered person while on TV or on radio.  A few days later, Twitter, Facebook, and all other social sites were filled with apologies from these people saying they either didn’t know or they were so sorry they upset their fans.  I’ve also read apologies from politicians that have used offensive words or did something they eventually felt bad about.

Call me closed minded, but those public apologies, to me, carry no meaning at all.  When I open my mouth, the words that come out are from my mind.  They have obviously been in my vocabulary for a long time.  I can honestly say that I have used the T-word on many occasions.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that I have no transgender people in my circle of friends.  Actually, I don’t personally know any.

The reason I bring this topic up is because I have read at least four apologies in the news or on Twitter this month alone.  I can’t begin to believe that this apology is coming straight from their hearts.  After they are schooled by their PR people, their managers, or their fans, then the apologies start pouring out.  That pouring out of sorrow sounds like they are begging fans and followers to stop paying them attention.  Was this one word that they never say and decided to spit it out where the public could hear them?  I doubt it very seriously.

I would rather hear them say, “The other day on ____, I said ____.  I normally use this word and I have never known it was an offensive word to use to any group of people.  If it has offended you, I apologize.  I can’t promise I will never say it again, but it will not be on a publicly aired telecast when it is said.  Thank you.” 

If the person said this, I would totally believe him or her after that.  Telling me that they are “totally understanding and will never say it again” will turn me off in a heart beat.  How do you expect anyone to believe that?  It’s a tad far fetched, you know?

Tonight, the other half and I went to a local eatin’ place that we really like. It’s the farthest from being healthy, but when we get a hankering for it, we will knock a hoe over to get to it. We watched “The Help” the other night, and besides for me getting pissed off to the point of my face turning blood red, we started craving chicken. Fried chick’n. None of this “Oh, I’ll throw some into a pan and brown it for you” crap. We talkin’ ’bout some “pick it up witch ya fingers and don’t touch nothing nor nobody till ya wash ya hands” chicken. It wasn’t made by shacking it around in flour and corn meal in a brown paper sack, but it was darn sure close.

As much as I love this place, I am always disturbed and confused when I go to any location. The reason for that is I don’t know how I should gauge the staff. One thing to remember is that it is considered a fast-food joint…supposed to be. It’s not always that way. You would think that the management would be ready to deal with whatever comes their way. For instance, it is not Christmas Day, but it is still in the same week. People have cooked till they don’t want to cook any more. They would rather go get a bucket of chicken and some sides and call it a night. You should have all the stuff you need when the people get there. If you see you don’t have a type of chicken ready to package up for the customers, cook it before you run completely out. Don’t make people wait in the place till the stuff is done. If your place closes at 11pm, don’t act like you’re about to leave at 6:30. It’s still business time and there are some hungry people.

My second concern is the quality of the staff. I understand that you don’t have to have a degree to work in fast-food or even a high school diploma, but dad-gum, have some kind of organizational and personal skills to make the flow easier and without hang-ups. That goes for the managers and the staff alike. If you have crappy managers, the staff working under them isn’t going to have much motivation to be any better.

I’ve noticed other things, but if I start putting those into words…especially online…it’s going to get messy. All I will say is that if you are going to operate a restaurant that people in an area really love, make sure you have people working who are capable of satisfying in every way…customer service, a fast process, and hospitality. It’s not much to ask. Oh wait, I guess that is too much to ask for someone making $7.50 an hour, huh?

Pope ushers in Christmas, decries commercialization | Reuters

Christmas is, and always has been, my favorite holiday. I love the bright colors, the joyous singing, the warm greetings, and the feeling of warmth that this season holds. No other season has this power over me.

You may not celebrate Christmas, and it is your right to celebrate whatever holiday you observe. This post is about the holiday I observe, and whether it is different from yours or not, please open your minds and allow its meaning to enter in.

As a child, I was taught the importance of Christmas. Caring and giving without expectation of receiving anything in return were the two most important things to teach a child. This day in time, those things need to be shown more and more. After reading the article above, I was reminded of this. I am glad that Pope Benedict XVI discussed this modern Christmas celebration in his mass. Toppie Smellie (The Smellcast Podcast) discussed this on an installment of his Christmas series.

Commercialism has taken hold of this sacred holiday and has turned it into something selfish and vile. Instead of being taught to be humble, children are being taught that whatever they want, they can have. We saw the many stupid things that were done on Black Friday by parents who obviously believe this way of thinking. Instead of accepting the fact that she may not be able to purchase an XBox 360 for her child, the woman in California stooped to such a low level of inflicting pain on others to fulfill her own selfishness…and in the end, the selfishness of her child. That’s just the horrible side of the shopper.

Businesses are cashing in on this thought process. It’s as if the leaders of retail companies are sitting back and saying, “Hey, look at these people. They will do anything to get into our stores when we run these insane sales. I wonder what we can do next year.” I, for one, did not take part in this insane ritual. On Black Friday, my behind is sitting on the couch. That’s a day I let ignorance carry on without me. There is nothing in any store that means so much to me that I have to place myself in danger to get to it. NOTHING! I have told people this year that they would not be receiving anything from me. And, that’s the honest truth. We purchased something for the two kids next door. That was our donation to the economy this year.

Thinking back to my childhood, I am reminded how thankful I was to receive the gifts my parents were able to give me. We were not wealthy people. We were not poor as we had enough money for the food we ate, the clothes we wore, and our house. My father worked for us to have these things. My mother was a stay at home mom. We were asked at Christmas what we wanted and we would say a couple of things. It was understood that these things were only wishes and were not promised. My parents usually found a way to get most of the things we wanted. Many times, if they couldn’t find exactly what we asked for, something of equal purpose would be provided. The three of us had no issues with that.

As a young child on Christmas Eve, my mother would take chairs from the kitchen and sit them in front of the tree. She would take the presents brought to us by “Santa Clause” and set them up in the chair. It was a display on a country level! Beside the chairs, there would be brown paper grocery bags…one for each of us. In these bags would be nuts, fruit, and candy. In many ways, those bags and their contents were more important to me than the things displayed in the chair. These things were sustenance. These things could be enjoyed and also fill my stomach. Even at a young age, I knew there were thousands of children around the world who were not able to enjoy such things. I felt terribly blessed to have these things.

At this time of year, I for one, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the true meaning and observance of this season. Each year, I like to read in the Book of Luke Chapters 1-2. It brings everything back into view. The baby in the manger didn’t need the coolest new toy from Fisher Price. His mother wasn’t concerned if her husband was buying her a new shinny ring from Jared. Joseph was not worried whether he was getting the new rifle from Remington or any of the hunting gear to go with it. Whatever they had in their possession was all they needed…other than the little baby lying in that manger.

This Christmas, make sure to give thanks for the things you posses. You have clothes, a home, food, and if you’re reading this, you own some type of electronic device. Think of the unfortunate people in the world who aren’t even capable of having proper food. While you sit at a table in a comfortable home, remember those who are eating with their fingers while sitting on a curb somewhere. Think of those that are sitting in huts made from whatever they can find to stick together to form a shelter. It’s not easy for them but they have learned to deal. Could you do that? Today, all I ask is for you to stop and think.

Have a very Merry Christmas!