Just my Opinion

I watched a video of a news woman, Maya Wiley, talk about the martin/zimmerman case today. As I watched, I thought, this is so true! She talks about how subliminally we make judgements about people. We can't help it. So, basically we make judgements because of our very own personal lives. I never used to think of myself as  prejudice. My parents didn't bring me up to be prejudice. I lived about 10 minutes away from Gary, Indiana when I was a kid. I didn't visit. At the time it had the worst crime rate in America. So, I never met a brown skinned person until I was about ten. I say brown skinned because I am an artist and that is what I see. I do not use it negatively. It's just simpler then saying African American. And, frankly, I wouldn't want to be called a French Canadian all the time just because that is part of my heritage. I am from America and so where my parents. I am not always politically correct. It's not because I am trying to hurt someones feelings. It's because poltically correct to you may not seem politically correct to me. Anyway, back to what I was saying. I didn't used to think of myself as prejudice. But, sadly, I do now. Am I prejudice because I have turned into a hateful person? No, I am being molded at all times. I am reacting to the way I myself am being treated. It is because of the way of the world. I see people come to America from other countries and get to go to school for free! I see my country changing signs and directions, posting them in different languages. The people who speak those languages can get free classes to learn English. Where are my free classes. And, what about the older generation? Who is helping them learn the new "ways of the world." Nobody is.
My husband and I started saving for our kids college bills when they were babies. When the first child started college we couldn't get FASFA help on tuition because we had too much money in savings accounts. The COLLEGE savings accounts. So, we pooled the money and used it for our first child's first year of college. The next year we couldn't get FASFA because my husband had worked too much overtime and it made us look like we had too much money. The reason he worked overtime is because the economy was looking so bad he worked all the overtime he could get. Just in case. Meanwhile, students from other countries are going to college free of charge. Did anyone check to see how much money their parents had saved up? I paid for my college myself. I would skip a semester so I could work and save to pay for the next year. My kids have part time jobs while attending school. But, when they get out their bills will still be astronomical! And, the molding continues. 
It is a vicious circle. Now, back to the martin /zimmerman case. Do I think justice was served? Let's see. Here are the facts. I man shot a man. I do not consider trayvon martin a child. Oh, he is someones child. But not a little kid.  And, I doubt that he considered himself a child. He wasn't in a school of any kind. He wasn't living at home with a parent. I don't know if he had a job or what his plans where for the future.  Then there is zimmerman. He was the self appointed head guy of the neighborhood watch. I wonder if the watch group discussed what would happen in the worse case scenario. I doubt it. I wonder if maybe someone should have said,"what if someone jumps you and starts beating you?" or "What if you are told to walk away from the situation. What should you do?"   I don't know what all was going on in this neighborhood, crime wise. But, should you have a gun with you? I think if you have a gun with you that means you are ready to defend and protect by killing someone. Not, that you will. Just that it is a possibility.  I don't think a neighborhood watch guy should put himself in a position where he could get beaten up or possibly killed. That is not his job. Hence, the name "watch." He should have stopped when he reported the activity he thought was unacceptable. But, he made a stupid judgement call. And, now, the other hand, was trayvon innocent? In my eyes. No. You can't just beat someone without consequences. Unfortunate, his consequence was way overboard. Being dead because you might be a suspicious up to no good character is way overboard. So, what do we learn from this? Seems to me we as a whole we are learning nothing. We are pointing fingers and we are arguing and being hateful. Do I think justice was served? Well, trayvon is dead. So, for him, the answer is no. Now, when i first heard of all this, I was afraid for zimmerman. I thought the verdict would go the other way. I did not in any way think he was innocent. But, I was afraid they would give him the death penalty and make him an example. That didn't happen. That was shocking to me. Then I thought, hey, this guy shouldn't just walk away. He killed someone! Then, I realized, he is not just walking away. He is walking away with a GIANT target on his back! His life will never be the same. And, it shouldn't be. It should cross his mind ever day that he killed someone. That should never be taken lightly.
Now, as far as the rioting, fighting and name calling. Please, don't make me turn on tv or facebook, for the next week or two, only to see someone give their opinion on the matter. Is this a racial mess? Yes, because everyone is making it a racial mess. Pardon my attention deficit for a minute. I remember the news lady saying something about a brown man and a wallet and people shouldn't jump to the conclusion that it was stolen. True. And, in the same sense. Thugs should not look at me like I am a white lady and I have money in my wallet. And, George Cloney should not look at a young vibrant woman and think she would be a better mate, then a women his own age with wrinkles and more experience, because she is young and beautiful! Opinions are opinions. If we want them to change, maybe, we should change the actions that lead to those opinions. And, we cannot change by rioting and blaming and whining.

Attention Deficit

The last time I wrote a blog was a couple of years ago. I wasn't ill. I didn't lose my computer privileges. The reason is, I have attention deficit. I forget things. My mind wanders. My focus is not focused most of the time. This doesn't mean that in the past few years I have not had any opinions on things. Believe me, I have. But, I just don't think about blogging all that much. I started this mostly because I have always had a clearer view point after I write things down. So rather than find people to tell my many thoughts to, I would just jot them down and feel instantly better. I don't really write my thoughts for others. I mostly just write them for myself. It's sort of like a diary to me. Oh, the other day, I ran across my diaries from when I was in High School. They are hilarious! .......See, short little attention span.

Unbelievable!

So today I was searching sites on the web and I ran across two that left me speechless! One is called Lumistone.  They make a product that you can inlay in countertops or use as cord a round. And they also make a bathroom sink. But, the amazing part is that it glows!!! So, after you brush your teeth at night, you turn out the light and there isn't total darkness.  The sink is glowing! The second site is Enviroglass. A earth friendly company that makes surfaces that can be used as floors or countertops. It is a resin with glass chips in it. One of the colors it Enviroglo!!! Now, I have always disliked the dark. And, I love magical glowie things! My mind is spinning!  Unbelievable....

Another Job

Okay, just how many web sites does one person need?  I just want a place for my art, a place to talk to my friends, and a place to write whatever I want! But, everyone keeps saying I need a facebook page for my robots. Okay. I made a facebook page for my etsy shop art.It has the same name as my shop, Leuckit. I guess if you don't know my last name is Leuck pronounced "like" you don't find the humor in them asking me if I want a "Like" button!
Today, I was on the computer forever. Just checking in here and there. I made a treasury on etsy. That takes me hours. When you tell someone with severe attention deficit to make a treasury, that is like telling a kid to walk into a candy store and pick one thing. Did I build any robots today? No. Does that make me sad and crabby? Why yes it does. I just want to do my art. I feel like I have added another job to the list of jobs I already have. I get the reasoning behind putting the time into promoting my shop. I just don't like it. The End.

Teaching the Old Dog New Tricks

I just connected the recyclers guild to my blog on facebook.  This may not be a big deal to most of you. But, it is HUGE for me. You see a lot of the people who have blogs and are savvy in "computer ways" just think it's a "given" that everyone knows how to do everything on the computer. That is not so. I have never had a computer class. We took typing back in the day because, "you may want to be a secretary!" NOT! I just wanted to learn to type. I am a diagnosed severely attention deficit person. Which means that if I have to read something that isn't interesting I will read it over and over and not soak it in. Computer directions are never interesting. So, all I have learned about the computer has been trial and error. I truly appreciate the people who answer questions I ask. I truly do not appreciate the people who have jobs where they use computers and they have taken computer classes since they were young. They look at me or talk to me as if I lived on another planet. Nope, I'm right here on earth. But, I didn't get a computer until I was in my late 30's. I am a creative person. Very visual. And, if I want to be seen I have to learn the ways of the computer and the internet. Believe me, I am enjoying all of it. The younger generation will never know how lucky they are just in having the opportunity to stay connected with friends and loved ones like never before. And, maybe, just maybe, the computer elite will learn some manners about how to talk with people and not make them feel lesser than they are.

Computer confussion

Okay, we already know I can't spell for crap and I have no memory for numbers and such. So, now the "computer people" want me to be a computer genius! They say" just embed this code in each page you want tracked." Excuse me?  I do not speak that language. Nor do I know how to find the place you want me to embed the code in. The generation gap used to be this little separation in which parents and children didn't understand each others music and fashion. We are now looking at this gaping whole in which communication between the generations is being severed all together. People my age are desperately trying to hang on by pushing and pulling their way into the computer world. But, every time we learn something they change it. I just get used to a computer and it becomes obsolete! I buy a new one and nothing is the same. The generation older than mine might as well give up. First of all, there aren't a lot of gray hairs on facebook. And if they are on, their friends aren't. I am not that old and there are so many people I would like to contact on facebook. But, they aren't on it. Now, I am talking the average joe here. If your job includes the use of computers, I realize you have an advantage. But, I feel like I know a tiny bit about computer stuff. But, when I talk with my aunts and uncles or show my mom something on the web they get this bewildered look on their face. I just tell them, "I feel your pain." The only way I can feel better about this whole thing is if I pretend everything is just magic. Then I just push buttons and zip around the computer like a fairy.

I love my Christmas tree

I love my Christmas tree and I think it is the best tree ever. I started collecting ornaments when I was 13. I was at a store and I saw this little elf ornament and bought it. And so it began. At that time I also started making ornaments for all my nieces and nephews. They were made out of sculpey clay. Every year I would make each kid an ornament. So, when they were older they would have them for their own trees. When I interviewed with Hallmark that is what they were most interested in. And, that is what I would have loved to go into. They were just starting with their ornament line. But, at the time, it was not worth moving to Kansas. Do I regret not moving? Not even for a second. My favorite ornaments are the ones with a story behind them. I have one of Puddles from the kids book "Toot and Puddles." The books are written and illustrated by Betsy Clark. It is Puddles ice skating. I put it on a hanger that rotates. So, it looks like he is really skating. I love it! I also have some that are from an estate sale I worked on. They are very old. When I got them they had old curtain hooks on them. I never changed them. I like that they used what they had available. I of course have the ones my kids made. Becca colored a heart one year on paper and then cut it out. I smile every time I put that on the tree. She was so pleased when she gave it to me. I also have a small watermelon slice that a dear college friend made me. When I place it on the tree I think of her. Some are ornaments that where on the tree when I was a kid. My mom always decorates the tree with blue lights. And, she always had a blue aluminum star on top. I put her tree up every year for her and when the star quit working she was going to throw it away. Now, it is an ornament on my tree. I also have things that aren't really ornaments. I have a red Christmas record that I shove in the branches. And, a kids red toy motorcycle guy. I have no rules as to whether it can or can't be on the tree. If I like it, it gets a spot on the tree. And, a lot of the ornaments I made. When the kids get trees of their own I will give them their ornaments. Nick has sporty ones and Hallmarks GI Joe ornaments. Becca has Barbie ornaments and ones that her godparents gave her each year. Ben has Scooby Do and Harry Potter ones. But, for now they are displayed on my tree. I have over 350 ornaments. I have them all written down as to where I got them and whose they are.  Two years ago I purchased a tree stand that rotates. Now, all the ornaments can be seen! I put the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving. So, we have time to enjoy it. And, every year I do just that!!!