Judging People

No one likes to think that they are judgmental, but we are. Some more than others, but it seems to be a part of the human condition…we judge. Fat, skinny, short, tall, rich, poor, liberal, conservative… we all judge. That, we cannot deny.

How many times have you stood in line at the grocery store and wondered why in the world would that person buy that kind of food? Why would such a pretty young woman get a tattoo? Is that kid really wearing his baggy pants below his butt? Does that old guy with the comb-over really think it hides his bald spot? What’s worse is that most of the time we are doing it unconsciously, without even thinking.

So why do we judge people, even those closest to us?

Egos. Our egos constantly need to know that they are smarter than, stronger than, better looking than and ultimately…superior to others. Yet, our egos lay hidden deep within who we THINK we are just waiting for the chance to leap out. We unconsciously see others as more than or less than, but rarely equal to who we are.

Being aware of our egos and the ego’s need to be fed is the first step to getting off the judgment-go-round. Become aware that we are judging! In that awareness, we come to realize that in judging others…we are ultimately judging our selves. In judging others, we see ourselves as separate and apart from everyone else. We fail to see, we fail to understand how we are all connected to one another.

In our isolation and uniqueness, our egos go to work telling us that we are more important, we are more RIGHT, we are more moral than others. That feeling of superiority and that feeling of “rightness” too often leads to violence, war, torture, rape and murder. Our egos allow us to view others as less than human. Thus we have the Holocaust and the Killing Fields of Cambodia and a whole host of other atrocities throughout history. Our egos become like the jealous thumb that secretly plots to rid the hand of its fingers only to find that the hand can no longer grasp and climb.

We judge because of our egos. It blinds us to who we really are.

Food for THOUGHT…

Home Schooling

My daughter has made the decision to home school her children. Public education is a mess today and even though home schooling is not for everyone, I believe that for some families it can make sense. My daughter taught math before leaving the profession to start her family. Her husband and his siblings were home schooled until he won a scholarship to college. I guess, in their case, they certainly know what they are doing.

Working at the Alamo, I see bus load after bus load of school kids coming on field trips. Too many of these public school children are loud and disrespectful in the Alamo Shrine and Long Barrack Museum. Their teachers and chaperones do little to control them or enforce the rules that are posted in the buildings and on the grounds. This spring has been the worst on record.

By contrast the home school students that come to the Alamo are normally very polite and quite interested in the history that surrounds them. Their teacher/parents take an active role during their visit to this historic shrine. They often ask some of the most thoughtful questions. It is a pleasure to have them. They also have the luxury of seeing the Alamo in small groups instead of noisy mobs where their teachers often have to scream and yell to get their attention.

Often the public school kids create havoc when they invade the Alamo Gift Shop in large numbers. The children remove items from the shelves and leave them all over the store. Some kids like to tear open the packaging so they can play with the toy inside, which they never buy, of course. When they do make their way to the register with their “treasures,” the frustrated cashier often receives a fist full of coins and bills with the expectation that the clerk is to count it out for them and tell them if they have enough. When they do not have enough money, they stand there dumfounded, expecting the clerk to just give it to them or make up the difference from their own pocket. For students to be this ignorant of money and the value of things is inexcusable in my book.

Today our public schools are missing the mark. So much pressure is put on the children to pass multiple choice, standardized tests, but they can’t make change in a store. Lessons on manners and appropriate behavior take a back seat to reading and science. Many school districts have had to cut back on music and physical education programs. Lunch programs consist of salty, high sugar and high fat junk foods and drinks. And we wonder why our kids are getting fat, behave poorly and cannot handle a simple monetary transaction?

I suppose it is easy to place all the blame on the teachers, but in all fairness teachers have their hands full with overcrowded classrooms and fewer resources thanks to budget cutbacks. With ridged curriculum guidelines, they have less time and flexibility to practice their profession. Parents have to share a big part of the blame as well. If the child is not taught the value of money, the joy of learning and proper behavior by their parents in their own homes, then why would the teachers be the ones expected to turn things around at school?

I wish my daughter and son-in-law luck with their grand adventure. Emma and Ashlyn are very fortunate indeed.

Food for THOUGHT…

Drill, Baby, Drill!

You got to love our Governor Rick Perry from the great State of Texas when he says the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could possibly be an “act of God.” This is the same Governor Perry who seemed to support a bunch of “yahoos” a few months ago calling for the secession of Texas from the union. He was the same governor who turned down federal stimulus money for Texas schools, even though Texas ranks near the bottom of all the states in education. Alaska, I believe, was the other state to turn down the federal funding. Our Governor Rick Perry was also the guy who was going to bring toll roads to Texas and hand them over to a private company in Spain. When it comes to deal making the governor is real slick.

Now there are some who say our governor is a “big sissy” for using a laser guided pistol to shoot a coyote during an evening stroll a few days ago, but he explained that he needed the gun to shoot “rattlers” when he goes out for his walks. Well that’s different then, isn’t it? And don’t forget another governor from the great state of Alaska used to hunt wolves from airplanes. Now wolves and coyotes may not be quite the same, but both governors like to shoot things, so there you go!

It would be the perfect ticket when our Governor Perry “throws his hat into the Presidential ring” come 2012: Perry and Palin. Their battle cry can be, “Drill, Baby, Drill!” They both love to drill things that destroy nature, shoot wildlife, say they are going to secede from the United States, turn down much needed funding from Uncle Sam and blame God for manmade disasters. There is nothing “sissy” about that. That takes balls.

If you thought George W. was a hoot… wait until this Texan governor comes to Washington. Gee, I can hardly wait.

Food for THOUGHT…