Me and my big mouth. Okay, I took the kids on a mini family vacation, birthday getaway back in October. APPARENTLY, I've mismanaged my account and am still trying to recover from the blunders I've made. How does this relate into me and my big mouth? Well, it's common knowledge that I live from pay check to pay check...most of us do. I've been playing catch up since the first of November and I think with the next employer installment into my checking account, I should have things back to normal.Today, my darling Annie asked that I grill her some burgers since the weather was so nice. I responded, "You're going to have to wait until Thursday when I get paid. I grilled chicken yesterday and that's what we're going to have today." A little later, I noticed she was rather quiet and when I looked at her face, she had streams of tears silently cascading down her pink cheeks.
"What's wrong?" She blurted, "We're poor! We don't even have enough money to buy stuff from the grocery store to make hamburgers!" Oh my...sometimes, I guess I'm too forthcoming with my children and I don't shield them enough from the "real" world. I explained that we were far from being poor. I mean really, how many poor people have three televisions, two XBOX 360s, a portable gaming system, a rather fantavulous tree house, and not to mention took TWO vacations in one year?
The problem seemed more to do with instant gratification. These days we're not willing to delay gratification, prolong the experience, but we want everything NOW! Kinda like the oil and gas industry...cutting corners, poorly training, disregarding safety regulations just to get a job done.
I've got some friends that live in Commerce City, CO. Commerce City isn't the prettiest place in Colorado, it's the industrial hub of the North Denver area. My friends that live there were upset about a natural gas pipeline accident; just between you and me...Commerce City already smells terrible. The accident was frightening, but I suppose what caused them alarm was the nonchalant attitude of the company spokesman.
"The company says the men were doing what they were supposed to be doing and this sort of thing occasionally happens."
This sorta thing occasionally happens when safety regulations aren't followed, when training is poor, when companies aren't responsible, when people are reckless...what do you think would have been the response if the pipeline had been ignited by their carelessness and people died? Would it go something like this:
This sorta thing occasionally happens, gas lines rupture, gas lines explode and people die.
6 comments:
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you. Little Princess Annie is starving and you're out blowing money on 3 flat panel TVs, video game systems, exotic vacations to faraway places, elaborate tree houses and who knows what else, while apparently bungling your finances during the process, to the extent the little one is driven to tears when she can't have a hamburger and realizes she's poor.
This sad story almost made me cry.
No, No...only one was a flat panel TV. Princess Annie is getting a hamburger tonight prepared by moi, I found 70 dollars...YAY!
My son continually asks me if we are "middle class" like that is some kind of a badge of accomplishment. I think sharing household financial information with children is a good thing. My mother was secretive about money. As a result, I grew up with a deficit =) in that part of my education. I share our financial situation with my son so he can help make decisions: We can go to the movie but that means it's a beans and rice week. Fortunately, I love beans and rice.
I agree, Sharon. I've always been revealing and also giving the kids a choice. When the braces issue came up for Justin, I sat Annie and Justin down (about two years ago now) and told them that I couldn't afford braces and internet, cable & phone, that it would be braces for Justin or the internet,cable,phone. After a lengthy discussion, the kids chose the braces. We made that choice for a year, but brother's gonna have nice straight teeth! And now of course we have the internet, cable and phone again. DELAYED PLEASURE!
"This sorta thing occasionally happens", just happened, AGAIN, to BP on the North Slope of Alaska. That makes 3 crude oil pipeline leaks by them there in just 2 weeks!! To say nothing of their 2006 pipeline fiasco.
I'm unemployed. I get it what the prices is if you screw up your finances. But, these oil & gas companies have Managers that don't seen to feel it if they screw up on safety.
BP is outrageous! Weren't they the ones that were just levied a heavy fine for the gas plant explosion in Texas? I'm thinking BP needs to get the heck out of the USA!
Don't you also find it interesting that Oil & Gas dangle JOBS infront of us every time we mention tighter regs? So, where are the jobs?
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