Grumpy Bear

I'm wearing my "Grumpy Bear" T-shirt today, so it's probably no surprise that stupid little things were ticking me off.

What makes people think they have the right to run a red light, two...three...four cars in a row, and end up blocking the cross-traffic when the light goes green the other way? I had to sit through three lights on my way home from work today because the entire intersection was filled with people who seem to think they are more important than I am, and have more right to get home on time. I hate that.

Then, there was a notice on my door that FedEx had tried to deliver a package. As I wasn't home to sign for it, they are planning to try again. Of course, the sender had to have specified that an in-person signature is required. They will bring it twice more, and if nobody is here, they will hold it at the FedEx office for seven days before they return it. Where, I asked the young man on the phone, is the FedEx office? I was thinking there might be one in North Austin, or even here in Round Rock. No such luck. It's way out in East Austin. Not an area I feel comfortable driving around by myself. So the nice young man made a note that they should try to deliver the package before 10:00 AM. I think it's my new camera. The only other package I know is on its way is a prezzie for Brendan, but Amazon ships via USPS and leaves stuff on the porch. If it is the camera, I was told it would be delivered on the 17th, not the 11th. Can these people not read their own schedules?

Then, I find out from a lady that works at one of the more up-scale day care facilities here in Round Rock, that putting a child in "time out" is now considered to be abusive. WTF?? I asked her what they do to get kids to behave, and she says they are supposed to "redirect" them. When she described how that works, it sounded to me like what we used to call "distracting" the child--trying to interest him or her in an activity different from bashing classmates with chairs. I don't know if my kids were especially stubborn, but I have to say that there were times when that didn't work. Heck, there were times when "time out" didn't work. There were times when whaling the tar out of them was the only way to get their attention. If that makes me a child abuse advocate, so be it. It's no bloody wonder we are raising a generation of narcissistic brats who feel they are entitled to their own way no matter whose rights get trampled in the process.

I can understand a parent not wanting a day care worker or school administrator whaling on her child, but to not allow "time out?" If the little dears don't get any discipline, they won't be fit to live with by the time they are grown.

I also heard that, due to an excess of political correctness, the term, "sit Indian style" has been abandoned in favour of some phrase too long for me to remember, in my state of heightened grumpiness. Something to do with apples.

Has common sense become a victim of political correctness, too?

Maybe I should leave the T-shirt in the drawer.