On the road again
Tiring day today. I came home pretty whipped. Don't ask me why. I did have to talk to one of my staff about the way they handled a situation. The person began by putting the caller on hold and then announcing to the team, "Who created this account" in an accusatory tone. Not condusive to teamwork. Dealing with conflict drains me.
The drive home was one of those ones where you think you might fall asleep the second you get in the house. However, no napping when I get home as there's too much to do. Clean up after dinner (Ellen usually cooks), make lunches for the next day, and today I had to vaccum the hardwood floors since the boys tracking in little black thingies from day camp.
By the time I was done, it was nearly 7 pm. It was supposed to rain today, so I used the stationary bike at the gym. But, as it turned out, it rained a little early and by 7 pm it was sunny. So, of course, tired as I am, I went on a bike ride. Grabbed the road bike for a quick 20 minute sprint. Got a little under 6 miles in. I checked my two bike computers (one on the road and one on the MTB). So far since Christmas (when I got the first computer) I've logged around 470 miles between the two bikes. And there's plenty of riding to go this season.
Just so this post isn't ALL about biking, I thought I'd mix in a little politics. There's so much going on right now! Between Proposition 8 in California, Congressman Rengel and his total lack of making any sense, and so much more. The thing that got me going a little was immigration.
You may have heard about a "suggestion" to repeal the 14th ammendment to the Constitution that states anyone born in the US is automatically a citizen. The intent is to prevent so call "anchor babies", where illegal immigrants come into this country just to have a child that will be a citizen. Then they can stay here and sponge off of the government to raise their child.
Here's my beef with that. Where does it end? If the child of an immigrant (legal or not) is no longer a citizen, what happens to the children of those people that followed the rules to get here? People like my parents. They're off the boat Italians. Neither of them were US citizens when I and my siblings were born. Under the propsed repeal of the 14th ammendment, I wouldn't be a US citizen. My parents are the kind of people Republicans dream about. They came to the US and busted their butts for years to provide a better life for their kids. NEVER took any kind of public assitance. Hard working ethic that they passed on to myself, my brother, and my sister. Taught us to take responsibility and that nothing is for free. You need to earn it.
I'm sure most of the people that come to this country illegally are like my parents. They want to come here and do the work that Americans DON'T want to do. Work in the fields in the hot sun from dawn till dusk doing back breaking work. Do all the dirty jobs that are "beneath" most Americans. And how do we repay them? We villanize them and dehumanize them. What we need to be doing is give these people a legal way to come here and do our work for us. Give them a way to become US citizens if that's what they want. I'm sure the US can use hard working people like that contributing to our society and raising children with the same values.
The drive home was one of those ones where you think you might fall asleep the second you get in the house. However, no napping when I get home as there's too much to do. Clean up after dinner (Ellen usually cooks), make lunches for the next day, and today I had to vaccum the hardwood floors since the boys tracking in little black thingies from day camp.
By the time I was done, it was nearly 7 pm. It was supposed to rain today, so I used the stationary bike at the gym. But, as it turned out, it rained a little early and by 7 pm it was sunny. So, of course, tired as I am, I went on a bike ride. Grabbed the road bike for a quick 20 minute sprint. Got a little under 6 miles in. I checked my two bike computers (one on the road and one on the MTB). So far since Christmas (when I got the first computer) I've logged around 470 miles between the two bikes. And there's plenty of riding to go this season.
Just so this post isn't ALL about biking, I thought I'd mix in a little politics. There's so much going on right now! Between Proposition 8 in California, Congressman Rengel and his total lack of making any sense, and so much more. The thing that got me going a little was immigration.
You may have heard about a "suggestion" to repeal the 14th ammendment to the Constitution that states anyone born in the US is automatically a citizen. The intent is to prevent so call "anchor babies", where illegal immigrants come into this country just to have a child that will be a citizen. Then they can stay here and sponge off of the government to raise their child.
Here's my beef with that. Where does it end? If the child of an immigrant (legal or not) is no longer a citizen, what happens to the children of those people that followed the rules to get here? People like my parents. They're off the boat Italians. Neither of them were US citizens when I and my siblings were born. Under the propsed repeal of the 14th ammendment, I wouldn't be a US citizen. My parents are the kind of people Republicans dream about. They came to the US and busted their butts for years to provide a better life for their kids. NEVER took any kind of public assitance. Hard working ethic that they passed on to myself, my brother, and my sister. Taught us to take responsibility and that nothing is for free. You need to earn it.
I'm sure most of the people that come to this country illegally are like my parents. They want to come here and do the work that Americans DON'T want to do. Work in the fields in the hot sun from dawn till dusk doing back breaking work. Do all the dirty jobs that are "beneath" most Americans. And how do we repay them? We villanize them and dehumanize them. What we need to be doing is give these people a legal way to come here and do our work for us. Give them a way to become US citizens if that's what they want. I'm sure the US can use hard working people like that contributing to our society and raising children with the same values.
Comments
Conflict exhausts and upsets me too. I completely sympathize with you. Getting a good ride in afterwards was no doubt good for your body, mind and spirit.
I hope your weekend will be rejuvinating and restful Rocker Guy.
Also, my mom owns a business so I know all about reprimanding employees. It's horrible. I swore I would never be anyone's boss. I'm in charge of my classroom and that's good enough for me.