95% of the time, readers who respond to my blogs offer their opinions and they will agree with what I wrote, disagree with what I wrote or note that it has given them something to think about.
And it is done in a very respectful manner.
It evokes pure joy in me that I can write with enough passion as to incite thoughtful replies from readers.
But, I can also incite that other 5% too.
They aren’t as nice. They aren’t as thoughtful and respectful. In fact, they have confused “opinion” with “insult”. I have to believe that, since they resort to insults, they are incapable of articulating an opinion; at least, on the subject matter of the blog. They have plenty to say about the blogger!
And, I blame that 5% for discouraging the good people from offering their opinions.
I mean; who wants to be the cyber-punching bag for the cyber-bullies?
Can you think of a worse form of suppression? This isn’t an oppressive society where you can be arrested and jailed for your opinions, but you do have to put up with the bullies.
I have been hit hard for a couple of articles that I have written, but I’m still standing and there is a reason for it!
I grew up with the stink of poor on me.
I can still remember the smells.
As a kid, our house was heated with coal. The basement, with its dirt floor, stunk from the raw coal.
The house stunk from the smoke as the coal burned in the furnace. Undoubtedly, my clothes stunk from the smoke, but I didn’t notice.
I only noticed that, when I went to a friend’s house, their house didn’t smell like mine.
I became very intimate with coal. It was my job to fill the stoker that fed the furnace. This had to be done twice a day during the winter or the fire in the furnace would go out. It happened a couple of times and discipline for me was severe.
My other two jobs as a kid was taking out the garbage and feeding our dog. When I was old enough, mowing the lawn was added to my list of chores.
I remember the stink from boiling chicken feathers. Dad would buy chickens and we would help “process” them for our consumption. After the chickens were killed, Mom would dip them in the vat of boiling water so that the feathers would be easier to pluck.
But, it wasn’t as bad of a smell as dressing rabbits and squirrels that Dad shot during their hunting seasons. Oh yes; we ate what he shot and as the other “man” in the house, I had to help clean the game. It was no game!
It was the same deal with fish. We caught them, cleaned them and then ate them. Frog legs, too!
Growing up like I did may have given others their excuse to steal. Not me; because, even though my family had the bare essentials, we also had strong principles instilled into us by our parents.
My life of crime ended when I stole a penny piece of licorice from the Candy Shoppe and Dad took me back into the store and begged the owner to call the police. Vern, the owner, thought it best that Dad should deal me the appropriate punishment. Jail would have been the better option in this case! I don’t believe that his punishment fit my crime. It took three days for my butt to be pain-free.
And that was probably my first encounter with “tough love”, but not the last.
My parents grew up during the Great Depression. They DID have to walk miles to go to school. I never realized how bad they had it until I studied the Great Depression in my high school history class. Mom and Dad didn’t like talking about it, so I knew that it was bad.
My childhood was spent in the 1950s, during the early years of the Cold War. Eisenhower was the President then. Yeah; I’ve been around since Eisenhower. Our son has been around since Jimmy Carter!
I use my upbringing as the basis for the principles and opinions that I possess today. I feel that both principles and opinions, based upon those principles have been a big part of my fabric since I was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong.
I also knew the difference between hard work and a free ride. That one was easy. A free ride didn’t exist in my world.
We were all expected to help with those things that supported the family, like the HUGE garden that we would plant each year. We were required to help water it, keep weeds out of it, pick the vegetables that were ready and help Mom prepare them for canning. I swear that growing up; the only groceries that we had to buy from the store were milk, eggs, meat and bread.
However; I got to enjoy my childhood. I got to play with my friends, go swimming and play baseball, but I learned about priorities at an early age. I was committed early on to principled decision-making. I would never ask to go and play with friends, if Dad was going to the garden. I wasn’t going to let the family down.
Can you see where the spill over from my childhood to my development as a person, as a member of the fire department and now as a blogger?
In my mind, I am a better person for growing up as I did. It gave me mental and physical toughness. It is where I started to develop my critical eye and my critical thinking.
There was no “fairness doctrine” growing up. Dad’s decisions were predicated on what was right, but not necessarily fair. If it was right AND fair, then it must have been pure coincidence.
I learned from my father that you could be poor, but proud. WE knew that we were poor and Dad would have none from anyone who wanted to remind us of it. He would let them know all about pride. End of conversation!
So, to those of you who can relate to something in this blog, please know that you have a kindred spirit.
Stand up and voice your opinions.
YOU matter!
The article is protected by federal copyright law under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella. It is written and submitted by Art Goodrich a.k.a. ChiefReason. This article or any other article submitted under The Adventures of Jake and Vinnie© umbrella cannot be reproduced in ANY form without the expressed, written permission of the author. Violations are punishable by applicable laws.
Please visit: www.fireemsblogs.com and my blog www.chiefreasonart.com.
Also on Chief Reason …
- The Art of Blogging – September 30, 2009
- Of Dreams, Clowns and Eagles – May 2, 2010
- FirefighterNetcast Rewind – August 4, 2010
- The First Due Blog Carnival – March 11, 2010
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