Oklahoma Tornado – My Image Of The Day

Today, as I read about the devastation caused by the monstrous twister that touched down in Moore, Oklahoma, I was drawn to the photo posted above.  To me it spoke volumes.

In the photo, a woman with bright blue hair and black boots, rushed to gather her child. Her hair flying wildly and legs pumping like pistons, her body language conveying relief, happiness, fright, panic all in the same package.  It reminds me of a lioness rushing to the aid of a member of her pride.  To snatch it from the clutches of the enemy.

A photo like this would usually be fodder for jokes.  The hair, the attire, ripe for the pickings but in this situation, I see no humor.  I see a fellow parent.  A parent who suddenly realized that her little boy is not dead but very much alive.  A child who sees his mom as the most beautiful mom in the world.  Not a blue-haired freak in black boots charging at him like an out of control freight train.

That’s My Mommy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s funny, but not ha ha funny, that no matter what mommy looks like on the outside, she’s always the most beautiful mommy in the world on the inside to her child.  When the child is in danger, mommy is even more beautiful when she shows up at just the right time.  Mommy is here baby!  Everything is going to be fine.

I can imagine how this mother feels.  Hearing the news that the school her child is attending has been destroyed with some fatalities.  The feeling is indescribable.  Then to show up at the school and see your son very much alive.  No words could describe the transition of feelings.  Legs buckling fear and panic followed by legs buckling relief.  In the photo, I see it all.

God be with all the victims of this disaster.  May the souls of the dead rest in peace and may their loved ones be comforted.

Note:  A reader notified me that the person is not the boy’s mom but actually his sister who ran all the way from her high school after learning his school had been hit.  It doesn’t diminish my interpretation of the photo in any way.  If anything it just shows that some sisters could be just as close as  mothers.

Maybe Your Kid’s Not Ready For Soccer

Soccer season is in full swing.  This is the time when parents run around ferrying the precious little ones all over the city trying to find which field they play on.  It could be very stressful, especially if you are a parent with more than one kid playing soccer.  In my case, I have 3 and each of them.  On different teams.

Last week it was my turn to take my 3-year old to his second game of the season.  My wife told me that he was doing really good and even scored a goal so I couldn’t wait to see him in action.  Unfortunately he seemed more attentive to daddy on the sidelines than he was on the ball.  He took regular timeouts to wave at me, inspect the grass and even running off the field prematurely to tell me a story.  I kept urging him back to the field of play.  When the ball happened to roll his way, he at least ventured to kick it.  Not so with some of the other kids.

Soccer is a great and cheap tool for young kids to learn team sports and social skills.  I am not sure it is effective if the kids spend the hour standing around inspecting the grass,  crying to get off the field or just showing a total indifference to the game.  Granted, a few kids do change as the season progresses but in most cases they don’t.  I for one would not think it is money well spent to watch my kid wander around a soccer field.  For free, I could take the little one to a park and kick a ball around.  If he doesn’t like it, we could come home and call it a day.  Sometimes as many as three parents are on the field urging their little ones on. Holding their hands and guiding them to the ball like a seeing-eye dog.  At my last game, there was a mom with a baby attached to her in one of those baby knapsack things running around the field with her soccer-playing son who was the least bit interested in being there.

Maybe I expect too much.  Maybe I’m one of those parents you read about.  (No, I’m not!).  I just think that there are cheaper ways to get your little ones to get out, play and socialize with other kids.  But maybe it’s actually for the parents to socialize with other parents…Maybe the parents need the exercise more than the little ones do.  Some parents have taken the hint from their kids and stopped taking them to soccer.  “I am not sure he likes it so we don’t bother taking him anymore.  Plus, I don’t enjoy chasing him around on the field.”   By their actions, the kids have spoken.  Maybe they are just not ready for soccer.  At least that’s what I think.

• That Soccer Season (caramieandtheboyz.wordpress.com)
• Moms vs Dads

Can A Kiss Really Be Just A Kiss?

French Kiss (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Watching television, there’s always the love scene where a couple whether married or unmarried would share a tender moment.  Depending on the rating, it could be a steamy tender moment that makes you feel uncomfortable if your mom happens to be watching it with you.  Sometime ago, I was watching a family movie where the couple was lying in bed talking.  As they talked, the wife lightly and lovingly touched her husband’s arms, back and face.  For a moment I thought I saw genuine care in her face.  As they enjoyed a deep and exploratory kiss, I couldn’t help wondering if either of them had any feelings at all for the other.  Just a tiny attraction?

I know it’s all movies and acting but can someone be so professional that they could resist the body’s natural instincts and urges in the name of acting?  I know some people would say  “Oh it’s different when you don’t love the person you are making out with.  There’s nothing to it.” but I really don’t buy it.  I know for one thing that if I was doing a movie with say Jennifer Aniston and we had to do a make-out scene, of course I will feel something.  I am human.  (I know you are saying, ‘Yeah right’).

Couples who never saw each other before are lying in bed together nude or almost nude and mimicking what they do in their own bedrooms.   And that’s normal? Nothing’s wrong with that? Just a job? It’s only movies?  Well let me give you my take whether you want it or not.  I seriously think it trivializes real life relationships.  I also think it could be linked to the failed relationships and marriages that plague celebrities.  Why have a partner when you could fool around with all the hot women in Hollywood with no strings attached?  Ala The Bachelor.

Coincidentally, while I was drafting up this blog, I took a break to surf the internet and found an item where the star of the television show Scandal admits that his wife is uncomfortable watching his make-out scenes with his female love interest.  She apparently refuses to watch the show.  Here.  Now that’s what I’m talking about.  Would I enjoy watching a movie where my wife is half naked and kissing some guy the way she kisses me?  Especially if he’s more ‘man’ than I am?  But it’s only the movie honey.  I love you.  Oh really?  You kiss him exactly the same way you kiss me AND you even close your eyes…

Saying this, I do realize that for a movie to be successful, it has to be as close to reality as possible.  Unfortunately, there’s a very thin line that separates that reality from the movies.

To me, a kiss is more personal than even sexual intercourse but that’s…

Just my take.  Go ahead and kiss the girl.

 

 

 

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Murder Of A ‘Nice’ Guy By Another ‘Nice’ Guy

The circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and murder of Tim Bosma continue to baffle Canadians and those following the story around the globe.  Myself included.  In case you are wondering who Tim Bosma is, read it here.  Robbery seems to be the motive at first glance but to my suspicious and conspiracy-theory-trained mind, something is out of place.

The suspect, Dellen Millard is described as well off with a clean record, so why would he want to steal a truck when he could buy one probably with cash?  The guy is heir to an aviation dynasty and has property that he bought two years ago for almost one million dollars!  Not that being rich has ever stopped rich folks from ripping off poor folks but come one…Tim’s body was also found burned beyond recognition.  Again, I thought to myself, A normal carjacker would have just kicked him out of the car or left him somewhere on the outskirts of town.   Seems like a lot of trouble to take him to a farm and incinerate him.  Just for a 2007 Dodge Ram? 

The victim’s wife also claimed two men came to their home to look at the truck and that they came on foot.  Did they travel from Toronto to Hamilton on foot?  Even though the suspect allegedly also owns a truck?  Again, a rich guy walking?  Not that they don’t.  The other guy is still at large and is not being mentioned.  Weird huh?  How about the trail of evidence?  Tim’s truck found in a trailer outside the house of the suspect’s mom.  How amateurish is that?  If you are starting to think ‘set up,’ I don’t blame you.

Now here’s the kicker or the stumper.  The victim is described by family and friends as the nicest person you could find.  A churchgoer, dad and husband.  I am not talking bad about the dead but from experience, what people say or think about you is sometimes not what you really are.   Take the suspect for example.  He’s also described as a nice young man from a decent family and no prior record of any kind.  So who’s the genuine nice guy?  Do we have a case of nice-guy/s-turned-bad?  Or maybe this is exactly what it seems and it is really a cut and dried case where an innocent man was murdered by a young man who got caught up in the wrong crowd.  So many questions, not enough answers.  We could go on and on and before long, we would be seeing everyone as a potential suspect.  Tim’s wife, his friends, Dellen’s connections…

To avoid such, let us leave it up to the authorities to investigate and bring those responsible to justice.  In the meantime, my condolences to Tim’s family and loved ones.  May his soul rest in peace.  No matter what life he lived, he didn’t deserve his fate.

 

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Moms vs Dads

Happy Mother’s day to all the mothers.  If I had my way, you would have had a week set aside for us to pay homage to the women who cared unselfishly for us.

Moms are so awesome, aren’t they?  Without them, the world would be filled with wannabe macho men trying to live up to their dads’ expectations.  Ever been to a youth soccer game and listen to the parents of a kid?  The dad would shout in his gruff man voice, “Come on boy! Kick that ball like I showed you in practice!  You could do it!”  Mommy’s little voice would chime in, “Go baby, you are doing great!  Nice work.”

A dad gets home from work to find his 4-year old has made him a card with drawings that he toiled on for hours.  “Daddy look what I made for you!”  He shouts excitedly.  Dad glances at the thing and thought in his mind, What the heck is this? but says, “Good work son,  show it to your mom when she gets home.”   Sure enough mommy is quick to gush over her kid’s handiwork.  “Awww…that’s so sweet.  Look at it!”  And that’s why we love em.

Moms recognize their roles and accept it.  That’s why when a kid is acting up they would say,  “Just you wait until your Dad gets home!”  Dads recognize their roles also and play it well.  If the child does something nice, Dad would say, “Just wait until your Mom gets home and show it to her.”  Because Daddy doesn’t really care about such things that much.  He would add in his mind.

So that’s why we love our mothers.  They keep us in touch with our feminine sides and let us know that it is ok for grown men to cry.  Even if Daddy is watching.  We love you Mommy!  Have a Happy Mother’s Day!

Heard The One About A Priest And A Rabbi?

Remember when we were told that laughter was the best medicine?  Well what ever happened to that medicine?  Seems like it expired from sitting too long on the shelf.  Not too long ago, it seemed as though everyone was a comedian.  They all had a joke to share.  The workplace was a virtual comedy club with someone always have a joke to share.  Sometimes they were raunchy, sexist, racist and downright unacceptable but still jokes all the same.  On any given day, I would hear at least ten anecdotes.  What happened?  The well of jokes ran dry?  Has our world become too serious a place?

Some time ago,  I went to a co-worker’s office to tell him a joke that I thought was funny.  At the end of it he stared at me as if waiting for the punch line. I was like ‘err..hmmm…’ and repeated a few lines with emphasis on the punch line in case he missed the joke. He finally managed a weak smile.  Not sure if he got it.  Laughter in the workplace is dead folks!

There are way too many stern faces walking around out there.  Seen your boss lately?  Tell him a joke.  Maybe he needs to lighten up.  Let’s prescribe some old-fashioned medicine, laughter.

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R.E.S.P.E.C.T, Find Out What It Means To Me

Living in the Caribbean, I was taught as a kid to respect not only my elders but also those in authority.   Respect became a part of my life and I respected everyone until they they wore it out.

Arriving in North America, I was surprised to see that respect was not as forced fed as I was used to it being.  Everyone seemed on the same plain. Old, young, teachers and students, there were no differentiating.  At first I was aghast.  If he said that in my country, he would get such an ass whupping…How could she talk to her grandmother/teacher like that?  Then I got used to it.

Getting used to it didn’t mean I forgot what I was taught and followed the disrespectful crowd.  No, I got used to seeing the lack of respect.  No one seemed to make the obvious connection that lack of respect goes hand in hand with criminal behavior.   Rape, theft, molestation, all direct manifestations of the lack of respect by the perpetrators.  I am not saying that having no respect means one is going to commit a crime but committing a crime is a result of not respecting the victim.  You can’t dispute that.

In my work place, I give due respect to those in authority.  I do not get confrontational unless I feel I have to be, and then I still maintain a respectful attitude.  Unfortunately, many of those who are in supervisory or managerial positions tend to abuse their power.   They expect to be respected by their employees but do not believe that it should be mutual.  Respecting their minions seems weak and unprofessional.  In fact, this is quite the opposite.  Humbling yourself to be able to respect someone who is ‘beneath’ you is a show of strength.  Some consider it sexy.

Respect is dying.  It’s not quite dead yet but it’s terminal.  Unless it is resuscitated, we would continue to be selfish savages.  But again, that’s just MY TAKE.

 

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Flogging A Dead Horse

I wanted to write something interesting.  A post that captures attention and screams to be read.  I thought that maybe I could write about how God’s grace keeps me alive and without him I’d be nothing.  But then you have heard all about that and can find it throughout my posts.  You’ll find more in my future posts as well, just so you know.  So no need flogging that, right?  In fact, I am doubly certain that you also know about Farrah Abraham of Teen Mom fame, becoming an entrepreneur.  Good for her! I love seeing people doing positive things.  Well so I thought until I read further that she made a sex tape ala Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, etc. etc.  No need to mention names as you know all about it.

Then I thought that maybe I could blog about Celebrities.  Amanda Bynes, the actress who I thought was the cute innocent girl that wouldn’t become like a Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears.  I could blog about Amanda tweeting topless pics while looking like she’s missing a few brain cells.  But you already know that, right?  And about Lindsay Lohan disappearing from rehab and almost facing sure jail time for violating a court order but being Lilo, it was all just Lilo being Lilo and the law being…well the law.  You already know that.  So no use blogging about that either.  How about America’s sweetheart Reese Witherspoon? Did you know the girl with the ‘squeaky clean’ image was recently arrested for disorderly behavior which included berating an officer?  How about Justin Beiber? Sorry, I guess he’s old news.

I could blog about the Boston bombings, the Obama administration, the Texas blast that came after the Boston Bombing that no one, well except the families of the victims, remembers.  Yet the Boston bombing is still major news.  I won’t even whisper anything about that as you know about that too.  How about the Stanley Cup?  Hockey playoffs that is.  Old news now right?  My Washington Capitals will win it all by the way.  Did you know that a building collapsed in Bangladesh killing over 600 people?  You did?  Then never mind.

You know just about everything so I won’t flog a dead horse.  How about God Loves You?  Don’t believe in God?  Then somebody out there loves you and maybe that’s something you didn’t know.

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My Take Or Yours?

I have an admission.  I was checking my stats recently and noticed that I had quite a few followers.  I was thrilled!  “Look honey!”  I said to my wife excitedly.  “I have almost 300 followers! I am scared.  What should I write?  How do I please all these people?  I am sure to write something that they don’t like or agree with.  How do I choose ‘safe’ topics?”  “Shut up and just keep writing.”  Was her response.  We were lying in bed so she probably just wanted to be left alone.

My wife’s answer sobered me up and I thought of the reason my blog was called ‘My Vuze’.  It wasn’t because I wanted to write what people were thinking or how they felt about something.  It was my opinion, whether popular or unpopular.  How I felt and what I thought.  If I changed that to satisfy my readers, then I would be dishonest.  I would be misrepresenting my blog.

From reading other WordPress blogs, I know that I am not alone.  Some writers double think the content of their posts so as not to offend anyone or even to attract readers.  If that’s your wish, sure go for it.   Not me.  Life is too short for that.  Granted, I won’t be rude, crude or offensive in any way and there may be a topic or two that I may prefer to steer clear of.  Some of my vuze might seem to clash with my spirituality but trust me, God is the ultimate base for my takes and I never claim to be more than human.

I promise never to doubt myself again. I would tell it like it is.  Or like I think it is.  If you don’t agree, feel free to tell me why you don’t.  Maybe your information can sway my opinion.

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Facebook Fights

Why do people use Facebook as their battleground?  I have read some statuses that were so disgusting that I was ashamed for the person who wrote it.  Seriously folks, why would anyone use Facebook, Twitter or any other social media to attack another?  It’s coward and weak.  Tell them I said so.

I don’t care who you are, if you use Social Media to sling mud at an old flame or old friend you are feuding with, it’s unclassy.  Plain and simple!  And there’s a bunch of us ‘classy’ people who think so too.  If you have a problem with your ex, please keep it between the two of you.  Other than a few gossipers, the rest of us really don’t care to to see your dirty laundry waving in the air.

Last week, one of my Facebook friends who I always thought of as a respectable person, ranted on his status about someone who was apparently giving him grief.  His choice of adjectives muddied his intelligence.  I was shocked and disappointed.  A few days later, another good friend, same thing.  His target was a female and he called her the name of a female productive organ.  His tirade was laden with such descriptive words.  Again I was disappointed by the lack of self-control shown by these people who I thought would know better than to stoop to such a low level and reveal an ignorance previously unseen.

If you feel the urge to berate someone on Facebook, please rethink.  It’s actually not cool and you don’t sound tough.  Some may say it’s downright pathetic, but it’s my take so I won’t say that.  Seriously though, if you can’t say anything nice, say nothing.  There’s an old saying attributed to Abraham Lincoln that goes, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”  You have a problem?  There’s the ‘unfriend’ button or better yet, use the ‘message’ button and let them know how you feel.

Thanks to Facebook, I now know who my smart friends are.

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