Graduation Season

One of my two jobs is in a restaurant and the other is in a school. So I am well aware that June is graduation season. It actually starts in mid may when most of the colleges have their graduations. It continues right through June as the High Schools get into the mix as well. These are occassions to celebrate, and we often get partys in the restaurant of people celebrating a friend or family member's graduation. However, there are also graduation partys being held for kids coming out of middle school, elementary school, and even preschool.
There might have been something done when I moved on from preschool, but I know there was not a graduation ceremony when I went from elementary school to middle school or middle school to high school. Why? Its because those aren't really graduations. Its more about outgrowing the school you were in and heading to another one the next year. There are no diplomas. It does not help you to put the elementary school you graduated from on your resume.

A "graduation" ceremony was held at the elementary school I work at. It isn't a traditional school in that it serves children with emotional disturbances, and is mostly low income. I'm happy for the kids to be moving on, and its great that their families will actually come up to the school and watch them "graduate." However, it is completely silly at the same time. There was a full auditorium of families yesterday for the "graduation." Not just mothers, fathers, and siblings, but grandparents aunts, uncles, cousins, and probably some other relatives of some sort. Many of these families made a huge deal of this. While it is called a graduation, its not based on any achievements from these kids. The only reason they are "graduating" is because they won't be allowed in elementary school when they turn 13. Many of these so called "graduates" from this elementary school can't even read on a 2nd grade level. Yet their families come out dressed like a wedding is taking place. It gives the kids a false sense of accomplishment. However, its the way it is. I realize that many of the parents that came to this "graduation" likely won't ever see their child graduate from high school. This might be the highlight of their academic life. Its sad but its true. A 12 year old kid who can't read doesn't want to come to school. As much as you try to help them learn, they have pride by that age. They are not willing to admit they can't read, spell, or divide. When these kids get to a higher level and are no longer coddled, school will become hell for them. They won't want to come to a place that makes them feel stupid...even if that institution is making an honest effort to teach them, thats what those kids will feel. So while I was watching these parents at their children's elementary school graduation...I understood why they were celebrating so much. Perhaps they never made it to their own high school graduation...and perhaps they don't know if there child will make it that far.

Certified Pre-Owned

Oh those clever bastards at Lexus! This has been going on for a few years now, but I heard a radio commercial this morning and it started bothering me again. Lexus doesn't sell Used Cars. They sell Certified Pre-Owned.
Which is just another way of saying "USED!" Who are you fooling with this advertising? Hopefully not people who have enough money to buy a Lexus. Their ads flat out state that Certified Pre-Owned is its own class of car buying. I disagree...a car is either used or it isn't.

I understand why many people don't want to buy used cars. A lot of people take pride in having something that is their own, and that nobody else has ever laid claim to. With a new car you also have control over how the car is treated. Unfortunately not all people can afford to buy a new car.
So buying a used car is an option many people have to take. I understand wanting to buy a car that you know has been well taken care of, compared to a vehicle that has been treated like shit. However, unless you buy directly from a person you trust, you really don't have any clue how a car was treated. Lexus can put as many certificates on the car as they want, but they weren't there when the previous owner was driving it. They can fix it up all nice and make it look like new, but the bottom line is that the car was still previously used by another unknown driver. Its still going to have miles on it, just like any used car, that a new car just won't have.

I hate how people try to redefine our language. People understand the concept of a used car. Why try to change that. Thank you Lexus for trying to create a new term to trick consumers. Why not tell the public that Lexus takes pride in selling the highest quality used car, instead of getting tricky with your words.

Violence in the Work Place

I work at a school for kids with emotional disturbances. Since I am pretty much the only young male employee, I have become the go to person in school when kids are acting out. This leads to days like today when I have kids who refuse to stay in the class, throw tantrums, and act generally inappropriate. Having to ohysically restrain kids who are physically aggressive and threatening to hurt others, myself, and themselves has become a part of my world from Monday to Friday. I was thinking today...how many people out there really have to deal with violence in their jobs on a daily basis. What type of jobs do people have where they need to be wary of somebody hitting or kicking them?

The first job that comes to my mind is a police officer. They need to be constantly aware that they are targets, and that they will be dealing with unsafe people. Arresting a person can obviously be a violent act, and the aggressive driving that officers undertake is definitely intense.

Other people that deal with criminals or the mentally ill probably also have to deal with violence with their job. I would include some doctors, teachers, social workers, and nurses who probably deal with violence often in the work place. Prison guards and military personnel deal with violence. Paramedics probably encounter some violent people as well.

My thoughts are that there are people out there who deal with violence at work, but it is probably a vast minority. Its a sad thing in society that people earn their money while dealing with violence. It definitely isn't for all people to have their work day involve working with violent individuals.
Peace seems like such an easy concept, but for some people it really is difficult. I've learned that those with emotional disturbances truly don't understand how to resolve conflicts peacefully. Those who work with violent people need to understand violence, but need to have a self awareness that keeps them from becoming violent themselves.
I am cursed at by young children. I've had my life and my family's lives threatened by angry children. I've been kicked, scratched at, hit, and even punched in the face by these kids. My ability to have empathy for why they are violent is important. I understand why they want to hurt other people, but I don't resort to that type of reaction myself. If I did so, I would have been out of a job a long time ago.

When we hear about police officers who cross the line and use brutality against others, I feel they are people who are violent themselves. They take aggression towards them personally and react with violence themselves. When dealing with violent individuals it is important not to take their actions personally. Their aggressive behavior is an inability to properly communicate the emotions they feel. Helping these people learn why they act violent, and coming up with non-violent solutions for them is probably the best way to deal with them.

Yarsels

So my wife has this thing about going to a certain thrift store. Its not an addiction...she can manage to go a day or so without visiting it, but it is a definite 3,4,5 times a week habit. So while I am enabling her by driving her there, she tells me to look at how many For Sale signs there are on this certain road...There were 7. I was expecting more!
But as I'm looking for For Sale signs, I saw another homemade sign. It very simply said..."Yarsel."
Now this is a word I've never encountered before. But since I'm a smart guy...I have a pretty good idea of what its author was trying to communicate.
My imagination sees a latino family...probably not legal immigrants. They are trying to make a few dollars, so they have an idea...Lets sell some junk in front of our house. The male in the family tells his friends about this idea, and is told...the Americans already do that. They call it a Yard Sale.
The latino husband goes back to his woman and tells her. We need to make a sign for our Yarsel. Since she is trained to do whats shes told, she does her best. When I try to say it with a crappy spanish accent...yarsel sounds just about right. So while the spelling may not be anywhere close to correct, the message was conveyed.

Ramblings from Zuc

Ok...so I felt like starting a blog where I can just write about random stuff. There is no theme to what I plan on writing, so anybody who reads this(highly unlikely) won't really know what to expect from this. Maybe if I write enough the writing will take on some format, but I don't expect it. So...on to the rant.

Stupid people!
You know them...I know them...You might be one of them! There is nothing wrong with stupid people though...in most cases. There are plenty of idiots who go through life and completely fool everybody around them into thinking they have an idea of whats going on. Congratulations to them. But I have to laugh at the stupid people who open their mouths as if trying to prove their lack of intelligence.

I consider myself smarter than most people...I'm pretty damn sure of this. I don't think I'm smarter than other smart people, but I do know that I fall into that group. Like all people though I have my idiotic moments...just today for example I realized I was wearing my shirt inside out...5 hours into my work day! Now thats dumb...but it happens.

There are certain things that all smart people must know. One of those things in my opinion is a simple understanding of the country you live in. I'm not talking about obscure facts like what is the 3rd largest city in Oregon? Simple stuff!

One of these simple questions was posed to me last night at my 2nd job as a waiter. A lady(thats being generous) at the bar asked me("hey...green shirt guy") if I was good at geography. I acted humble and casually said yes, although little did she know that I was the runner up for the geography award in 8th grade. I was expecting something atleast a bit challenging, but I didn't get that. Her question..."How many states are there?"

50...There have been my whole life.

Unfortunately I was told I was wrong. There really are 52 states according to her. No lady...there are 50. I had to walk away from the bar, because I've learned there is no use debating with stupid people. Indeed that is what I had come across. A stupid person...However, she was a stupid person who was unable to hide it. Truly an embarassing thing to be.

I've always loved the saying...Its better to keep your mouth shut and have people think you are stupid, then to open your mouth and let people know you are stupid.

If you don't know...then you shouldn't be talking about it. This woman, and several people around her, were completely wrong about what they were talking about, and perhaps aided by some alcohol, decided to share their stupidity with the world. I have a lot less respect for people like this than for people who keep their ignorance to themselves.

So after staying away from this lady for about a half hour, she walked by me on her way out of the restaurant. She said..."51. Alaska!" Thats right...silly me for thinking Alaska was number 50. I let her go on her way, and I walked away. Looking back on this I think I might have enjoyed asking her how many Senators there are(102 now that Alaska is a state). But I fear I might have been injured by her brain rupturing...Good thing I stayed away from arguing with the stupid people.