Miss Manners, where are you?

Just when I thought I had seen bad parenting, TPTB chose to show me something worse. Ok. I ~may~ have known some people that smoked up, and let's hypothetically say that some percentage of those people also had kids. Even in the worst case, how effed up do you have to be to make your kid hit a bong?! I mean, sure... they blew smoke at their cats and dogs (and one whacko did it to their bird and pet turtle, but that's another story), but they NEVER did at their kids. With parents like that it's no wonder there's so many other problems around. But that's not what my post is about today. ;-) (Although I am upset that they only charged her with distribution and NOT recklessness with her baby. AND that they reduced the sentence, although I don't think the punishment will correct the behavior. It will only make it a more private engagement, or one where she won't let her "friends" take pictures of it.)

Today is related to parenting and children though, before you thought you had really heard the last from this "non-breeder". It's an ongoing frustration of mine, that encompasses not only children but people in general. More specifically, it's this sense of entitlement that a growing number of people seem to have, more often exemplified by the more overt behavior of children. More and more I see people believing themselves to be "above" the rules, as if they were so important, that certainly rules wouldn't apply to them. Anyone can see this behavior by taking a moment to step aside almost any seemingly normal activity. Watch other people in traffic, you'll see those people driving up a turn only lane, or swerving in rush hour because their time is more important than anyone else's. They are the people at Starbux that push in line, or sigh exasperatedly if someone doesn't order perfectly in less than 2 seconds. They are the people that yell first and ask questions later. The people that believe they are entitled to anything they want, where ever, and whenever they want it. Sometimes, they are you, and they are me.

I try most days to NOT be this kind of person. I try to think about what the person in the other car, or behind the counter is thinking. Though it's hard when it's a gang of the hoodlum-esque kids are harassing your fur-babies. Da wife had more patience then I, the last time I had neighborhood kids poking a stick into my yard I decided it was the appropriate time to "water the garden, and wash the fence". Strangely I have not seen THAT particular offender doing it again...


Ah well, grin and bear it, right?
I promise the next post won't say anything about kids or manners!