Ode to the Family Car

The family car takes me here and there,
Zooming around traffic without a care.
Carrying our precious children in the back,
They scream and give me an attack.

Sometimes the car acts as my traveling suitcase,
Carrying sweaters, toys, and crap all over the place.
There are bits of crackers, cheerios, and fries,
Strewn across the seat and on the floor, I can't believe my eyes.

How did this car become such a mess?
I believe its a problem of convenience, I confess.
When children cry and make a big fuss,
You throw things at them to focus, its a plus.

See, my job is not only to drive,
I need to entertain to survive.
So I pack up snacks and play things,
Having no idea the chaos it brings.

I try to keep the children busy,
So that no one will throw a huge tizzy.
But all I really do in the end,
Is turn my car into a big trash bin.

Because of course I never have the time,
To clean the car after we arrive...its such a crime.
Truly, I wish and wish it wasn't so,
Someday the car will just be transportation, you know.

Until then, I try very hard to pretend,
That a messy car is a statement, a trend.
On display for the whole world to see,
That I am one stressed-out, tired Mommy.

Fawlty Friday

"Manuel, there is too much butter on those trays."

"No, no, no senior. Not on, those, trays...No sir, uno, dos, tres..."

Theology Thursday

I mentioned earlier about the Charter for Compassion. Today, the charter is unveiled to the world. Whether you believe in God, Jehova, Allah, Buddha, Jesus, John Smith, Noah and the Ark, Vishnu, Oprah, Fashion, Little Green Men from Outer Space, Witches, Warlocks, War, Harry Potter, Peace, Pizza, Money, Barbie Dolls, or NOTHING AT ALL...I have faith that we can agree that this world needs more compassion.

COMPASSION: \kəm-ˈpa-shən\, sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it.

The Charter for Compassion

The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.

We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.

UPDATE: Because of the overwhelming response to the charter, the server for the site is down. That is why I posted it here.

Workin' Wednesday

Don't have time to write much here today. I've got a crapload of work to do, and a child with no school that I have to entertain at the same time. Here's a fun little ditty to entertain you until I get back.

Texture Tuesday

So, this week I've decided to post every day using alliteration for the days of the week. Today, we're talking about texture. Why? Because I randomly opened the dictionary to the "T" section and that was the word that jumped out at me from the page.

Waaaaay back in the old days, when I was in college I studied studio art, and writing, of course. I was either going to write the great American novel or become the next Georgia O'Keefe. Well, I'm still waiting for either of those outcomes...but I digress. I LOVED my studio art classes where we got to get down and dirty with different mediums, like batik, paper mache, clay sculpture, lithography, and more. Ahhhh, those were the days...