Values: Love and Hat

Okay, so I'm old.
People age. Values don't.

The Fourth of July has always been a family day to us. Until about five years ago, it was a big day for our town, too. Then some idiots decided to use the money Holyoke always spent on kids races and a "town feed" on something they call "Dandelion Daze." the Chamber of Commerce thought it would bring some money into the community. Yeah. Money. That's what it comes down to. They have a semi-well attended car show ( mostly the same cars every year, but some of us are old enough we forget and it's like all new. ) There is a cruise-in, which only the car owners enjoy ( and most of those are from out of town) and sidewalk sales ( but most of us "townees"already have sidewalks)

The point is, the town does nothing to celebrate the Fourth of July except the fireworks in the evening. So our family has its own celebration. There are usually 18 or more of us and we have kids games, water balloons, volleyball, tennis and baseball. There is always plenty of good food and we enjoy the privelege of family.

And family is a privilege. That's what the kids we foster get...that not everyone has family.
the park is full of people who do not get that: punk kids, boys in gangsta attire--pants down below their butts ( I guess if they need to go, all they have to do is squat) and girls in skin-tight tops that bare bulging bellies with stretch marks and navel piercings and shorts that bare their butt cheeks on one end and their thong underwear on the other. ( there is a reason they call it UNDERWEAR)

I don't want to deal with that when I am celebrating family. I want to provide a healthy alternative to that kind of lifestyle--and that lifestyle is where many of our foster children come from.

Society is coming around to values again. Much is being made of the WWII generation ( which is before my time, thank God) and the contributions thay made to the world. So why don't people speak up and let these park punks know that THEY ARE NOT AMERICA? Why allow that
culture to slip into our kids lives through its music and fashion (???)

I held an interview in my head the other day, sitting in the park, admiring some hot 200 pound chick in her shorts and green thong underwear. I asked the kid why she wore clothes that showed her cleavage in front and in back. She said it was to attract the boys.

"All boys, or just plumbers?" I asked.

And our foster daughter has issues as well. She is sixteen and has a three month old son. The other day she dressed for church in a sweet skirt set. She pulled the waistband down so that her belly button was visible. I pulled it back up. She has a baby-flab belly and a navel piercing.

"I'm not wearing it like that," she said.
"Yes. You are."
She huffed but left the skirt at her natural waist.
"And another thing, What is that on your knuckles?"
"It's a tatoo," she said. "Well, not really a tatoo. I drew it on with ink. It says love and hate."
"It says love and hat," I corrected.
"I know. The pen stopped working."

So there you are. What kind of values can this generation have when they wear love and hat tatooed on their hands? The answer is " the values we give them."
That's where we Beyonder" parents come in. Values are our specialty.