With the start of a new school year, the tasks I must complete on a daily basis have been overloading my brain. As much as I try, I’m not an organized person. I struggle to remember birthdays, deadlines, and even lunch money for my kiddos, but have forgotten all three just this week. In an effort to calm the stress and guilt of forgetting what I need to do, I sat down and created a to-do list. This list was much too long and overwhelming, so I divided it into three lists – one for my tasks at work/school, one for my freelance work, and one for home. Shortly after I finished the lists, I developed a strong hate for the memo pad of chores. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Category: Reflecting
The Perfect Woman
Is there such a thing as the perfect woman? This occurred to me during a bedtime talk with my 9-year old son. He mentioned that he couldn’t wait for college because “there is a time and place for everything,” he said, “and that’s college.” Curious by what he thought happened in college, he informed me that he would meet his perfect woman there. What came next is what disturbed me the most. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Money is the Root of All Evil
We have a saying in our house when it comes to money – “Mom is ‘el broko.” It’s not necessarily true all the time, but it helps my children understand that mom is not made of money, nor do we have a money tree growing in the backyard. Like most, my kids are expensive. They are not greedy kids, nor do they beg me for something in every store, but they cost me a pretty penny. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Fatty Choices, Fatty Patterns
Even though I’ve fought weight gain since I can remember, my kids have not. I know parents that are rail thin, yet their kids are overweight. I’m not a doctor and I don’t pretend to be one. But, I am an observer and I do notice trends, habits, and behaviors of people, including myself. So, when I read of studies about how childhood obesity is completely genetic, I get angry. Obesity, beyond medical conditions, is primarily a result of behaviors and choices. If you eat French fries on a regular basis, you will gain weight. If you consume three doughnuts for breakfast each day, more than likely, you will gain weight. We make the choice whether or not to eat healthy and our kids follow suit. Read more at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Guess Who? Race Card Not an Issue
I can’t stand confrontation or even controversy. So while listening to a talk radio show this morning, it was a natural move for me to switch the station when a caller began to argue with the DJ about the “race card.” Apparently, the caller was offended when the DJ changed his tone/accent when impersonating an Asian man and the DJ was put out (to say the least) that the caller insisted on “playing the race card.” I can’t stand to listen to people argue in public, much less on air, so I quickly switched to another channel. It was an interesting argument, though, and one that made me think about how much our society has changed, yet has still stayed the same. When I was a child, my younger sister and I loved the game “Guess Who?” It was a guessing game where each player had a plastic card rack of people with differentiating features and a primary card. The object of the game was to guess the other player’s person by asking yes or no questions. The “people” ranged from older curly-haired black females, young white males with hats to Asian females sporting glasses and balding French males. Twenty years ago, when we played this game often, our questions focused primarily on race – Is your person white? Is your person black? – and then dwindled to accessories. Is your person wearing a scarf? Does your person have a yellow hat? Interestingly enough, though, when I pulled out this game a few weeks ago for my own two children to play, the questions were quite different. Does your person have a surfer haircut? Does your person have a big nose? Is your person smiling? Does your person have dimples? What I noticed was that my kids didn’t pay much attention to race at all while playing the game. Not once did they pull the “race card.” Not once did they question skin color or ethnic styles. It was comforting to see through my kids’ play that race was not a source of controversy and that I’ve raised them to look beyond skin color and notice the special qualities of each individual. By no means, do I think that racial discrimination is not still predominantly causing injustice in this society, but for one moment, it was nice to forget the confrontation and see that my kids did not even acknowledge the “race card.” I was proud of their growth and maturity, until my son said, “Does your person have a big butt?” Yes, we still have some things to work on … - Shannon Philpott Blog Entry: Aug. 11, 2009 © Shannon Philpott, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Shannon Philpott and shannonphilpott.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
My Love/Hate Relationship with Running
I love running, yet I hate running. We have this love/hate relationship – the type of relationship with days when I want to embrace it at times and then other days, when I want to just call it quits and kick it to the curb. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Sue Happy Swindlers
I’ve never sued anyone, nor has anyone sued me … yet. Maybe I’m not gutsy enough or maybe I just prefer to avoid confrontation. However, we live in a society where frivolous lawsuits are the norm – as detailed in this recent case: “Jobless College Grad Wants Tuition Back From Alma Mater” The article states: “Trina Thompson, a 27-year-old graduate of Monroe College in the Bronx, N.Y., is suing her alma mater for $70,000 in tuition money, the Associated Press reports. Since her graduation with an information technology degree in April, Thompson has not been able to find work.”
Fighting Like Cats and Dogs
I never fully understood the phrase “they fight like cats and dogs.” As a child, we didn’t have many pets. My younger sister had a bird or two, but no cats or dogs. I couldn’t fathom why people assumed that these two types of animals would not get along. From what I knew, most cats were sassy, sly quiet pets while most dogs were all bark and no action – a sensitive, yet lazy breed. Sounds like a perfect match, right? What I’ve realized as a parent, though, is that we all go through a “cat” and a “dog” phase. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Marriage or Divorce? Which One Will Kill You First?
It’s no secret that divorce sends couples on an emotional rollercoaster. Regardless of how amicable the split is, there are periods of grief, anger, denial, self doubt and sometimes, even malicious behavior toward each other. Aware of the pain, grief, and fear divorce may cause to the couple, children, family, and friends, I have always advocated that staying in an unhealthy marriage or unfitting relationship causes much more pain and grief for all parties involved. Divorce is not a get out of jail card, it is not a trial and error opportunity, nor is it a lazy act by couples that didn’t try, as many critics claim. In reality, divorce is usually the last option, the last chance to salvage any type of friendship or co-parenting relationship. I know – I’m divorced. Six years after my divorce, I feel content, healthier and happier with my life and with the well-being of my children. However, a recent study by the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University (as reported by LifeSiteNews.com) suggests that I’m the exception. "The study found that divorced or widowed people have 20 percent more chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer, than married people. They also have 23 percent more mobility limitations, such as trouble climbing stairs or walking a block. Further, people who remarried have 12 percent more chronic conditions and 19 percent more mobility limitations, but no more depressive symptoms, than those who are continuously married." The word “chronic” here is what bothers me. I can definitely concur that during the divorce process and for at least a year or two following my divorce, my health faltered accompanied by an emotional rollercoaster. The same applies when individuals suffer the loss of a family member or close friend. Grief is debilitating, but it doesn’t have to be “chronic.” But, for some it is, and I wonder if it is a comment or two like this from the article that sends the emotional rollercoaster of divorcees from acute to chronic: “By faith we know that in the beginning God created marriage for the good of spouses and the procreation of the race. Now research confirms that health is also better for people who stay married. No surprise. Faith and reason go together confirming the same truth: What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” – Fr. Thomas Dufner Maybe it’s not the divorce that is to blame for “chronic” health conditions but rather the guilt and judgment from others. - Shannon Philpott Blog Entry: July 30, 2009 © Shannon Philpott, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Shannon Philpott and shannonphilpott.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Life is Not a Box of Chocolates … Anymore
Although I hate to quote Forrest Gump, I’m gonna. I used to think that life was like a box of chocolates. There were surprises in every bite, the smooth, creamy texture was calming, and just the scent of it energized me. That was until I read the label. Read more at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 