My apologies in advance to my little sister, whom I dearly love!
Laura hated spinach when she was little. I haven't had the chance to ask her lately how she feels about it, but when she was a little girl, Laura hated spinach, probably more than my kids hate any of their "hate" foods. She hated spinach so much, that by the age of 4, she had a strategy in place to avoid it. Every evening, she'd nonchalantly wander into the kitchen and sweetly inquire "What's for dinner?" 95% of the time, the item being prepared was not offensive to her, and she'd go on her merry way, waiting for the food to be ready. But on the nights when the answer was spinach? It didn't matter if it was the main course - as in Spinach Casserole - or if it was just a part of the meal - like Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, salad and cooked spinach. If spinach was anywhere on the menu, the plan went into action.
On the face, it was a pretty good plan. She didn't throw a tantrum or get mad or upset, like most kids would. It wasn't even obvious that she had a plan. She simply said "ok" and walked out of the kitchen, apparently on her merry way, just as she did any other night. Then she'd go to her room, climb onto her bed, and fall asleep. Thus avoiding any chance that she'd be required to actually eat said spinach.
It took our parents a while to catch on to this tactic. For quite a while, it was just "Oh, Laura fell asleep again. I guess she'll miss dinner." No one woke her up. She simply slept through the meal and the rest of the night. It probably took at least a year before someone said "Have you ever noticed that when we're having spinach for dinner Laura always manages to fall asleep before dinner?" Lightbulb!
That's when the real struggle began, because the rule became "if you fall asleep before dinner, we'll wake you up so you can eat with us." That's when she went the route other children did - tantrums, crying, begging, hiding the spinach. You name it, she tried it. (Well, she did - thankfully - skip the "throw it up" trick, which I used at the age of 4 to effectively keep okra out of the house until after I left home!)
Happily, such behavior is strictly the domain of small children. Or is it? Am I wrong, or is the recent behavior of the Wisconsin and Indiana democrats essentially the same thing? They knew what was being served (because these were the issues that were being campaigned on, the promises that were being made by the politicians that ultimately won the seats). But they don't want what's being served, so they're just going to disappear. They're off to "take a nap" while the wheels of democracy grind to a halt. Can't have democracy without a quorum. Can't have a quorum without at least some of those democrats.
So, how long will we allow politicians to act like 4 year olds?
Your parents must have been more generous than mine. I tried the throwing up trick with green beans on multiple occasions. All it meant was that I ended up eating COLD green beans instead of hot ones.
ReplyDeleteNow that I've discovered fresh instead of canned, I eat my green beans.
Oh - PS - I'm one of the Hooisers stuck with throw-a-temper-tantrum,run-away, you're-not-playing-fair politicians. If only I would have known that there was a career that allowed me to continue acting like a spoiled child and still make a boatload of money (for not working...). If I tried the run-and-hide policy when my boss did something I didn't like, I'd be out of a job.
LOL - I think it was the "perfect storm" situation that made okra disappear from my life. My baby sister was crying, my mom was trying to get us to eat dinner before the babysitter came, and she was trying to get herself ready for an all-too-rare date with my dad. I threw up the okra all over my dinner and into my milk JUST as the babysitter walked into the kitchen. I think it traumatized her enough that she never considered trying it again.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit - I've only tried okra twice since then, both times as an adult, and I really don't care for it. Fried it just tastes like slimy breading, and unfried it's just slimy. Thankfully I'm able to easily eat all my other "yucky" foods from childhood, and even like some of them. :)
I agree about the politicians. If anyone in the real world tried that with their job, they'd be homeless.
Wow. I really disagree with you about the politicians. If a bunch of people ganged up and tried to stuff okra or green beans down your throat, and refused to listen in any way to what you were saying - that you really didn't want to eat that, could we have a different vegetable instead, could we put it in the blender and make a smoothie, please listen to me!! But they were intent on stuffing the okra down your throat, even if you choked and died from it. So do you think that running away could be a good option then? Maybe it would give them time to cool off and think about what they were doing?
ReplyDeleteThe Republicans in those states were being bullies. They weren't interested in compromise. They weren't interested in adult conversation. They wanted what they wanted, and they wanted it now - just like little children. The voters are showing with recall petitions and elections that they agreed with the Democrats. Now Governor Walker is on the chopping block, and the Republicans hurriedly passed a bill to allow unlimited campaign contributions to him - so the election is going to be bought by the Koch brothers and other corporate interests. Do you think that they have your best interest at heart? Or are they just out to end regulation and oversight so they can rape and pillage the land, destroy your health and that of your family, leave you with rivers of fire, undrinkable water,and unbreathable air, just so they can amass more money, when it would be impossible to spend what they already have? Maybe you need to gather your information from more sources. Here is a great article that gives you lots of good places to start. http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-11-22/news/30431182_1_fox-news-results-show-viewers