12:36 a.m. - 2003-04-13
Saturday Musings
Spent more time working on election responsibilities today. Calling more of the staff from the past who were the backbone of past events. Every one of them commented about how much fun they had at their tasks. Each has promised they will make themselves available when I need them. That's what I like to hear. My job is to do the troubleshooting and clean up the messes, as well as co-ordinate all the responsibilities. With such positive feedback about their perception of their tasks, I think it means I'm succeeding - mostly.
Got a call from my Dad - could we go out later than usual tomorrow. He has a meeting Sunday morning. He has been trying to sell the building that houses the business he has owned for 45 years. It covers about 2/3 of a city block just on the outskirts of the downtown area. He's had a lot of offers from speculators who want him to carry the risk while they try to do a quick turnover to make a huge profit. Fortunately, my Dad isn't in such a hurry that he'll take that kind of risk. Problem has been some of the smaller shareholders in the building - they want cash out of it - now. They don't seem to understand the liabilities they would be taking on with some of the proposals put forth. A couple of my Dad's friends lost everything, selling prime property under those circumstances. Greed rarely is a good business partner.
Miss Kitty seems to enjoy our story time as much as the boys do now. She curls up in my lap purring, until she falls asleep. If I'm not reading, she's too busy being naughty, and after I finish she feels it's time to go play. In the past several years, when we've had the doors open in summer, there has always been one stray cat who has done the same each year. Must be something in their nature to make cats such good audiences.
When Miss Kitty is in a naughty mood she can be quite destructive, because of her claws. One of my e-newsletters noted that putting fabric softener sheets near items you don't want damaged will keep cats away. Not. Miss Kitty just sees them as a great new toy, methodically shredding them to minuscule pieces with her claws. Maybe we should call her Shredder. What has worked though is orange peels - she hates the smell. Since we've put them in the planter, she hasn't dug up any of my plants nor has she gone after the curtains now that they are scented with citrus oil. Go figure.
Saw something on the bus the other afternoon that still has me steaming. A young woman, with bruises across her cheek in the shape of fingers, sitting quietly in an aisle seat. My first inclination was to talk to her and ask if she wanted some help in some way, but the bus was jammed and I didn't want to embarrass her any more. She was very conscious of the bruising. I hadn't realized, until she got up to leave at the same stop as me, that the abuser was one seat over. He said something to her as she stood and she cringed. Our eyes met and it seemed to me that she didn't want to accompany him, but there was a hopelessness and a tonelessness to her response that indicated that she didn't feel she had many options. If I had said something, the punishment she would have received once he had her alone would likely have been very severe, with the excuse that she had provoked it by drawing attention to the injuries. It is something that is very common is abuse cases.
I recall one instance, where every family on a particular cul de sac in our community conferred together, then each called social services individually to report one father's behaviour. The eight year old boy had constant signs of battery all over his body. The policy in social services at the time was "no blood on the child no action", so nothing was done. The beating the child received shortly after the social workers' visit, convinced the neighbours to never trust social services again and not to get involved. Fortunately, the principal of the school the child attended had some authority with respect to the parent, because he could threaten to expose his abuse in a way so that the "nice guy" facade wouldn't be possible any more. The problem with abusers is that they just become more careful where the visible injuries are inflicted, when they are challenged. The only method I have ever seen that stops them is the one the principal used - exposure to the broader community of what they are doing in a way that the victim can't be blamed for it. Couldn't do it on the bus, but I'll keep an eye out for the young lady for a time when she can talk.
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