12:01 a.m. - 2003-09-21
Revelations
Miss Kitty is a good Mom. I'd kept the stairs down to the front door blocked off, because I hadn't wanted to risk tripping on a kitten or two while rebuilding my stamina in my exercise routine. This evening she decided the added exercise and skills that come with stair climbing needed to commence for her and her little ones too, so she broke down the barrier when my youngest and I were otherwise occupied. I think she also missed the playtime that was part of our stair routine, because she went a little wild when the babies joined her.
The first thing they decided was fun was jumping through the railings while chasing each other. Up at the top of the stairs that's about a 12 foot drop to the basement level. We've managed to drape the railing and I've hung a bunch of "swattable" swinging toys on the lower end of it so they learn to play near the ground. My youngest did the honours with the ribbon game. If it wears the babies out a bit and provides additional distraction all to the good too.
You see, all six love cuddle time now and expect their fair share of individual attention. Problem is, by the time I've finished cradling and cuddling number six in line, number one is ready to snuggle again. It's like having all my guys around when they were little. I must admit it was the time I savoured the most, but it means absolutely nothing else gets completed. For example, me reading the newspaper or one of my books to myself, is seen as a major insult to their bad selves so they make their point by lying across it - and we've all heard the phrase "kitten on the keys" (like now) for the computer. This should help - maybe.
Kind of a "things coming home to roost" in the news time isn't it? The judicial halt to the California recall vote. The information about the Challenger misteps. The revelations about the lack of concrete evidence to invade Iraq. The inquiry into David Kelly's death. I still think it odd that a specialist in biochemical weapons would opt for slashing a wrist and taking pain-killers. Especially, when he would be aware of, and have access to, substances that are almost instantaneous and are also a less painful way to die. Even odder, is that painkillers usually don't work their devastation as quickly as they did with him. See what happens when one works in a hospital? I picked up all sorts of strange bits and pieces of knowledge about the human body.
Anyway, closer to home, one of our school boards' trustee's husbands was caught using the education connection he had to lure investors to a "fund-raising venture" he was running on his own. When my ex first left the boys and I over a decade ago, this man approached me to work for his little "enterprise". He said he really couldn't pay me but it would help me get a job when "I got some work experience". I wonder what he thought raising six boys on my own and volunteering any free time I had previous to my ex leaving was. I also was outraged that anyone would even suggest that I go on welfare, so that they could profit at my familys' expense. He had his shill down to a science. "I could help myself by helping others", "he would teach me how to build my own business so I could be successful like him". "The temporary sacrifice of my children would pay big dividends down the road" There was the implied offer of other "personal" benefits too.
One thing I had learned from living in a community for nearly 20 years where 30% of the families were headed by single moms, was what not to do and who to avoid when one is first on one's own. I'd seen the same ploy in many forms over and over again. Those earlier observations saved me from succumbing to the predators who make their living from taking advantage people at their most vulnerable time. There's an entire "language" and pitch that is typical of the vultures who help themselves in the guise of helping their victims. One of their most common tactics is using questions to probe into where one's sense of self worth was most damaged and what fears were the greatest, so that they could make a person dependent on them by manipulating those emotions - promising to be their saviour. This guy tried most of those common to women facing parenting and providing for their children by themselves.
As it was, I had just quit the local Home and School Association, because his wife had taken the presidency and tried to use our organizations' funds to pay him as an "employee" to do this. I didn't want all my energy raising funds for schoolroom resources to be funneled off to pay for a private business that wasn't needed as a "middleman". It also didn't sit well with me that someone holding a position of trust on a volunteer organization, would put their own profit at the expense of the charity.
The two by-laws I always made certain were on the books of any group I volunteered with, were a prohibition for such a thing and a limitation on the length anyone could hold a position. An exit clause as it were. I'd seen too many volunteer groups bilked, because of their trust in the goodwill of the broader community when those protections weren't in place. Since I couldn't ensure that wouldn't happen in the case in point, I distanced myself and found other routes for my volunteer efforts. I didn't make a public issue out of it, because I didn't want to damage the reputation of the organization or the people who WERE working so hard to improve education in our city. At the time I had no proof other than the observations I'd made in my community and my gut feeling. I'm glad that he's finally been exposed. It would be nice if the media took this story one step beyond this single person and used it to teach people how to spot these jerks and protect themselves. (Don't let them into your life AT ALL).
Last up was a dream early this morning about my aboriginal friend. Her drug habit has taken over again and she's got herself in trouble with the law. She's told me she's co-operating with them through her lawyer, but I don't think so. She's been phoning stating she's one place when its obvious from the call display that the number isn't right and giving me information that seems really dodgy. I'd been wondering if she was trying to use me to cover her trail. The dream was actually kind of scary. You know in the horror movies where they show someone who's body is still alive, but their eyes are dead? That's how she appeared in the dream and it was as if she was threatening me and my children. I think consciously I didn't want to believe what I was feeling, but my sub-conscious obviously seems to need me to accept the truth of the matter. It's not as if I haven't been through this before. At least it didn't take me 20 years to figure it out like it did with my ex, and to this point, it hasn't caused any real harm to my family. It's sad, but that's another relationship that has to end - at least for now.
�
�
