Really?

Yesterday while driving to school, I saw something that has always provoked a huge "REALLY??" type of reaction from me anytime I see it. Driving next to me was this huge manly man truck. It was black and lifted and it was a 4x4 and it had tinted windows and mudflaps and chrome and more chrome and it roared in a very manly way when the driver put his foot on the accelerator and I'm pretty sure it was able to grow facial hair before it even left the assembly line.
So here's the kicker: On the back window of this truck were two stickers that show the silhouette of a naked woman in a very suggestive pose...one as an angel, the other as a devil. I'm sure you all know the ones I'm talking about. I want to know who the 7th grade boy was that came up with this idea, and after that I want to know how it is possible that more mothers don't beat their sons for putting these stickers on their trucks.
When did it become "manly" for men to lust after a woman's body and reduce it to nothing more than a means to satisfy his fleshly desires? How have multiple generations of women accepted the lie that our value lies in our sex appeal and our willingness to give our bodies without regard for commitment and respect? It is not acceptable to excuse it as "well, they are men. It's just how their minds work." Bull. People are perfectly capable of training their minds and their thoughts. Most choose not to.
So why do I get so disgusted by these stickers when I could "just not look at them," as many people advise me? Mainly because they are a slap in the face to womanhood and true manhood, and because they poison the minds of children and adults. Young girls see those poses and think that they have to look like that to be of value. Young men see them and think that they are allowed and entitled to view women in that manner.
So, back to where I first saw the truck. The vehicle next to him was a smaller SUV, rather unremarkable in appearance. There was an older man driving it. His bumper sticker simply read, "I love my wife."
There is hope, after all. :)
More to come on this soon....

Enough already

I've recently begun to realize that there is a world outside of nursing school that I would like to a part of. The world where people go to movies on Saturday nights with friends, where friends get together for the fun of it (not just to study), and in general....where no one talks about urinary catheters, med administration, or the weird case that they saw on "Trauma, Life in the ER."
My life has been almost completely consumed with school for the last 2-1/2 years, and I still have one year to go. But I've finally reached a point of wanting to hold a conversation with someone where I don't mention a single word about my work. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I want to talk about anything else...a great book, a sewing pattern, a car project, a sweet recipe...you get the idea.
I went and saw "Morning Glory" with my friend Caitlin tonight and in this one scene, Harrison Ford's character (veteran newsman) tells the the work-obsessed young executive producer (Rachel McAdams)..."You would sleep at the office if you could. You meet someone and you only ever get to the third date because all you can talk about is your work." I feel like I am that character. All I talk about most of the time is nursing school. I love what I do but...good grief. Sometimes it needs to be put into a box with a tight fitting lid and be shoved into the closet for a while.
So tomorrow morning...I'm waking up, making my coffee, going to church with my family, and visiting with friends after service. I'm going to tinker with my truck for a little while. Call my nieces and talk with them...they are growing up so fast I can't believe it. Little kids should have to stay little for twice as long so that their aunties have more time to adjust to them growing up. In short...I am going to do everything I never take the time to do.

Superior Cell Phone Genetics

Tonight, in a wild streak of devilry and rebellion, I set my books aside for a few hours and went to the cell phone store. Alltel, which has been my phone company for 6 years, was recently bought out by AT&T, who I assume by now is owned by AOLTimeWarnerWalMartMarthaStewartFordFritoLayCompany. I don't know anything about phones except that when I use mine it emits a special ray that lets me drive using ESP while I text on it, but apparently, Alltel phones are incompatible with AT&T systems (sensing some sort discrimination here, just have to dig a bit and I could probably file some sort of hate crime lawsuit). I think AT&T should change their system out to meet the needs of my recycled flip phone that is about 4 years old now and has pieces falling off of it, but apparently in this relationship, it's all about them. SO after receiving 3 letters in the mail with glossy pictures of genetically superior AT&T phones, and getting propaganda emails about how great these phones are, and most recently, receiving threatening texts about what will happen if I don't go pick a new phone, I finally conceded and headed to the local Klan headquarters to upgrade to one of their preselected phones.
For the record, this whole thing just stinks. They buy out my company, they declare my phone's name is suck, they preselect 5 phones for me to choose from, and then if I want to even consider touching my plan in any way, shape, or form, they want me to sign a contract declaring my allegiance and fealty to them for the next 432 years of my life. If I decide to cancel this contract, they reserve the right to eliminate me from the gene pool to prevent the possibility of any of my potential successors from being around to cancel phone contracts in the future. They don't say this outright, but I know the truth.
Five minutes after walking in, I have my new phone selected, and the guy tells me, "It will probably be here in January." So after all of the threats and emails and texts about how upgrading my phone is quite possibly the most important thing I will do in this life, they won't have it till January. Which is totally fine...I didn't want to change phones in the first place. Mine is awesome because I can leave it out on a table at school or forget it on a store counter and NO ONE will steal it because it is so old!!! I've dropped it out of my truck multiple times over the last couple of years and it still works like a charm! Maybe they want my phone back so they can copy its longevity chromosome and incorporate it into their little AT&T phone gene pool. It's just a theory. I don't think I will let them have it. All I have to say to them is this: Don't think I don't know what you think I don't know.