I try very hard to not be a Ralph Kramden kind of person. For those of you too young to remember the television program from the 1950's, "The Honeymooners," Ralph was the volatile husband of Alice. Ralph was constantly in high dudgeon about something or other. And his signature line, "To the Moon, Alice!" as he pretended to bop her so hard she would go airborne, would never get airtime today. Ralph was the epitome of a verbally abusive hot head.
I come from a long line of hotheads and I can easily go there myself - just ask my husband. I am on simmer; just a dial click away from boil. I work very hard at being patient - just ask my grandchildren. Sometimes I don't succeed - just ask Jack or Eli or Chance. I know this about myself and have to constantly "pick my battles," which are almost always centered around injustices. I want to be Zen so badly, I try to avoid those situations/people I know will increase my blood pressure. However, this morning has presented two challenges.
First of all, the least significant - Donald Trump, the blowhard who thinks he would make a good president. The man is a joke. However, the Today Show gave him TEN MINUTES of airtime this morning. No hard hitting journalism either. They just let him blather on without interruption as he tried to explain why he ejected a well respected Hispanic reporter from Univision out of Trump's press conference. I can pull out this thorn easily by not watching the Today Show any more as well as venting my spleen to their GM. Done.
The second thing hurts me to my core. My beloved football team, the Steelers, just signed Michael Vick. Yes, that Michael Vick. The miscreant who got caught operating a dog fighting ring. In April 2007, Vick was implicated in an illegal interstate dog fighting ring that had operated for five years. A federal judge noted that he had promoted, funded, and facilitated a dog fighting ring on his property, and had engaged in hanging and drowning dogs who did not perform well. He also had failed to cooperate fully with police. In August 2007, Vick pleaded guilty to federal felony charges and served 21 months in prison, followed by two months in home confinement. (Source: Wikipedia)
My ears are ringing as my blood pressure rises. Spokespersons for the Steelers are asking fans to forget about his past and focus on his abilities. Really? Well, this fan will never forget the images of dog carcasses, bloodied and disfigured dogs and the cavalier way in which he acted when caught. I'm sorry, but this ranks right up there with murder, child abuse, and rape as unforgivable acts committed by anyone, especially sports figures. For those of you who point out Ben Roethlisberger's rape charge - I can tell you this - and my family will support it - I haven't forgiven him. If I could, I would climb up on a stepladder and slap the stupid out of him.
Animal abuse must not be tolerated. Puppy mills, dog fighting rings, any form of abuse - cannot continue. If you see it - report it. Also, don't buy a pet from a "pet store!" Recently, a family member saw a cute Ragdoll kitten at a local pet store and the price tag was $2400!!!! My friend, who is a reputable breeder of Ragdolls, sells beautiful, purebred, healthy kittens for a fraction of that. There is no way of knowing the background of the kitten for which they were asking such an exorbitant price. Just don't ever buy from these places. Find a reputable breeder, or go to a breed's rescue site - or adopt from a shelter.
I don't feel better after my rant. I actually feel worse. I am definitely not Zen. That means somebody else is gonna have a bad day as I continue to vent my wrath. Next stop: Steelers' General Manager.
If this doesn't disturb you -
I don't want to know you...
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