Archive for June 30, 2020

A Bully-Pulpit Invitation

Here’s a bully-pulpit for you.  There’s so much in the news about kids being bullied and the damage it does to them not just at the time but throughout their lives.  We never forget those bad experiences when others teased and belittled us, made us feel inadequate, unloved, unwanted, a laughing-stock, emotionally drained, physically ill, terrorized, totally alone in the world.

Use this forum to share an experience you had in which a bully made you feel this way and how it affected your life. Put your story in Comments and I’ll pass it on in a future blog entry.

I’ll start.  I was in 7th grade, shy and plump and walking on crutches and leg braces.  When I’d walk by a certain group of boys, they’d talk in a foreign language, look at me, imitate the way I walked, make hand gestures pointing out my roundish figure.  They even waited until I walked by the stairwell and dropped spit on me from above.  I cried a lot.  I avoided that stairwell whenever possible.  I was afraid to tell anyone or ask others to walk with me.  I was miserable and alone.  Later, that was the language I chose to learn for my college language requirement, and it took several friends from that ethnic group to get me over my fear and, yes, loathing of that group.  As an adult, I still get a twinge of discomfort when I think of those junior-high days, but I’m tuned into bullying and ready to step in whenever I see it.

Now it’s your turn….Write your experience in “Comments.”

We Know Not What We Say

We try not to be racist, and we may not accept the concept of white privilege. But sometimes we say things that are racist and privileged. Those ideas are so ingrained in us that we don’t notice or understand the significance of what we’re saying. That’s why I found the Huffington Post article 6 Things White People Say That Highlight Their Privilege enlightening. I’ll list them here and you can go the article for an explanation of each.

1. “It’s not my job to fix racism because I’m not racist.”

2. “I don’t see color.” [Or, I might add, “I’m color-blind.”]

3. “There’s no need to worry about the police if you’re not doing anything illegal.”

4. “I don’t want to post about racism on social media because I’m scared of the backlash.”

 5. “I don’t have white privilege.”

6. “I’m not sure when I should start talking to my kids about racism.”

Put Your Fish to Work

Don’t waste that water your fish have enriched with nutrients.  When cleaning the fish tank, use the water on your plants and trees. You think it’s scummy; they think it’s yummy.

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[For more easy, money-saving, Earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]

A Hug Tunnel!

What a great idea! Especially today, in our isolated world. It’s only for a few people right now, but I hope the idea spreads. Here’s the story:

A care home for elderly people in southern Brazil has come up with a creative way to bring some love to its residents amid the coronavirus pandemic, by creating a “hug tunnel” that allows relatives to safely embrace them. READ MORE AT Brazilian care home creates ‘hug tunnel’ so loved ones can embrace elderly relatives.

What to Tell People

There are some social media sites I just can’t read right now. Even people I know to be caring and loving are posting things viciously and unthinkingly cutting down people and groups. It’s time to take today’s Thursday Thought quote to heart.

Finally — Bandaids in THE RIGHT Color!

Band-Aid is creating a range of bandages that “embrace the beauty of diverse skin,” including hues that better match the skin tones of black and brown customers.

Band-Aid’s traditional soft-pink bandages have long been a point of contention among people of color who have questioned why white skin is the default shade for a range of flesh-toned products, including nude bras and other garments.

Quoted from CNN’s Band-Aid will make black and brown flesh-toned bandages. To read the rest of the article, click on that linked.

Read Before Using that Hand Sanitizer

Most of us are using hand sanitizer to protect ourselves and our loved ones from getting sick. Question is, are we using the right one (not just 60%, but the ingredients, too), using it at the right time and properly, and know its effectiveness and dangers? AARP put out a helpful article that answers these concerns. I’ll list their warnings and you should go to 7 Things to Know About Hand Sanitizer for details.

1.Hand sanitizer kills germs but doesn’t clean your hands.

2.Sanitizer trumps soap and water in certain situations.

3.Not all hand sanitizers are equal.

4.Sanitizing technique matters.

5.Cleaning products are not a substitute for hand sanitizer.

6.Hand sanitizer can be dangerous.

7.Hand sanitizer can be dangerous.

Know How to Boil Water?

When boiling water, cover the pan.  This prevents evaporation and makes the water boil faster, thus saving both water and energy.

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[For more easy, money-saving, Earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]

A Thought for Plant-Lovers

I talk to plants. Some people think I’m daffy, but I see the results. Even the ones I “adopt” from the neighbor’s trash pile revive and grow. I’m convinced that talking to them helps. That’s why today’s Thursday Thought quote has a ring of truth in in for me.

Donate Money Without Paying a Cent

How can you help many without leaving your chair and NOT opening up your checkbook?  Next time you’re on the Internet, go to www.thebreastcancersite.com and look at the topics listed across the top.  Choose to support any or all of these: hunger, breast cancer, animal rescue, veterans, autism, child health, literacy, and the rainforest.  Pick a cause, then, when it opens, press “Click Here to Give—It’s Free!”  Various sponsors give money for each click we do, supporting reputable groups which work toward helping others or our environment. You don’t give any information, so nobody will solicit funds from you or send you spam. You can continue to contribute by clicking on any or all once a day, or at least each time you sign onto the internet.  Stick the site into your “Favorites,” or send yourself a weekly reminder email with the address to link you quickly to the site.  How easy is that!