Baby Boom

Maybe it's just my imagination, but this year more than any other that I can remember in recent history seems to be another big Baby Boom year.

It started slow. A good friend announced her pregnancy with her second child in January. I couldn't have been happier for her. Then a week later, I found out another friend was expecting....then another, and another. Then I learned of a few people I know who recently gave birth. One, in fact, recently delivered twins. Then another pregnancy announcement...

It's been like that since the beginning of the year. I think, all told, between women I know who are expecting and those who have just given birth, there are 12 friends (or more) bringing new life to 2009. And each new life brings so much joy.

I'm not sure if this new Baby Boom is because we are now at an age where we're settled and able to raise families, whether it's a sign of hopefulness for the new Obama administration, whether it's a sign of hope for better times ahead, or just mere coincidence. Me? Well, let's just say my day is still to come.

So, here is a big, warm, heartfelt congratulations to these wonderful women and their newborns! All the best!

Tune Therapy

This is just a semi-short post to say "Never Underestimate the Power of Music."

I had a pretty stressful day - to the point that I had to avoid certain people or else I would have certainly screamed at them for being idiots. I was burnt out, tired, aching as if I had been hit by a bus. I was cranky, my nerves were raw and all I wanted to do was crawl up into a ball under my fleece blanket and go to sleep as soon as I could.

Did I? No.

I went to the mall instead. I know. Not quite the place to release stress...at least, not for me. But then, something happened.

In one of the stores, I heard an upbeat song about being thankful for so many beautiful things in life, including good friends. I don't know who sang it or what the song title is (it sounded like India.Arie, so if you have an idea of what I'm talking about, please chime in). It brought a smile to my face, and the lyrics alone made me take a breath and think, "yeah, ok. Relax. It's not so bad. You have a lot to be thankful for, too."

The transition from ogre to civilized, and happy, human being continued in my car with the help of one of my favorites, The Killers, with "Human" followed by unbridled singing and car-dancing to Billy Idol's "Dancing with Myself." Enough said.

Thanks, music. You've worked your magic once again.

What Would You Do (Pt. 2)?

The other day I told you about a situation I found myself in that presented a moral and obligatory dilemma. And you responded. Thank you.

So, now - here's another one for you to think about.

Later that same day...
I went to a local pizzeria for lunch. Inside, a woman sat quietly on the bench near the hostess stand...just sitting there. For how long, I don't know. A shopping bag from Bath & Body Works had been placed in the middle of the floor, half way between the hostess stand and the restaurant counter. The woman was slim in dark clothing with a brown substance smeared on her face and what appeared to be black eyeliner encircling her eyes and filling her lips. She was, as the locals call her, The Mud Lady - a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic who is homeless. The pizzeria's employees were clearly uncomfortable having her sit in their restaurant. She wasn't disturbing anyone or anything; still, they asked her to leave. Without argument or fuss, she picked up the shopping bag and walked out.

The Mud Lady has been known in this area for years. The stories told about her make her almost a mythical being - a strange creature who smears "mud" on herself as makeup, who once had a good home with a husband and family, a good job. A coworker of mine formerly work with her and said she used to be beautiful, a former model. The tales of "how she came to be on the streets" seem to grow more fantastical as the years go on. As a paranoid schizophrenic, she, unintentionally, has become an oddity - one to be avoided/stared at/mocked/scared of. I've encountered her many times, and from what I've seen, she's harmless. Out of the norm? Sure. But it would seem "the bark is worse than the bite", so to speak. Still, it seems the reaction to her is always the same, and the stigma of people with psychological disorders is still alive.

So - in this situation, I'd like to know what you would do? Knowing her condition and her demeanor, would you have accepted the restaurant kicking her out? How would you react if you saw her on the street or in the restaurant? Would you avoid her? Make fun of her? Lower your eyes? Say hello? Buy her a slice of pizza?

I don't want this to be a "gotcha" scenario, but am just curious about behaviors. The thing we think we would do isn't necessarily always the thing we end up doing. So, let's talk about this...

What Would You Do?

This morning, I felt like I was walking through a scene set-up for ABC's show "What Would You Do?" - and failed miserably.

Here's what happened: At my place of employment, I park in a covered garage. I was walking from my car to the building entrance, when I heard slamming of a door and a man' s voice, clearly agitated. As I got closer to the noise, I saw a man either loading or unloading a wheel chair-bound woman from the car. He was slamming the passenger back door and yelling, throwing what appeared to be pieces of the wheel chair (the foot rests?) in the backseat. The woman, who I did not see but heard, sounded like an elderly woman in distress. She kept yelling "Stop it! Stop it!" and then something else. It didn't seem that the man was physically violent toward her, but was verbally abusive. But from a few second snippet, I could not truly tell what the situation was.

I looked over at him, surprised to see and hear what was going on. He looked back. I kept walking.

As soon as I passed them, something in me said to go back. See if everything is ok. But I didn't.

Afterward, it took everything inside of me to not cry. It really bothered me the rest of the day. What if something was really going on there, and that woman needed help? I can't say that I'm proud of my action...but what could I have done? I could have said something to him, but then what? Would I report the man to building security? Would I call 911? What? Was it even my place to say something? I'll never know.

Elder abuse is something that should never be tolerated. EVER. I think of my own grandparents, who both turn 90 tomorrow. Every senior out there could be my grandparent when I think about it, so I want them all protected. So, why on earth did I let that situation go this morning?

I know this morning's incident will stay with me for a long time. I would like to know, what would you have done if you were in my shoes?