A Soap Box

It a rare thing for me to write any kind of commentary on my blog. Don't get me wrong, I have lots of opinions and enjoy an occasional, intelligent, somewhat heated debate. In fact, those who know me well would probably tell you that I pretty much enjoy getting on my soapbox if the need arises.

Its just that I like to keep my blog as a place to report on my little family and keep friends and family all over the country updated. But tonight, I'm going to depart from the norm, go out on a limb and tell you my opinion about something.

I'm tired of men bashing!

That's right. I'm tired of hearing women (mostly on TV) talk about how stupid or childish their husbands are. I'm tired of seeing people around me treat their husbands with disrespect or insinuate that their husbands can't be trusted to do anything right.

I guess one of the things that prompted this post was an episode of "John and Kate Plus Eight." My children were watching this show yesterday when I walked into the room to hear Kate berating her husband and equating his maturity to that of a child. While her derogatory comments were bad enough in themselves, I was especially upset that she was saying them in front of her children. She might as well have sat her children down and told them: "Your dad is not real smart, and he can't be trusted to act like an adult."

I got on my soapbox in front of my children. I told them that Dads are smart people who know what they're doing and that I trust their Daddy to do what's right. I want to be careful that I don't do anything that might teach my children to disrespect or distrust their Dad.

OK. I could go on, but I'll spare you more soap box.

Another thing that prompted this post is the start of a new, special blog. My blog friend, Nan, started a blog entitled, Brag On Your Man. It is the answer to the man bashing trend in our culture. It is a place specifically designated to bragging on our men, to telling the world why we love our men...

Click on the icon above to go over there. Then, start doing the opposite of bashing.

I'm Mad Too!

When I was growing up in Oklahoma, I remember seeing bumper stickers that said, "I'm Mad too, Eddie!" I didn't really know what everybody was mad about, so I searched the web for info this morning.

Born in Itasca, TX, H. E. (Eddie) Chiles (1910 - 1993) worked as an oil patch roustabout before hitchhiking to Norman in 1930. In 1934, he graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering.

In 1939, after working as a Sales Engineer with Reed Roller Bit Company in Houston, he founded The Western Company of North America, which served the petroleum industry with technical services required in the discovery and production of oil and gas. He started the company with little more than two trucks, three employees, and the will to succeed. At its peak, the Western company had over 5,000 employees and annual worldwide revenues of over $500 million.

Through his conservative radio commentaries, Chiles became a folk hero in parts of the nation. His trade-mark sign-on "I'm Eddie Chiles, and I'm mad," created an incredible demand for bumper stickers that read "I'm mad too, Eddie!" In 1980, Chiles purchased the Texas Rangers and served as Chairman of the major league club until 1989.

So I want to say "I'm mad" today. I'm mad about the gas prices. Yesterday, in our area, gas prices went up 10 cents. IN. ONE. DAY! I don't pretend to know the answers as to why or even how to fix it, but I say FIX IT! Drill a well in Alaska or off the coast of somewhere, build new refineries, lower gas taxes, whatever! I would like to spend my limited budget on things like, oh say, FOOD! Or even clothes or the water bill. But, no, more and more of it is going to gasoline. Ugh!!

(Thanks for letting me rant)