Perpetual Ruminations

Saturday

Saturday, the first day of the weekend and two days off for most people. For me, it's the busiest day of the week at work, and one of the longest most of the time. It's kind of funny, all the people that are off work today and trying to get a project underway come through the yard at work, to get building materials. They ask why I'm working on a weekend, and that it's just not right to make someone work on a weekend. Don't they understand, if someone did not work on the weekend, they would not be there purchasing materials?

Of course, some people coming through on days like today, when it's cold, windy, and raining, will also say something along the lines of, "Well, try and stay dry."

Uh,  don't they understand that they are the reason I'm out in the rain? Not only that, but they are sitting inside the vehicle out of the rain, talking to me and holding me up, so I have to spend more time in the rain getting wet, while they tell me to stay dry. Cognitively underdeveloped, that's what I say. I could use the term mentally retarded, which is the same, but now days, there are so many people that get upset when this term is used.

I can understand if it's used in meanness, especially towards someone who suffers from some type of mental disability. But when used in the sense I just did, it's just a fact that some people just do not develop very fast mentally. In some cases, I would have to say they may have even degenerated some. This also leads me to another question, if a person is upset when someone uses the term retarded, or any related term, do they get mad when they look at a package of beef jerky and see a preservative that states, "retards mold,"?

It's called politically correct and it's stupid. I wonder if we can still use that word? Seriously, if a word does not compliment a person, then it seems it should not be used. For example, you need to describe a robber to the police, and say, "He was six foot tall, brown hair, clean shaven, and pretty fat."

The person is then caught based on your description, and in court tells the judge that you called him fat, hurt his feelings, and verbally bullied him. The next thing you know, your in court and sentenced to twice the time he is, because you called him fat. I know, it's not that bad -- yet. Of course, if you tell the police you seen the burglar and he finds that term upsetting, your still wrong. It's like we have to find a nice way to describe bad things about a person.

I just don't agree. I was raised in a time that stated, "If the shoe fits, wear it. I mean, if a person is fat, they are fat. That's the term, and it is not to say they are bad, or anything other than they are fat. But, that sounds like they are some kind of lard-ass, so we don't say fat, we say over weight. Then it just sounds like they have a pound or two of excess weight. I am too heavy, because I like food, ate too much of it, and put on some fat. I need to lose the fat, and I'm working on losing the fat, but until I do, I'm fat, plain and simple. Of course, if I could get everyone to tell me I'm not fat, just over weight, then I wouldn't have to work so hard at getting rid of the fat.

No, I'm fat and I need to lose some of this fat. In fact, I need to lose a lot of this fat, and then I'll feel better, have more energy, and won't be fat any longer. I'm also kind of tall, but I haven't heard anyone get upset at this term. I have heard a person or two get worked up because they were called short. In fact, one short, fat person was mad because the doctor told him he was too short for the weight he carried. I don't remember the way he said it, but it basically said, your short and fat, that's what your problem is.

The person who was told this got mad and quit seeing that doctor. He insisted that he wasn't short and fat, he was naturally stout. He doesn't say this anymore, he passed away some years ago, his heart gave out. He was a nice person, and we were friends, but his health was terrible, and it was 90% a result of his being fat. He ate the wrong foods, too, but had he admitted he was fat, he may have realized that he needed to lose the fat, and to lose the fat, he needed to change his diet. But he did not do anything. Why? Because he wasn't fat, he was just stout.

Well, that's enough of this for now... I need to get my self to bed, get rested up, and finish off this weekend. Tomorrow is Father's Day, and even though I have kids, I'll be working. If the kids are great, it's an honor to being a dad. But, if they are little brats, it's kind of like being fat. The only difference is, you can diet and lose weight, but the kids stick around forever...

Happy Fathers Day to all the wonderful dads out there.