Mewsings from Lowecat (aka Indianacat)

My rants, ravings, and overall 'mewsings' on life, the universe, and everything.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Not so Proud of these Hoosiers


A couple of stories that have made the news don't make me very proud of my state. Granted, these are isolated instances that are NOT reflective of the populace of Indiana as a whole, and I thank God for that! Still, stories like these don't just make me ask 'WTF?!', but they make me sad as well.
You're probably familiar with both, though one went national thanks to the world wide web. The other has gotten a lot of media attention within the state. The first involves the tragic and preventable death of a little girl just before Christmas. The story is frightening, nightmarish, and sad. It bolsters my belief that people ought to take a course/test in havin' kids before they do so. If you haven't read/heard the story, check out the latest details.
If you're not shakin' your head and wonderin' 'WTF?' yourself, re reard the story until you do. I just cannot imagine anyone knowingly takin' their children into a cesspool like that, no matter how ill her own parent might be (the fact that her father was also a convicted sex offender not withstandin'). At least the little girl is no longer sufferin'. I hope Heaven is far better than the Hell on earth she endured in her short life.
The second story is disturbin' for many reasons:
I guess it's inevitable that people will see an opportunity to gain in a tragedy of this nature, and will allow their greed and/or sense of entitlement to lead them. The fact that the one didn't have the sense to remember that the concert never got started could almost make one laugh.
This was a premediated case of fraud. The one woman deliberately decided to fake a claim for injuries that never happened. Indiana has a five millon dollar cap on disasters such as this. The families of the people who died and permanently injured are only allowed a certain amount of money. Some of the people who were legitimately injured in the event had their claims denied - period. Yet, this didn't stop the instigator from going to the ER and carry on like a soap opera diva in an Emmy reel. The attempt to claim money for non existent injuries not withstandin', the fact that this gash took time and personnel from those truly needin' medical help! I hope to God that no one died waitin' for care while she was bein' tended to.
There are a lot of good people in Indiana. People who do good deeds and live a good life no matter their economic status, race, creed, color, and/or religion. They just don't make the news. But that knowledge doesn't keep me from wincin' at the pretty nasty black eye the people of Indiana have gotten over the last few days.

The Advent of a New Year


The holiday season is about to come to an end with the New Year's celebration. Now is the time that many people list what they want to change about themselves, often for the better.
I don't do that anymore. New Year's resolutions are always well meant, but after a week or two, I find myself slipping back into old habits/behaviors. It's human nature. We all make plans to stop smokin'/drinkin'/cursin'/etc., to lose weight, to work out, to be more organized.
And for a few days during the bright, shiney New Year, we cling to those resolutions like a freshly dried sock clings to your favorite shirt just out of the dryer. We go to the gym, we watch what we say, we put on the anti smokin' patch, we do all those things that are supposed to improve not only our lives, but the lives of those around us.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not jaded about startin' off the New Year with makin' positive changes. It's a great thing to aspire to. I don't make resolutions these days, because of the inevitable inability to follow through for any length of time. It's settin' myself up for failure, and why put myself through that?
The new year heralds new opportunities to NOT to the things that lead to failure. One can learn from the past and hopefully not repeat failures in the future. The old year is about over, so it's good to reflect on what went before, and to hope for what is to come.
So Happy New Year, everyone, and if you are the type to make resolutions, good luck to you.