Twice in one week and two different states, I saw preschoolers loose in moving vehicles without any restraints or child safety seats! Hard to believe this is the case when so many agencies and organizations provide free or highly discounted safety seats for parents. The first was an infant in a blanket riding in the mom's lap in a two-seat, small domestic truck with no rear seat or extended cab! The second was a little boy about three years old who was rolling around in the deck area of a moving car under the rear window! There's absolutely no excuse for this. Parents are supposed to make decisions that in the best interest of a child's safety, health and welfare. Obviously, these two are making poor decisions. And if I were a betting man, I'd say the odds are very good in our litigious society that if either car was in a wreck they would attempt to sue the pants off whoever they could.
Then there's a popular coffee chain store off I-75 north (immediately north of Knoxville), that shut down one restroom and opened the other to both sexes, but did not refill the empty soap dispenser. Yes, I took note of the overflowing trash, and messy cream/sugar station. As we entered the store I couldn't help but notice there was a line waiting to get into the single restroom. An employee was coming out of that door as we entered and headed to the bar to serve coffee! Oh but I'm sure he/she (can't remember) washed their hands once behind the counter! And yes there were plenty of employees to handle the customer load. We stopped at a different one, on the way back. :)
Apologies to the hot-headed driver on I-74 west bound (between Cincy and Indy) Christmas Day morning. I thought a merge lane meant you knew traffic was merging into the right lane and that you would move into the other lane since there was absolutely NO traffic around us and I had my left turn signal on. Thanks for getting close enough to read the expiration sticker on my license plate and accelerating to go around me as you gestured that I'm number one. I seem to get that a lot. What was the emotional attachment to that lane? I sure hope your Christmas Day turned out better.
And my sincerest apologies to the lady in Knoxville who barked at me with some French words while waiting to turn onto a busy road to get back on the interstate. I was wrong and shouldn't have said what I said regardless of how you acted. I'm supposed to be in charge of my actions and I am not responsible for yours. Of course my family reminded me later, that two wrongs don't make a right and I was out of line. Yes, Father this is the incident we've already discussed.
Serious questions to any SC legislator who is considering the idea of instituting a toll on parts of I's 95, 26 and 20 per an article in a Low Country newspaper I read after Christmas. I'm not making this one up! It begs the question, what are you doing with our gasoline tax dollars and the portion of our state income tax that is earmarked for DOT? And isn't that double taxation? How do you charge for something that's already paid for and paid for with federal dollars as well as state funds?
Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee sure have a lot of bumper stickers below Tennessee, but the farther north you go the more Hilary and Obama stickers you see. That by the way is a very non-scientific poll and purely subjective. Tim Russert, CNN and the Gallup organizations surely have better facts.
Having made purchases in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana in six days, I can honestly say that we Americans shop too much and we could probably do without most of the shiny treasures we haul out of Target, Walmart, Penny's, Best Buy, Old Navy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Lowes and beyond.
A church in Georgetown, Kentucky had one of the most creative Christmas Eve programs I've ever seen. I should've known because they have renovated an old Walmart. Yes, way cool. And yes, they unapologetically called it a "Christmas program". No doubt the worship police will weigh in, but they meant it to be an entertaining and thought-provoking evening. It sure was. Man those guys can play some wicked guitars. The "Soup" was great. And the fact that they intentionally did not receive an offering, but did solicit volunteer contributions for a local food pantry in the lobby as you left was really neat. Their gift of their lights, heat, utilities, and talent for the two services on Christmas Eve did not go unnoticed by this visiting pastor.
I miss my faith community when I'm gone. I love times of renewal and getting away, but there's no place like our faith community made up of flawed, imperfect people who truly know how to love others!
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