The Loss of a First Love

Today we learned that Ted Kennedy died and the press is busy cannonizing him as they do famous (or infamous) people as soon as they are gone. Frankly, I think he had a great life for someone who, if he were you or I, would have spend the rest of his life in prison (or at least a good part of it) after the death of Mary Jo Kopeckne. Interesting that he died so near to the 40th anninversary of her death.

Did he do good in his life of public service? I suppose he did, but that did not bring back the daughter to her parents. So his death, while I sympathize with those who loved him, leaves me void of emotion. But that is just me and I really don't idolize the famous.

However, I recently found out that my first unrequited love died many years ago as a young man. This guy was gorgeous, had a great body, and was wonderfully kind. He was in the "in crowd" but always had time to say hi or have a conversation with others. As an athlete, he excelled, especially in wrestling. And, it is my suspicion that many of the girls in my class also had a crush on Wally.

One night during college, I ran into him at a dance. It surprised me because he went to a different school, but he was visiting some friends for the weekend. At the time, I was in love with a guy that went to college in another state, so my high school crush was over, but it was so good to see him. (Remember, just looking at him was worth the time.) We talked all evening and danced a few dances; generally having a great time. As he walked me back to the dorm, I broke down and confessed my earlier feelings to him.

To my chagrin, he grinned at me and said, "I know." Flustered, I mumbled something about the fact that I never told any of my friends and couldn't understand how he knew. He said he could tell by my looks and actions. To which I replied about how grateful I was that he never let on that he knew--I would have been mortified! We had a good laugh about it and he told me that he was honored that I had felt that way about him. He said that with his school work and sports he just didn't have much time, or money, for girls--he had other priorities. And, looking back, I don't remember him having a steady girlfriend.

We parted as friends--no kiss, not even any hand holding (well there was a very nice hug)--and shared a few wonderful hours together. A few weeks ago, I reconnected with a high school girl friend (don't ya love Facebook?) and I asked her about Wally along with some others. She quickly said, "The guy you had such a crush on?" God, did everybody know?

Then she told the bad news--he had died. He was doing some kind of mission work, helping people he did not know, and got sick. Sadly, he didn't recover.

My heart broke when she told me. I always thought he was meant for great things. In his too-short life, he touched many people in a very positive way. I don't know of anyone this gentle soul ever hurt. Today, my mind is on Wally and why no one talked about his life on TV all day when he died.

RIP Wally Morrell! Part of me will always have that teenage crush on you.

Parents Rule or UN Rule?

I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.
Thomas Jefferson

Today on Parents Rule! my guest, Michael Farris and I are discussing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. As titled, it is an innocuous sounding treaty. What kind of monster does not want children to be protected from evil and injustice? However, this document goes way beyond that and begins to interfere in the ability of a mom or dad to do their job as a parent.

Under the provisions, a child can take a parent to cout any time they disagree with a rule or restriction put on the child's behavior. Aren't the kids today too out of control as it is? Also, the wording in several areas of this document are very vague and open to interpretation. Who will do the interpreting? An 18 person panel in Geneva. And, if ratified, the treaty supersedes US law. Who else has a problem with that? And what does "an enforceable right to leisure" mean?

Central to our society is the parent-child relationship. The role of the parent does not end with childbirth. We are also to be the teacher and protector of our children. It is not the job of government to do that, nor is it the job of people from another country.

Children do not fit nicely into cookie cutter rules where what is right for one is right for all. They are individuals with individual personalities and purposes on this earth. No one can help a child prepare for adult life more than an informed, loving parent. No one living in another continent can or should make decisions about my child’s needs. They do not know my child, or me.

Parents must have the ability to guide, set boundaries, and enforce those boundaries as they see fit—naturally without abuse. What I am talking about are the majority of parents; those who care deeply for the best interest of their children. It is vital that parents start making a stand now for the future of our children and grandchildren.

The proposed Constitutional amendment, called the Parents Rights Amendment, will protect us even if the treaty is ratified. Check it out at http://www.parentalrights.org. And let me hear what you think.

You Can Call Me Liz...

Hey, world I am back. I have been off the radar for a few weeks, but now I am raring to go--can hardly go for raring. (What does that mean anyway?) To celebrate, I am going to tell you something that happened to me on my recent vacation. It has nothing to do with parenting, although the real Liz is expecting. Does that count?

I have a new alias, which I will be using in bars, in resorts in Jamaica, and in Vegas from now on. If you see someone who looks just like me in any of those places, she will only answer to LIZ.

Okay, so you want the back story?

We were recently on vaca at great resort in Jamaica and having dinner in the fancy-dancy French restaurant on property. We were dressed up and looking good and drinking a few glasses of bubbly when it happened. The wait staff came out singing Happy Birthday to Liz and set the cake, which also said Happy Birthday Liz, right in front of me. Standing there waiting for me to blow out the candles, they couldn't figure out the confused look on my face. Finally I stammered to them that I was not Liz. They looked at my sister in law expectantly and she informed them that her name was Karen.

To be fair, we were warned. When we walked in, the waiter said something to my husband about us celebrating a birthday and Monty told him we weren't. Now I understand the wink he got--it wasn't that he thought Monty was cute; this guy thought Monty was trying not to spoil the surprise.

We were hysterical laughing after they took the cake with the new candle wax topping away. The two tables near us were full of people looking perplexed or laughing. Eventually I said that maybe we should have just eaten the cake. At that, the people to my right started laughing all over again and I heard the word Liz mentioned.

Sure enough, Liz was at the table next to me and expressed her gratitude that I did not, in fact, eat her cake. With that, we laughed until tears ran down our cheeks--all eight of us.

So, I have now adopted and embraced my alias. Use it with caution.