Meanderings Run Wild...

Okay this is going to be one of those this and that meandering blogs that I sometimes write when coherency just isn't there in my mind. This kind of explains the music that I am listening to this morning as I am pecking away on the keyboard. The prior song was Creed's "With Arms Wide Open" and the next song playing is Offenbach's "Caline De Blues" and will be followed by No Doubt's "Hey Baby". LOL. Strange combination of songs when you go random.

I'm on coffee number two. This week's brand is something New England's Best or something similar. It was one of the cheaper brands at the neighborhood BiLo and to me it isn't a bad cup of joe. Hmmm. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. I don't think they will be using me as their sponsor anytime soon. Camera to Schlewing: "New England's Best or something named like that. Not a bad cup of joe". LOL. I don't see that ad running a gazillion times on TV.

(Note to readers: The Uh-Oh pic at the top of this blog was chosen because of what the rest of this blog turned into).

So in the last 10 days or so, the shite hit the fan in State College, Pa when the child abuse scandal broke. It upset me a lot. I even commented on it on my Facebook page which is something I don't normally do. I kind of keep that page light on my opinions as I know that some people don't care to see that kind of stuff on that social network. I truly walk a fine line on that site though my opinions seem to be appearing more and more as I tie my HuffPost ramblings onto my Facebook page. I am not embarrassed by anything that I write on websites. I ramble on my take on the truth. I guess one can say my truths.

Here's why I was upset and why I found it hard to stay quiet on the topic. After my father took his life in late September 1969; my mother was not able to take care of the three of us. Us being my 2 yr. old brother, my 5 yr. old sister and me at 7 yrs. old. Insurance doesn't pay out on suicides. My Mom did not have the financial capabilities to take care of us during the week. This was before the social safety system was in place in Quebec and there was no such thing as $5 a day childcare.

So for a time, my Mom did not have any choice but to send us to live with foster families. We lived with several of them. I don't have a lot of memories from that time. I remember a French Canadian family that lived on the South Shore of Montreal that was great to us. They had a german shepherd that used to walk me to school and literally pick me up at school. Fond memories of that family.

Then there was another family where my memories aren't so good. The father of the family used to hit me when I would do something not to his liking. I remember one mealtime given a plate of spaghetti with green peas. I have never liked green peas. They just taste blah to me and I am not able to chew them. The man used to take his fork and hit the tips of my fingers with it. When you're 7 yrs. old your hands are small. Your fingers are small. It does not take much to hurt them. It seems that hitting them like that doesn't leave marks. He was not a nice man. I remember that quite well. I remember having to protect my younger siblings. I remember thinking that it is better if he hits me or does things to me rather than to my siblings. I knew that soon this would end.

It did. Someone listened to me then. We went to live for a time with the nice French Canadian family with the german shepherd. I think that my Mom worked with the Mom of that family. We were once again safe. Not too long after we were all reunited as a family.

That partly explains why the Penn State scandal got my gander up. It was a cover up after a cover up after a cover up where adults, the grown-ups never did the right thing. Regardless of anything else that is confirmed by fact or testimony at a later date; a lot of people did not do the right thing. A grown man does not take naked showers with ten yr. old boys. Relative, father figure or authority figure or whatever is is WRONG. No ifs, ands or buts. A lot of people have to look at themselves in the mirror and own up to what they did wrong. Inaction is not an action.

I saw the story. I had to comment on it on Facebook. I may have taken a stand that may be an affront to people. Whatever. Certain things have to, must be exposed to the light of day regardless of the place, person or institution it may implacate. Wrong is wrong!

Hmmmm this blog went thataway didn't it. I guess I needed to get this off my chest.