The Power of the Written Word

Between my fifteen year anniversary just around the corner and the ridiculous amount of time I spend of Facebook I’ve become curious about memories. I, of course, remember the big things that happened, I just don’t always remember what led up to them. And I wonder why certain things played out as they did. At 33, I’m young enough to remember life before e-mail and AIM. Way back in my day we used these tools called pen and paper. I was surprised and thrilled at what I’ve kept along the way.

It may help that I enjoy writing. I spent two years on my high school paper and a year on my college paper and my elective courses were in literature, so more writing. It would also help that the vast majority of my friends and experiences evolved from the connections I made in those classes and in the newsrooms. I have a file box of almost every paper from all three years I worked on a newspaper staff. I also have notes I passed in high school, from bantering back and forth with girlfriends, to coded plots passed between Todd and I (I have copies from him). Most recently I found every note I got from my boyfriend senior year, including the note I passed him, and he passed back, asking him out. I have letters and cards from friends, and one very enlightening note from the guy I was - what do they call it now? -hanging out with, before Carl. Some are happy memories, others sad, but they all paint a picture of the person I was and what others thought of me.

It occurred to me, after going through my own paper-trail that my girls will probably never have that. Between e-mail, IM’s and texting no one writes things down like they used to. Sure they can save what they get, even what they send, but somehow I just don’t think it will be the same. The details in a written letter, the handwriting, the drawings, even how the note is folded, are just as important as the words themselves. Without the power of pen and paper they will never reach into a box, dig out a scribbled on, torn off sheet of paper with a mere sentence on it that takes them back to a moment in time and makes it come alive.

Not feeling the love.

We've been in our house for almost 7 years now and we've become used to a certain standard of snow removal. You know, that they do remove the snow. With the storm last week, when after snowing all night, the weather switched to sleet and rain, I asked my husband to call the town and see what was up since at 9:30 a plow had not yet come down our street. It's not like we're some way off side street, we're right off the parkway, and a main thoroughfare for parents and buses to go to the schools on the other side of the parkway. Not to mention out whole street is a mere 3 1/2 blocks long.

So he made the call, very nice of him to handle that. But then he goes and writes a letter to the superintendent of the highway department. Wow, how proactive you say. Wait till you read this.

*John H. Rouse*
Office of the Superintendent of Highways
1140 Old Town Road
Coram, NY 11727

Dear Superintendent Rouse:
Until the start of this year, I was feeling the love. Plows came around early and often during snow storms, prompting us to boast about our highway department to our poor friends in other towns.
But, sadly, it seems the love is lost. In the last three storms, we didn't see one plow down our street -- a busy thoroughfare in our neck of the woods-- until I called to complain.
I'm all for a game of slip and slide on the tiled floor of my grandmother's basement, but not in my car with two young girls and a wife in tow.
Now, I'm a pretty patient guy, but my wife... With the taxes we pay, when we don't get the services we have come to appreciate, I'm the one that bears the brunt of it. And the worst part? My two girls are old enough to repeat their mother's nagging. It's too much estrogen for one man to handle.
Against this backdrop, I'd like to know if there was a change in service providers or some other reason why things have gone astray. I'd appreciate a response and immediate corrective action.
Help a fella out.

Talk about throwing me under a bus! I asked him TWICE to make the call - that's not nagging, trust me on that!

The letter of response was sent yesterday. Before I saw it this morning, I knew it had hit home at the highway department. The first plow came down the street at 5:30pm and they didn't stop coming till at least 10pm, scraping down so low sparks were coming off the plow. We won't mention that it took 6 hours for the first plow to come and the buses came down snowy streets, yet again. At least there's no ice this morning!

New teen pregnancy studies are out.

There is an article in today's NYT about the new rise in teen pregnancy. It's up for the first time in a decade. Funny how that coincides with the Bush administration and preaching abstinence. I just wanted to share it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/health/27well.html?_r=1&8dpc

Since I've already been on my soap box about this, I won't bore you with more ramblings. If you don't remember my stance on sex ed, here's the link to that blog post:

http://www.homewith2girls.com/2008/10/sex-can-kill-you.html

I would vote republican before voting David Paterson into office.

I didn't like or trust Paterson before this, choosing Gillibrand to replace Hillary just pushed me over the edge. You're seriously telling me either Cuomo or Suozzi wasn't a better, more well-rounded pick?!? Hello, she worked FOR Cuomo. Her district has a population of 654,360, Suozzi's is 1,334,544. She has less experience to be our senator than Sarah Palin did to be our Vice-President and that says a lot!

Paterson has to be planning his campaign already for him to have picked a wolf in sheep's clothing for senate. Why else would he need a conservative, NRA supporting WOMAN to fill the seat vacated by our new Secretary of State?

This was a great segment from a story in Newsday today - (and holy crap, they actually have reporters who write stories, not just AP feed!)

Some political experts worried Gillibrand's conservative credentials won't play well statewide, particularly in New York City. "She's a Blue-dog Democrat," said Democratic strategist Joseph Mercurio. "There's some irony because this seat has been held by liberals such as Robert Kennedy, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Hillary Clinton."

-NEWSDAY
Kirsten Gillibrand named to fill Hillary Clinton's Senate seat
Will upstate politician prove to be Sarah Palin without the baggage?
BY ADAM ABRAMSON and JAMES T. MADORE

I cannot wait to actually ELECT a state official that's going to ruin my life vs having them shoved down my throat.

A New 12-Step Program

I am a Facebook addict.

I go on in the morning to make sure my level 10 fairy garden is watered, and to see who's doing what. Then I check in on and off all day.

I love playing Mind Games, I give good Karma, I have a Sea Garden, and an FB House. I add photos. I join causes, chat with other moms, follow my favorite super-stars. I debate politics. I rag on my husband. I escape from countries around the world and learn useless bits of trivia. There is always something to do, 24 hours a day.

I have 84 friends, so I'm not a facebook whore yet. And I do my best to keep up with everyone - whether we've met IRL or not.

The worst part is I can still get done what needs to be done in a day. My kids are clean and fed and paid attention to. Dinner happens nightly. I actually tried a fancy sandwich for the girls today and made myself a salad - washed lettuce and everything! So where do I find the time? I have 2 weeks worth of shows on my DVR waiting for me.

If you're reading this you probably found it in the notes section of my profile. If you're not you can find my page with this e-mail: angela@homewith2girls.com.

There's probably a page that's been created for people like me, if not more! I think I'll go find one. ;)