Today I was talking to a friend about how people stand at counters being served and sit at tables with others while talking on cell phones and the fact that it was rude and doesn’t promote healthy socializing and bonds between people. Yet nobody really ever says anything about it. This thought was triggered when I was reading comments to the article written about the Kentucky woman who was nursing inside of Applebee’s. An astounding amount of comments were against having children around. Not even babies, but children, because people found them to be annoying and didn’t think they belonged in restaurants. It is astonishing to realize that our culture has placed so many things ahead of family values, tradition, and bonding.

It doesn’t stop there though. My friend went on to explain how she was out running and passed by Tehachapi High School. In passing, she said hello to the crossing guard and received no response. Then she noticed she had an earbud in her ear and was listening to an ipod. A crossing guard listening to an ipod? I understand that she is out there by herself and boredom may set in but doesn’t she rely on her hearing to do a complete job of helping school age kids to cross the street?

I remember when we had a crossing guard in school, he always talked to us and he was a really nice, special guy. You could tell he did the job because he liked it and felt he was making a difference, even if in a small way. Are the days of greeting passersby gone?

Most people think that when Wal-Mart comes to town there will be more job opportunties and a better place to shop. The truth is that Wal-Mart doesn’t pay living wages and if you think they do, talk to people who work there. They stay because they have to keep working to pay the bills and they believe it’s the only option for them. Thousands of people work at Wal-Mart and probably none of them will ever see a promotion or even a pay raise. A small portion of these employees are teenagers, most are mothers and fathers trying to support a family. Read more…

I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on February 8, 2007. At that time, my 2 1/2 year old daughter had a cough. Just 2 days after the baby was born, I also got a cough but felt okay. On my baby’s 8th day of life he developed a fever of 100.5 and I took him to the Tehachapi Hospital Emergency Room at 10p.m. Read more…

Most everyone likes to save money, right? Saving money is probably one of the most common sales pitches for companies out there. When walking through grocery stores it’s very common to see labels that read “now bigger” or “bonus: 4 extra ounces.” Advertisers are always trying to get us to buy there bonus products but saving money really starts with how we live. There are lots of ways to save moneys but these are the top 5 ways the typical American family can save money. Read more…