Words Hurt, Lisa

I had a friend say that to me one day when I was giving him heck about something.  I don't remember what it was but I remember the simplicity of that comment and even though he said it out of sarcasm, he was right. 

The other problem with words is that tone means everything!  You can say one thing and convey a completely different message.  With my blog, I'm now realizing that although I say (most) everything with a little sarcasm and laughter in my writing the reader may not read it that way.  So, now I'm worried...I don't want to come off as some crazy, conspiracy theorist, bitter republican.  I'm not!

I'm usually pretty level headed (except when it comes to my lawn!) and when I blog something it's in jest.  My purpose of blogging is to highlight things that I find interesting in a way that makes me, and others (hopefully), smile.  I'm trying to catalog things in my life so that someday when I'm older and my kids are grown, we can look back and see what I was thinking and what I thought was prudent in this period of our lives. 

I'm not trying to change minds or indoctrinate people with my views.   I use terms like "liberal" and "conservative" as loosely as I use terms like "blond" or "brunette."  Some of my oldest friends and some people I have great respect for would fall into the category of "liberals" and that's okay with me.  I make comments like they're crazy but I know they're not.  I also have friends who are "conservatives" and friends who don't give a flip for politics at all!  I have friends who are die hard Christians, friends who are agnostics and every step in between. 

So, to clear up a few things...
I don't dislike the Carmel PD, in fact, I have a great respect for them.
I'm not mad at the officer who gave either Keith or myself our traffic tickets.
I don't think cartoons are trying to sway my kids politically.
I LOVE Hadley's first grade teacher.  I also do not think she has a political agenda in her assignments.
I'm fine with Illinois as a state, however I DO believe their tolls are insane!
My Sunday school class is not modeled after Pavolov's dogs. (but vanilla wafers will take you far with 2 year olds!
I do find it absolutely hilarious to see grown men fall on the ice, as long as no one's hurt!
I think bullies are mean and we have an obligation to teach our kids to stand up for themselves and each other.
I don't believe people deserve to choke on hot dogs.
I sometimes get embarrassed by how much I talk.
I find roundabouts frustrating.
I think hospitality is becoming a forgotten art and it's crucial!
I pray for my children constantly!

I'm not actually on a soap box over here.  I prefer to think of it as a stage for stand up comedians!  Sometimes I'm funny, sometimes I'm not,  but I don't ever want to be mean.  I know the people who read my blog that have known me for years (Greg, Shawn, Dane, Jaime, etc) know that everything I say is usually peppered with sarcasm.  I don't usually use my blog as a place to vent...I call Jaime or Shawn, etc for that!  Like I said, I use it as a place to catalog my thoughts and hopefully make people smile.  As I've gotten more traffic lately, though, I'm starting to worry that people who don't know me may just think I'm bitter.

I try not to pepper my blogs with too much cursing and I try to keep people who aren't my closest friends anonymous.  I won't post pictures of the police officers actual face because I think that's disrespectful.  I won't use Hadley's teacher's actual name because she may not want to be blogged about.  I will give Shawn a terribly hard time when she says something dumb enough to blog about.  I will make blooper reels of my super patient husband when I can't stop laughing at his fall.  I will post videos of Angela swinging my husband around the dance floor.  Sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong.

All in all, I'd say that sometimes I don't know when to be quiet, I am too sarcastic, and I think I'm funny when I'm not.  But I love fiercely, I am loyal to a fault, I can admit when I'm wrong, and I'm really not a jerk!

I hope this clears things up for anyone who doesn't know me well that may be getting the wrong impression and I hope it makes my blog a little less intense!  The world is too serious, LAUGH!