It was a joke, a simple, harmless gag that had absolutely nothing at all to do with you. Everyone who witnessed it laughed, almost everyone who heard about it later laughed. Most of those who didn't laugh shook their heads and walked away; whether they just didn't like it or were disgusted by it will never be known. You were the only one who took offense to it and felt the need to ruin someone's life because the joke didn't sit well with you. Guess what! It was none of your business!
It wasn't as if the jokester targeted you. It wasn't done to specifically offend you. It wasn't done to get on your nerves, to make fun or your beliefs, or anything else you may be thinking. You took issue with the joke but that's YOUR problem, nobody else's. You had no right to go as far as you did just because you were offended. Where did it get you? Nowhere.
Are you happy that the jokester's career is ruined? Are you happy now that you won't have to tolerate any more of Jokester's "un-Christian-like behavior" on a daily basis? Are your feelings no longer hurting now that you think you've done the world a service by turning Jokester in to the higher ups? I hope you feel good because a whole team of people are really upset over your retaliation; some of them even behaving in a not-so-adult manner, which is a different story altogether.
There are any number of things you could have done instead of what you actually did. You could have walked away and ignored it. You could have spoken with Jokester privately and expressed your feelings politely. You could have expressed and processed your feelings with someone completely neutral. OR, how about this? You could have seen it for what it was - A HARMLESS JOKE - and laughed with everyone else.
Instead, you allowed your delicate sensibilities to take control and you decided to step in and speak for everyone. You are one person. Yes, your feelings matter but you had no right to take away someone's career and ruin their reputation because you can't handle a simple joke. I'm sorry your feelings were hurt, and I'm sorry you had a problem with someone else's personality and sense of humor. You chose to be there on a daily basis. If you didn't like it, you could have left instead of turning the entire place upside down because of YOUR belief system.
You made it all about you and didn't bother to think of the repercussions that would follow. So now you're happy but nobody else is. I hope you sleep well at night with that knowledge, and I hope you can live with the ripple effect of your actions. I hope that, someday, you realize that everything isn't always about you and that maybe you need to take a step back and stop taking everything so seriously. Laugh a little and understand that we are all not like you and never will be. Most of all, I hope you learn to relax, go with the flow, and and stop getting offended by things that really don't matter in the grand scheme of life.
Until next time...peace to all.
This past week, in five different states, five children were killed, and six children as well as two adults were seriously injured due to people who passed stopped school buses. When I say 'stopped' school buses I don't mean buses that were sitting at stop lights or pulled off the side of the road. By 'stopped' I mean school buses that were stopped at bus stops loading or unloading children. The buses all had the red 8-way lights flashing on the front and back and all had red stop signs extended off the side of the bus, each stop sign had flashing red lights on it.
The people who hit these children and adults passed those school buses when the law specifically states that all vehicles must STOP when they see a school bus stopped to load or unload children. Why those people ignored the law will never be truly known. Why others are saying these were 'unfortunate accidents' is beyond me. These were not accidents, these fatalities and injuries happened because someone made a choice; a bad choice.
An accident is defined in the dictionary as:
1. an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.
2. an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause.
Did any of the offenders in these cases set out those mornings intending to pass a stopped school bus and either kill or injure a child? Were any of these incidents deliberate? Doubtful, but that doesn't mean these were accidents. Why? Because every one of these drivers made a choice to ignore the law or the rules of the road in one form or another.
Driving is not a right, it's a privilege. When you get your driver license you make an unspoken promise with every driver and every pedestrian that you will drive cautiously, follow the rules of the road, and stay within the boundaries of the law. Every time you get into your vehicle you agree all over again to abide by that promise. Every. Single. Time.
When you get into your vehicle after you've been drinking, or when you think you're late and need to speed to get to work on time, or when you drive distractedly because you've had a personal dilemma, or when you feel the need to initiate or respond to a text, or when you pass a stopped school bus because you don't feel you need to wait, you've made a choice to ignore the promise you made when you got your driver license.
I don't care what your reasons are, there is NO EXCUSE for ANYONE to pass a stopped school bus. Young lives are being lost because someone chooses to blatantly ignore the law and do what they feel like doing rather than taking into consideration the lives that are at stake. It's selfish, inconsiderate, rude, disrespectful AND DANGEROUS! Whatever your reason is for not stopping, it's not good enough. It will never be good enough! Make sure you understand that. Your choice is not an accident.
Until next time...peace to all.
This afternoon something very strange happened. It's absolutely true; no joke.
I was driving my school bus, taking my elementary school kids home at the end of the day. On Thursdays our schools let out a little bit early so on the last leg of my run I encounter an elementary school in a different district that dismisses right about the time I get into the area to drop off my kids. Lots of cars parked alongside the roadway with parents waiting to pick up their kids; lots of other kids walking home from that school. Today was no different.
I turned the corner into the community where I drop off two large groups. I was going slowly to avoid cars and kids; didn't want anyone to get hurt. There were two cars parked just at the beginning of the block where I entered and a small public transportation bus coming in my direction from the other end of the street. The cars remained where they were and the bus pulled over to the side to allow me to pass. I was moving as slowly as possible, looking in every direction to make sure no kids were running near my bus.
As I got halfway down the block I noticed a boy, probably about nine years old, standing on the opposite side of the street from me. He was smiling and looking like he'd had a pleasant day. Cute kid. He was about even with my driver side window and we looked directly at each other as he stepped off the curb to cross the street. I slowed to the point that I was barely moving. I didn't even have my foot on the gas; it was on the brake instead...just in case. I wasn't sure what he was going to do so I just kept edging forward as slowly as I could go. He walked to the middle of the street and stopped.
I came to a complete stop and waited since I wasn't sure if he was going to wait or keep walking. He remained stationary so I figured he was letting me pass. I made sure all was clear in front of me and I began to cautiously edge forward again. He started walking very slowly toward my bus. I was watching him in my side view mirror the entire time to make sure I didn't hit him, or that he didn't fall under my bus. The side view mirrors on both sides of my bus are adjusted so that I can see down the entire length of the bus and well beyond, up to about 400 feet. They allow me to see traffic and pedestrians both.
Anyway, the little boy kept walking and just as I passed him he walked past the rear corner of the bus on my driver side. I immediately looked in my overhead student mirror so I could see out the rear emergency door to make sure the boy made it to the curb okay. I didn't see him. I looked out the side view mirrors on the passenger side. I didn't see him. I checked the side views on my driver side again. I didn't see him. I checked all three again but I did not see the boy anywhere. Whaaat? He was just there.
I looked up into my overhead mirror again and said, sort of out loud, but mostly to myself, "Where'd he go?" It was like the kid just disappeared. What the heck? At that exact moment my monitor, K, who was standing at the back of the bus talking to our elementary kids, looked at me through the mirror and asked, "Did you see that?"
Hmm...
"Did I see what?"
"That kid that just crossed the street?"
"Yes, I saw him. Where'd he go?"
"He disappeared."
"I know he disappeared but where'd he go?"
"He just...disappeared."
No, people don't just disappear, do they? Our brains had to have been malfunctioning.
There had been no cars coming toward me at all so nobody could have pulled over to pick up the boy. There was only one car coming from behind me but she didn't even stop. When she saw that I was pulled over she just passed me and kept going. There's no way she could've done that if the boy had been there because she would've hit him. But I watched her just drive up the street and go by me, not even a brake check on her part.
Now I was thinking that maybe the kid ducked down behind the bus and was going to skitch without me seeing him. I was already stopped at this point so I put the bus in neutral, engaged the emergency brake and turned on my hazard lights. K got off the bus, walked all the way around and even looked under the bus. No kid...anywhere. K got back on and we just stared at each other for a minute or so, looked around again to be sure all was clear, and I continued on my route.
After all my kids had been delivered home safely, K and I headed back to the bus garage when he brought up the little boy again. We discussed it all the way back to base. We even compared notes to make sure we saw the same kid. Our clothing descriptions matched, as did the fact that the kid had dark, curly hair. We didn't imagine it. Or did we? What's even more odd is that none of the kids on our bus saw the little boy. When K and I were talking about it right after it happened, not one kid mentioned anything about having seen the boy, and these kids are really big on interjecting their opinions when they feel the need. Not one peep out of any of them.
I told the story to my own kids at dinner tonight and Zach suggested that both K and I were stressed and that our minds saw the same thing. Not possible. That'd be like a mass-hallucination, and we weren't stressed. On the way back to the bus garage K suggested that maybe we weren't actually on the bus but were somewhere getting drunk and none of it had really happened. Funny, but obviously not possible, either. We even checked under the bus again, after I parked it, thinking maybe the kid got underneath and was hanging on for a daredevil ride. Of course he wasn't there. DUH!
We have absolutely no idea what happened to the boy but we are both 100% sure that we saw him and that he disappeared as soon as he passed the back corner of the bus. K is convinced he was a ghost; I'm inclined to believe him at this point. It's so odd! Maybe we'll never know where the boy went. Maybe it didn't really happen at all. But we know it did, we both saw it happen. So where'd the boy go? Your guess is as good as mine.
Until next time...peace to all.
Parents, listen up...
I transport two large groups of kids to and from school every day. I have high school/junior high school kids, and I also have elementary school kids. My older kids average around 40 per bus load and the younger kids average around 60 - give or take on each run. That's a lot of kids in my care each and every day.
I have a lot of responsibility when I'm driving that bus because I have to make sure your kids get to and from school safely. While I'm driving I'm watching traffic that's around me, behind me, and also what's way up ahead. I'm looking for signs of possible dangerous situations and thinking of how to avoid them. I'm keeping an eye on traffic signals, on my speed, and on your children - all at the same time.
The interior of my bus, a standard school bus, is approximately 34 feet long by 8 feet wide - again, give or take. When you put a large number of children in a space that small things are bound to get hectic occasionally. Kids talk loudly, they throw things to or at one another, they stand up, they switch seats, they eat and drink, they put their hands and/or heads out the windows, they poke, push, scream, yell, fight, argue, laugh, sing, play, and any number of other things. Many of these are against the rules and a major distraction to the bus driver.
Here is where you come in. Speak to your kids about proper school bus protocol. Go over the rules with them and make sure they understand what is and what is not acceptable behavior. Explain to them that violating the rules is not only a distraction to the driver, but it will also cause the child to get a write up, or a violation, or whatever it may be called in your area. But the biggest thing for you: DON'T BLAME THE BUS DRIVER OR MONITOR FOR ENFORCING THE RULES ON THE BUS.
Don't tell me I don't have the right to raise my voice to be heard over 60 little voices that are all going at the same time, and don't tell your child that you hate the bus driver and that she's an idiot because she makes the kids pull their heads back in the window and sit down when it's not their bus stop. Everything we do is for the safety of your child whether you like it or not, and for you to tell your kids that they don't have to listen to me or my monitor puts the lives of everyone on that bus at risk.
If you have an issue with something my monitor or I have done, call the Transportation office and let them know. Not only will I not give you talk time at the bus stop because I have to stay on schedule, but I won't take the chance that you'll get angry enough to illegally board the bus and possibly hurt me, my monitor, or one of the children, intentionally or not. It's happened to bus drivers all over the world. Don't believe me? Google it. Once all the children have boarded and are finding their seats, I will pull the door closed enough to leave my reds flashing but not allow you to speak to me. It's district policy for the safety of the children.
Yes, I will raise my voice to be heard over your children. I will tell them to sit down and face forward, I will tell them to stop picking on each other if I notice it's happening, I will make sure they stay seated if the bus is moving or if I am not sitting at their bus stop. I will tell them not to hang out the window to wave goodbye to mommy or daddy, or to chat with their friends. I will tell them not to throw things, not to speak too loudly, not to switch seats, to put food or drinks in their backpack, and to keep the aisle clear so I can see the traffic out the back door.
I'm sorry you don't think your child has to follow the bus rules. but remember this. Every time your kid decides to stand up while the bus is moving, or throws something at another child, or sticks a head or hand out the window, or lets loose with a blood-curdling scream just for fun...every single time your child causes a disruption that distracts me while I'm driving and I have to take my eyes off the road to correct that behavior, your child is essentially telling everybody else on that bus that he or she has absolutely no regard for the safety and well-being of the rest of us.
Every one of the rules is meant to protect your child and the rest of the riders on that bus. If you don't feel your child needs to listen to anyone but you and doesn't have to follow the rules, perhaps personally driving your child to and from school every day would be a better choice for you.
Until next time...peace to all.
I started driving my own bus last week, after I'd passed my CDL exams and ran the routes with a supervisor for a couple of days. I'm on my own, just my monitor and me. I like it, driving the bus. It is stressful sometimes, and we've had incidents that can't be repeated here, but all-in-all, it's a good job.
The only problem is that I only get paid once a month, on the 25th of each month...and the pay schedule is a month behind. So I've been working since the beginning of August and don't get paid until the end of September. It's been difficult financially but I'm doing what needs done. It would actually help if NYS would come through with my child support on a regular schedule. It's hard to budget when I don't know how much money I'll have when I need it. I'm still managing.
The past two days I've had to spend my off time between bus runs, four hours, sitting at the office because I don't have the gas money to get home and then back to work again. It's okay. I have my phone with my books downloaded onto it so I can read and just enjoy the time by myself. And I honestly think I only mentioned it in passing to one person.
Today I got home and cleaned my house because Friday is cleaning day. Always has been, always will be. Yes, there is the odd occasion where I'll clean Saturday morning but I like it done on Friday so I can spend Saturday and Sunday doing nothing. Today, though, I got a surprise. I had literally just finished cleaning and was in the kitchen putting away my cleaning supplies when Ty called out for me from the living room.
When I went to see what he wanted he pointed at the front door and there were three kids, two girls and a boy, standing there with shopping bags. I figured they were selling something for a school fundraiser and was trying to think of a way to let them down without sounding mean. When I opened the door, though, the older of the girls, the oldest of the three, actually, asked if I was me, by name. When I told her I was she said, "We were told to give this to you."
The kids then proceeded to hand me two pizzas from Papa Murphy's, along with a card and five grocery bags. When I asked who told them to give it to me she simply said, "We can't tell you." So they loaded me up with pizzas and bags. I set them all on the sofa and turned to hug each kid and gave a big thank you. I was already tearing up. I had no idea who'd sent the stuff to me. They wished me a good evening and left.
Ty and I took everything to the kitchen and opened the bags. Besides the pizzas there were snacks. Lots and lots of snacks. And soda...three bottles. Two DVDs, a deck of cards, an UNO deck, and an adult coloring book with colored pencils and pens. I laid claim to the book and pencils right away. Then I opened the card. A simple card with a simple greeting inside and a handwritten message that said "Because you matter." Along with the message was cash. Enough cash that I burst into tears.
I think Ty was stunned and didn't know what to do or say but when we called Zach down he just gave me a big hug and told me to be happy. Hell, I was happy. I was friggin' ecstatic. I was standing there trying to figure out who'd sent such an awesome gift and I still haven't figured it out. I do know it was someone or someones from work because of the way the envelope was addressed. I just wish I knew who it was so I could properly thank them.
I guess that's not going to happen though so I'll just say it here even though I don't really have the right words. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. My kids and I are really grateful and appreciative of this wonderful gift you've given us. You'll never know what it means to us. I'm happy there are still good people out there and I promise that I'll pay it forward just as soon as I can. Thank you, again.
Until next time...peace to all.
I didn't realize it'd been four months since I've been here but I guess it has. That's okay because I've been busy trying to find a job...and I finally got one. After training to drive forklifts and having no luck getting a job because I have no experience I trained as a bus driver. So now I drive for a local school district. YAY ME!
I'm finally working outside my home again after 16 years and it sure does feel good. I'm tired at the end of the day because I have to get up early, and my days are long even though I have a break between bus routes, but all I keep thinking about is finally earning a paycheck. I've tried so hard for so long that I was about to give up altogether. I'm glad I didn't.
I applied for countless jobs over the past few years and nobody wanted my skills or experience for anything. If the job was an office job I was considered over qualified, especially since they only wanted to pay $9/hour. If the job was something I'd never done before I was under qualified even though there was training involved. I was even turned down for an apprenticeship because I didn't have any prior experience in the job they were going to teach me from scratch. That made no sense at all but it is what it is.
Then I saw the flier for the school bus drivers needed over here and jumped at it. I was interviewed the day after I sent in the application and was hired before the interview was completed. I got fingerprinted, had a background check done and went into training three days after the interview. Three weeks later I have my CDL with endorsements in hand and I've got my own routes. I'm starting to feel like a grown-up again.
I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up but I like what I'm doing right now and I'm happy to finally be able to support my kids the way I want to. For now I'll drive kids to and from school every day and still get to spend time with my own kids. Who knows? Maybe this is where I'm meant to be and I'll stick with it until I'm able to retire. Then again, I may decide I want to be a truck driver at some point down the road. I'll decide that when the time comes.
At least I'm moving forward and my life is back on track the way it ought to be. It was a lot of hard work but I finally made it. Hard word does pay off so stick with it regardless of what people tell you or how discouraged you get. Stay positive, as hard as it is to do sometimes; I know, I've been so negative I didn't think I'd bounce back. But I did and if I can do it, anyone can.
Until next time...peace to all.
To Whom It May Concern:
I have been trying for years to find a full-time job to no avail. I've got over 30 years of experience in the administrative/customer service field, I earned a Bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies in 2009, and just recently I attended training for and received certification as an OSHA P.I.T. operator - Class I, II and III.
Most of my career has been administrative related and I really wanted a change. So I got the degree, and I worked my behind off to earn it. However, once I started looking for a job I found out that I couldn't get a job as a paralegal because I didn't have any experience and the majority of the attorneys who were looking for the help required 3-5 years minimum experience. I was told that I could get experience with an unpaid internship. With three kids to raise, working full time but not getting paid was not an option. Even if I didn't have kids, I still couldn't work an internship because there were absolutely none available in my area.
So I did what I had to do to earn money. I worked as an online tutor which didn't pay much and with students leaving the program on a constant basis I wasn't given enough hours, after three years, to continue doing the job. So I looked for better work. My last job, which was only part time/as needed, lasted six years and ended when my employer died and the company closed. So I was back to looking for full time work...again. Since I couldn't find anything suitable, even in the administration field, I took the OSHA training.
Now I'm looking for work but can't find anything yet again. Since January 29th of this year I have applied for 76 jobs and set up accounts at four different job placement agencies. Out of all that I applied for, about half never responded in any way. Of those that did respond, I've had maybe eight phone interviews and probably six in-person interviews that stemmed from the phone interviews. Not only was I turned down for every one of those jobs but I was also turned down by the rest that did respond, and I never even got a call back from them, just an email telling me they didn't want me. It's always the same reason: We feel that you don't fit our requirements at this time.
Why don't I fit your requirements? Do I not have enough experience? If that's the case I won't ever fit your requirements given that I can't get a job to gain the needed experience since nobody will hire me...because I don't have experience. I wouldn't be certified to drive four different types of forklifts if I wasn't capable of it. To those of you who interviewed me, did I not answer your questions the way you wanted me to? Since I don't know exactly what you expect me to say during an interview it's hard for me to say what you want to hear. I obviously said something right to pass the phone interviews or I wouldn't have been sitting in the office speaking with you.
I'm not going to lie to you about my life and my wants and needs to make myself look better to you; I am who I am. Yes, the hours and pay are fine or I wouldn't have agreed to the interview to begin with. I wouldn't waste your time or mine if those specifics weren't okay. What are my goals for the next five years? I haven't planned any out yet. First I have to have a job and then I can decide where I'll go from there. I do know that I want a better home for my kids, in a better neighborhood, and I'd love to have a more reliable vehicle to get me back and forth to work and to take my kids where they need to go. As far as other goals, not a clue. I've been looking for work for so long that getting a job is my goal at the moment. Let's focus on that.
Do I plan on using you to gain experience and move on from there? No, actually I don't. I'd be so grateful to have the job that I'd work my butt off to be able to keep it. I do learn quickly, I do have an excellent work ethic, and I do intend to show up every day, on time. I don't take days off unless it's an absolute emergency, I don't stand around gossiping, and I don't slack off. I do what I'm told to do and if I complete whatever I was assigned, I'll find something else to do, even if that means asking a supervisor to train me elsewhere in the business.
Yes, I'm 50 years old. So what? I can do more than a lot of people I know, and I'm not looking to retire immediately upon reaching the age of 65. I'll work as long as I'm physically able. But none of you would know any of that, especially those of you who never even call to speak with me, because you won't give me the chance to show you who I am since you won't hire me. Not only will you not hire me, you won't tell me why other than that I don't fit your requirements. Nothing more specific.
Do I have things that I need in a job? Of course I do. I can't work part time or work for barely over minimum wage. I still have those three kids to raise and I need to be able to pay my bills and make sure those kids have what they need, when they need it. Can I work mandatory 12-hour (or more) shifts every day? No. I have kids. They have places they need to be, they have homework they need help with, they need to be able to eat. Can I work occasional overtime? Absolutely, that's not an problem, but it can't be last minute when I know that I already have someplace to be that day after my work day is done. See, I'm the only one here to take care of these kids. I have no family locally and all of my friends work. And most importantly, my kids are my responsibility.
However, none of you prospective employers care that a single mom has kids who need to be raised and bills that need to be paid, and who will do the job to the best of her ability and will continue to improve on whatever skills she learns. What you seem to care about is finding people who will tell you exactly what you want to hear during an interview and who will smile and guarantee you that your job is exactly what they want and that they have no responsibilities outside your business. And they'll get hired and show up for work. Then after a month or two, when they decide that the job is not really for them, they'll start falling off in their performance and calling in "sick" and end up either quitting or getting fired. Then you'll be placing your ad again and going through the same routine all over again and you'll never have anyone in the position who will stay and last any length of time.
Guess what. I'd still be there after a couple of months. And a couple of years. And probably longer than that. Because I'll care about the job I've been given and I'll want to keep it so I'll do everything I can to make sure you're pleased with the job I'm doing. You have my resume, you know where to find me. If you want to take a chance on me, you won't be sorry. If you don't, it's your loss.
Yours sincerely...
Until next time...peace to all.
For Thanksgiving the kids and I had a treat. My former in-laws - your father (Gpa) and stepmother (Gma) - came to visit us for a few days. It was the first time we'd seen them in about five years, but it wasn't the first time we've spoken to them as Gma and I speak on a regular basis - whether by text or phone call. Thanksgiving was wonderful for all of us. While they were here they made arrangements and paid for airfare for the kids to go visit them in New York over the Christmas/New Year break. The kids were ecstatic, and I was so excited for them. Yes, I was offered to make the trip also but I declined. I don't like to fly but I also wanted to give us all a break from each other; we've been together almost every single day for the past eight years. So the trip was planned and the kids couldn't wait to go.
They arrived on midnight of December 22nd and didn't come home until January 2nd. They had a wonderful time going places and visiting with Gma's daughters and their kids. The cousins all got to know each other, Gma and Gpa were there, aunts and an uncle; there was laughter, love, fun, and the kids couldn't have been happier. Except for two things: you - their father, and the rest of the family on your mother's side.
The kids were there for a solid 11 days and you barely made time to see them. You visited for a few hours the night the kids arrived but only stayed for maybe two hours; and the majority of the time you were there you were playing video games with Zach while Ty watched, which means you spent almost no time with Dolly. How sad is that? Then you invited them to a Christmas party the next night at your friends' house. The boys accepted but Dolly chose to stay home with her cousins, baking cookies and having fun with people she knows. Why the boys decided to go to the party is beyond me, but I guess they figured they'd get to spend time with you or that maybe there would be kids their ages there, not just a group of adults that they didn't know.
You were pissed off that Gpa drove them to the party - because you don't have a valid license - and you spent maybe an hour with them before you passed out on the sofa. Did you pre-game the party or did you only start drinking when you got there and the mix of alcohol and pain meds was too much for you to handle? We'll never know because you'll never tell anyone the truth. Ty ended up calling Gma to have Gpa come pick them up from the party and the only way you knew was because one of your friends woke you just before the boys left. From what the boys tell me, your friends were seriously disappointed in your behavior and felt bad for the boys. I can't even tell you how lousy the boys felt.
Your mother made arrangements to visit them but stayed only an hour claiming she'd just gotten off work and needed to go home to get some sleep. At 4:30 in the afternoon? Seriously? Whatever. She did, however, make arrangements to visit them a few days later but she wanted them to pick her up saying her car doesn't work well in the snow. Give me a break! Regardless, they picked her up, she visited, had dinner with them and was then driven home. It was more than you did but it was still all they kids got as far as visits from her. I guess they couldn't expect more given that she doesn't even speak to them at all at any other time.
The kids didn't see you again after that first Saturday even though you'd made plans to see them the following Friday night. You even spoke to me on the phone and I told you about the few plans they had to visit other people - my friends - on two specific days but that they were available every day from mid-afternoon on, most of the day on Friday and all day Saturday. I told you that myself; I even told you they were looking forward to seeing you Friday night. Yet you didn't see them; you made excuses claiming no solid plans had been made but you never followed up with them after that or tried to make alternate plans. You even told Ty, after they got home, that you were never told they had free time while they were there. You fucking lied to him to cover your own ass!!!
Why? Because you weren't happy with the fact that you had to go through your father and stepmother to make arrangements to see the kids. It wasn't on your terms so you decided not to see them at all. Guess what! They paid for the airfare and made the arrangements for the kids to visit there. We also told the kids they could see you whenever they wanted. Problem was, they wanted; you didn't. You're pathetic!!! You didn't even get them gifts for the holiday, making more excuses. I still haven't gotten word on when you'll be mailing the gifts like you said you would. I guess they'll just live with the added disappointment.
Your entire maternal side of your family is just as pathetic as you are. You saw them for a total of three hours, your mother spent only a few hours with them, but the rest of your family - aunts, uncles, cousins - not one of them attempted to contact the kids to even say hello. NOT ONE!!! And don't tell me they didn't know the kids were there because they were putting 'like's on the photos I was posting on Facebook. Even if they didn't see the pics on Facebook they heard the kids were there through your very extensive family gossip train. They fucking knew but they didn't give a shit. All of you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You talk about family being the most important thing in life but that means only those closest to you, those in your inner circle.
These kids left to come back home and your mother texted Ty to tell them goodbye. She fucking texted! She couldn't even call and speak to each one of them. What did you do? Not a fucking thing! You didn't even know they'd come back until Ty texted you to thank you for the very late birthday gift you'd ordered for him, the gift that arrived while he was gone. Then you told him that next time they visit New York they'll stay with you so you can spend time together? Fat chance of that. They don't want to spend time alone with you and you couldn't afford the travel arrangements even if they did; you haven't paid child support in over a year!!!
These kids are so disappointed and heartbroken over the way they were treated by you and your family that I'm not sure they even want to know you. I can't come close to describing the way I feel for the way they were treated. You and your family are heartless and cruel and don't give a shit about these kids, and there is no way possible that you'll ever convince me that you do. But it's not me you need to convince anyway; it's the kids. The fact of the matter, though, is that none of you will ever know the true wonder and joy of having these kids in your lives on a regular basis...never! They have Gma, Gpa, all the family in that group; they have my sister and her son...and they have me. They have me, and I have them; and I'll be forever grateful for that.
Until next time...peace to all.
