What Inspires Me?

I haven't posted a blog for a while. Everyday I think "I should blog today" but then I am thinking "what would I blog about". Things at work are moving along "uneventfully", which is always a good thing! My son is back at College doing his thing. (He made it safe and sound and without any car problems).

So, what inspires me to blog? Hmmm...Well, I saw a article today that inspired me. I subscribe to a website called CAFEMOM. It is a site for women (I think it is mostly women, but who knows) and I got an email about some postings lately so I checked it out. There was an article with comments about a student that was suspended for buying Skittles (yes, that is Skittles, the little candy pieces) at school. Of course I have many questions that the article didn't answer for me. But the article from CNN says the an 8th grader bought a bag of Skittles from a classmate at school, which violates School Wellness Policy which bans candy sales. The student was suspended, stripped of his title of Class VP, barred from his honors dinner. OMG!

The article says that the student didn't know that his candy purchase was against the rules but he did notice that the student selling the Skittles was being "secretive". Is that what it has come to in our school. Doing back-alley or back-hallway deals to get a sugar rush? Are kids meeting out by the dumpsters to make a deal in an attempt to get a bite of something they enjoy such as a little piece of candy? Is a little bag of candy being considered a drug like crack or heroin, or marijuana (I had to look those words up since I don't even know how to spell them, would the spell check know? hmm...) anyway, what the heck is going on.

So, as I like to ask questions, here are some of mine. What happened to the little entrepreneur that was selling the candy? Did he get suspended too? Are they doing hard time in the school library? Do they have to eat an approved wellness committee school lunch from now on? (sorry, just kidding about that one). How enforced is that school districts "zero-tolerance for candy policy" enforced? (Can you believe they have that?) What is available at the schools district office or at their school board dinners or meetings? How much was the Skittles selling for? What was the mark-up and his profit margin? Was the entrepreneur trying to raise his college tuition money? (and if so, "you go boy"). Who bought the Skittles? Was it the kids Mom? Dad? Did the kid selling the Skittles but them "on the streets"? Was the buyer assured the Skittles were the same quality as what the buyer could buy at the grocery store in the checkout line? What was the size of the bag of Skittles? A small one you buy for .50 (I am guessing, I don't actually like Skittles) or a big gigantic bag that you can get at a Wholesale Warehouse like BJ's or Costco's?

Did the buyer get all "jacked up on the sugar rush" from his bag of Skittles, did he hurt someone, fail a test, talk back to the teacher or all of the above? Could he pass a urine test? Ok, I am joking about the urine test but.... will it come to that? Schools having such a hard line about wellness they randomly test the urine of our kids for sugar (Skittles, Reese Pieces, Kit Kat's, Nerds, etc)

I don't know.....

Here is what I know for sure. I am sure that the bag of Skittles didn't make that one child who bought them "fat, obese, overweight". I also know that I too enjoy a piece of candy now and then, ok... you got me (those of you that know me), more often than now and then and while I feel guilty every time I eat something like that, I know I am not going to Hell because of it. I know that no longer being allowed to be VP of your class and being barred from an honors dinner (hey that reminds me, at the honor's dinner, what is being served for dessert?)is harsh. Yes, he broke a rule and probably needs to be made aware of that (and I am sure he is very aware now) but I am sure there are much more creative ways for the student to pay his penance. How about writing an essay on wellness or entrepreneurship or something of that nature. (Writing an essay for my son would be the worse punishment in the world).

Anyway.. A great story for my book, which is moving along. I have a Chapter dinner meeting in April coming up and I am thrilled to be handing out my story request letter.

Thank goodness for an article that inspired me to blog. Also helps to have the extra days off for Easter break. Love this job!

All is well.......