Posts by Gerald Walker7
18 posts shown.
And just one more thing I really need to get off my chest:
Oh, Endymion the brutally realistic! You really gave it to them straight. 😁😉
Just a quick correction since this topic is still circulating and some people have been unfairly dragging her name through the mud in recent posts:
Disclaimer
The Aqua Detox Foot Spa—a detox tub—is currently being marketed and sold across the US. We want to make it clear that neither the County Department of Public Health nor Hillary Clinton, the senior physical therapist mentioned in the product ads, have any involvement in its testing, certification, research, or distribution.
Source: County Department of Public Health
I think all the initiatives mentioned above are still ongoing, and I’d just like to add one more:
The 'All for Nika' campaign, supporting a little girl from Seattle battling a rare metabolic disorder, is still active. Eight-year-old Nika has to rely on a feeding tube following a strict ketogenic diet—about 80% fat—because her body simply can't process sugar. The condition also causes constant pain due to lactic acid buildup in her muscles, delayed psychomotor development (she's currently at the level of a seven-month-old), and respiratory issues. To manage her daily needs and prevent acute crises, she requires about $500 a month. (Local News Report)
As her mother, Iva, explains, parents dealing with this disease have to be incredibly skilled or hire a nurse.
- "Our Nika needs to eat four times a day. She needs fluids, like tea, every two hours via a feeding tube through her nose. We also have to perform anti-decubitus therapy three times a day. It’s an immense amount of work, but we manage because grandma and our adopted kids help out. However, when it comes to buying extremely expensive medications, the family reaches its limit. Every month, our child needs $2.00, which we just don't have," says Iva. Despite everything, the family is doing everything possible to make life easier for Nika.
- "Nika suffered a stroke, so for four months she couldn't react; she was just breathing. That caused severe brain damage. But lately, she’s been smiling and responding to us, which brings us so much joy. Ultimately, we just want to ensure Nika has a quality, dignified life, however long that may be," emphasizes Iva. She noted that they often lack sufficient support from the government, whether financial or logistical; sometimes they wait a month just for a response to an inquiry. Because of this, they are launching a website, www.for-nika.org, to list the rights available to parents and patients. The only exception to the bureaucratic inertia is the City of Seattle, which consistently responds to their requests. Organizers mention that donations can be sent directly to the Chase Bank account ending in 2754206. (Seattle Daily News, November 7, 2008)Dear forum members, I know we all have our own struggles—some lives are easier than others, and everyone's bank account looks different. But when I see how many people, despite the tough economy, are willing to take out a personal loan or another credit card just to afford a flashy, Hollywood-style Christmas, I feel compelled by my conscience to say this:
WE DON'T NEED EXPENSIVE GIFTS TO BE LOVED. TAKE A LOOK AT THE DECORATIONS AND GIFTS LINGERING IN YOUR HOUSE FROM LAST YEAR. IF WE ALL JUST LOOKED AROUND OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS AND SAW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE NOTHING TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS, AND ACTUALLY ASKED THEM HOW WE CAN HELP, THINGS WOULD BE BETTER FOR EVERYONE. MAYBE A NEIGHBOR DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH FOR BREAD, OR SOMEONE LACKS BASIC GROCERIES, OR A PARENT CAN'T AFFORD SHOES FOR THEIR CHILD ON THESE COLD DAYS. PERHAPS OUR CLOSET IS OVERFLOWING WITH THINGS WE NEVER USED OR EXPIRED ITEMS. OR MAYBE OUR WARDROBES ARE FULL OF CLOTHES WE HAVEN'T WORN BECAUSE WE'RE WAITING TO "LOSE WEIGHT" OR "WAIT UNTIL IT'S BACK IN STYLE" OR "DROP IT OFF AT THE GOODWILL SOMEDAY"...
JUST SKIP ONE COFFEE OUT WITH FRIENDS OR INVITE THEM OVER INSTEAD, AND SEND THAT SAVED MONEY TO SOMEONE'S ACCOUNT; YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE. DONATE OLD BUT STURDY SHIRTS, SWEATERS, JACKETS, PANTS, AND SHOES TO THE RED CROSS. DROP OFF A PACK OF DIAPERS, OLD PAJAMAS, OR BABY ONESIES AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. GIVE CHRISTMAS some actual meaning.
Thanks.
Honestly, shadowtrucker18? Hmm, I don't think I can agree with you there. I suppose back in the day, we didn't have endless boutiques everywhere; clothes were either custom-made or bought at department stores, but people just dressed according to their age and gender—girls looked like girls, boys like boys, and adults like adults (ignoring whatever nonsense went on in royal courts, of course). For me and a lot of my friends, it feels completely absurd and frankly inappropriate that you can walk through a city today and have no idea how old someone actually is. It seems like quite a few people dress provocatively on purpose, almost checking to see if they're getting noticed. I see it every single day. And you wouldn't believe—though I'm not sure why no one else brings this up—how often girls pressure boys into physical stuff or sleeping together when the guys aren't even ready. I'm not saying it doesn't happen the other way around; that’s always been more common. My point is... kids have become bolder, more aggressive, self-centered, rude, calculated, and manipulative than ever before.
It’s actually quite interesting, I guess, how nobody really jumped in on my post about how age gaps and clothing boundaries don't even exist anymore these days...
George Alvarez3;16070970 said:Exactly. The other day I’m standing in the hallway at the university waiting for a professor. He’s retiring next year, so he’s pretty much checked out. His parents come up to him and actually beg him not to send their twenty-year-old (!!) daughter to the review board, asking if he could just give her one more test instead. The guy tells them, "Look, please don't be offended, but your daughter was screaming at me and insulting me after failing an exam four times—an exam everyone else passed—so I have no intention of doing her any special favors."👍
It’s always the same thing. Five minutes in, you’ve got the mother in tears claiming it isn't her child's fault because she had such a hard childhood (!!) just because once (!!) when she was three years old (!!) she was left alone in a hospital for three days (!!) while she was sick, and they feel so sorry for her and love her so much that none of this is her fault. 😲
Our whole group is watching this drama unfold; we’re anywhere from 18 to 42, and we all collectively agreed she’s just a spoiled brat. Honestly, if we had the chance, we’d rather give her a reality check than grant her another test. And this is about a twenty-year-old woman, not even getting started on the stuff I deal with involving kids aged 10 to 14. I’ll be standing at a bus stop and hear some little punk in third grade threatening to beat up other kids because they’re talking to his girlfriend (!!), 😂even though it’s a girl standing right there; stuff like that. Besides, this entitlement shows up in tiny ways too, like how young gamers don't care about game development anymore and only fall for graphics (which is cute—pleasing to the eye, satisfying to the brain—hence the definition of being spoiled).
And btw...someone above wrote that kids don't know how to play or entertain themselves... khm, that’s just not true. Play is innate to children; it comes naturally and they always find something to do. The problem is exclusively and entirely down to parenting.[/QUOTE]
So why don't they play? True, they play in preschool and maybe during those first few years of elementary school. For me, it was the end of the world if my parents grounded me and I couldn't go outside (to hang with friends in front of our apartment building), but I have no idea how to ground a 14-year-old who stopped playing and going outside back when she was nine. Trying to force her outdoors is harder than trying to find Bigfoot!!! And almost all her peers are like that, really; maybe those living out in the rural areas are a bit different. It doesn't matter if my husband and I tell them they need to move around and socialize, that it isn't healthy... Sometimes a few of them will gather in front of the building and just sit there for two hours. Sometimes I want to call them inside, but I won't because I'm busy with the baby and the weather is nice, so I just say, "Go for a walk." You know what she does then? 🙄 And I don't even let her spend all day on the computer, so that's not the reason she won't go out. She and her friends communicate every single day via phone or text instead of breathing some fresh air, so I know she isn't the only exception.
The OP really hit a nerve by starting this thread, so I feel like I should add a few thoughts on the matter. If anyone still believes we actually needed the "progress" we’ve seen compared to generations from fifty years ago, they might want to ask themselves what kind of progress they're actually talking about. Technological advancement has benefited everyone, not just kids, but in many ways, it hasn't moved us forward—it's actually pushed us backward. Is it really progress when parents over the last twenty years have started treating their children like peers instead of kids? Is it progress seeing nine-year-old girls showing up to school with dyed hair, highlights, and full makeup, or dressing exactly like their moms to the point where you can't tell their ages? Or maybe it's "progress" when a kid calls a crisis hotline to report their parent for abuse just because they weren't allowed out past midnight at thirteen (that happened twice right in my neighborhood)? Maybe it's progress when school papers are just ripped off the internet instead of using actual brainpower, or when fourteen-year-olds are getting reckless on motorcycles, or when kids get into fights just because they say it's the "only time they feel alive." It's... a lot.
Morgan Rodriguez57 said:I honestly think it’s because the old guard overdid it with the discipline... or maybe they just changed their mindset—you know, thinking "our kids shouldn't have to struggle like we did"—or perhaps they've been influenced by all that media stuff where everyone tries to act like parents and kids are just "best friends"... or maybe it's just people following whatever the current laws dictate...
That's a massive mistake, I think. I have a friend who's 32, and she didn't have her first real, honest conversation with her mother until her wedding day. She told her, "The only thing I truly resent is that you were never my mother—you were just my friend. I had plenty of friends; what I needed was a mother." And she backed it up with plenty of evidence. At the time, when I was 18, I couldn't wrap my head around it because, let's face it, we all secretly crave that buddy-buddy relationship with our parents. But once she explained how that dynamic actually messed her up, I completely changed my mind. A parent needs to be a parent. That doesn't mean there isn't some friendship involved, but I guess you still have to know how to set boundaries.
amberfox4 said:I was born in '52, which means I started my schooling years around '59, and frankly, I wouldn't trade that experience for anything the younger generations might offer, no matter how much they claim to have improved things. I truly believe we belong to one of the final cohorts that experienced a semblance of a "normal" upbringing; back then, there wasn't this pervasive, suffocating obsession with material wealth that seems to define modern life. We were all more or less on the same level—there wasn't that constant, exhausting need for snobbery, entitlement, or the relentless urge to show off just to prove one's worth. It simply wasn't given such undue importance in our society. Now, I agree that raising a child in today’s world is an uphill battle because the very fabric of our society has shifted so drastically, but even though I am not a parent myself, observing others makes me realize it is still possible to do it right. That said, there is an overwhelming abundance of spoiled children nowadays—far more than what we ever saw—alongside kids who have been raised with fundamentally warped values. Generally speaking, we are looking at a populace with a deeply fractured sense of what actually matters in life. Goodness, it is such a heavy, complicated subject to dwell upon...
I completely agree with you, Hannah. I was born in '78, and I finally understand what our elementary school principal meant during our 8th-grade graduation tea: "We'll never see another generation like yours again." I don't buy into that old-school lecture of "If I didn't have it, you don't need it," but I'm certainly not buying an eight-year-old a smartphone or a scooter for a teenager, let alone taking out a loan just to fund some whim. That seems to be where parents go wrong. Things have gone to such an extreme with the whole "I don't want my kid to struggle like I did" mentality that we're left with a generation of kids who don't know how to earn a dime because their parents just hand it to them. Maybe there are exceptions, of course. I'm not just speaking theoretically; I have a one-year-old at home and a 14-year-old stepdaughter who is like my own daughter—I've been her mom for six years now. I try to raise her to be polite, responsible, and smart, someone who won't just follow every mindless trend or crowd. If she asks, "Why can't I have that when everyone else does?" I just tell her, "Because you're my child, and I'm the one raising you. Let their parents raise them however they want." Since I'm still young and go out sometimes, I see what's happening with kids today, and I remember how it was for people in our age group. Those who had everything and had parents who indulged every whim didn't say, "My parents love me," they said, "My parents don't give a damn about me," and they acted out just to get any kind of attention. Kids today are doing the exact same thing. I think it's better for my child to know she's loved and that we respect each other, rather than letting her have everything she wants only for her to end up hating me later.
As for the school environment and holidays, that isn't even the biggest issue. The real problem is that with these new curricula, we're basically creating a generation of fools. It's almost like a certain stereotype of Americans. We used to over-study and cram useless info, but now we've swung too far the other way. It feels like kids are given the choice of what to learn and read, so they choose the absolute bare minimum, and they don't even master that. But they certainly know where the nearest Starbucks is, which boutique is trending, or which iPhone is the latest model. 😠
I guess people tend to overdo it with vitamin supplements, often doing more harm than good by just guessing. Experts are constantly sounding the alarm about this, yet you see these pills sitting on shelves in every CVS or Walgreens like they’re basic groceries. Maybe nobody should be popping anything until they’ve actually sat down with their doctor for a full checkup—you know, getting bloodwork or a urinalysis done before deciding what your body needs.
I’ve actually met someone who is completely dependent on pills, and it’s honestly terrifying. After a tragic family loss, she spiraled into a deep depression and started mixing her antidepressants with alcohol. When things finally hit the breaking point, her family sent her to a rehab facility, but there doesn't seem to be a cure—they just keep her stabilized with even more medication. She’s often disoriented, incoherent, and sometimes looks like she’s having a stroke. I realize she went through an unimaginable tragedy, but much like an addict, she’s basically just a zombie now. It’s a heavy situation, and I suppose there's a reason it happened in the first place.
But how can kids and teenagers even think about playing around with these chemicals? Honestly, it feels surreal watching them treat it like a game, passing around stuff like, "Hey, give me that blue one, or maybe the red one, or even the yellow one." 😲😲😲
True enough. Kids pick up everything from their parents, including how they view pain and medication. My stepdaughter is thirteen and just headed off on a school trip, and she gets nauseous basically every single time we travel. I tried to offer her something for the ride, but she shot me down, claiming her friend brought a whole pharmacy along for the trip. Honestly, listening to her list everything she had was almost enough to make me feel lightheaded myself. The girl packed an entire drugstore in her backpack. I mean, look, you never know what might happen when you're traveling, right? It’s probably better to be prepared. But when I suggested that, she just rolled her eyes and said, "Ugh, she always has a mountain of pills on her. If her head aches a little, she pops one; if her throat feels scratchy, she pops another; then her stomach hurts, it's just too much!" 😲
Are you all seriously speechless on this topic? I find that hard to believe.
Alright, maybe I didn't phrase my questions quite right, but I don't really get this part: "It turns out you don't have to use pills for chronic illnesses". What's that supposed to mean? Obviously, people with chronic conditions need to manage their health with medication and take them regularly. I thought I was clear when I used "as needed" in parentheses—to me, that essentially means "sometimes." But anyway.
Personally, I take pills with a bit of caution, much like you do. I actually try to stick to natural remedies—you know, those old-school home remedies—😁 and only turn to medication if those don't work. That said, I have friends who can list off a whole pharmacy of meds by heart, knowing exactly what everything does; honestly, they carry a literal drugstore in their purses every single day. Isn't that a bit much? I also know people who love playing doctor, giving each other unsolicited advice on what to pick up at CVS. Since so many prescription drugs are accessible, it seems a little risky for one's health to me.
An American veteran recently asked a licensed psychiatrist about potential side effects from a new combination of medications he was prescribed, and he put it quite brilliantly:
"They say Xanax and Helix can be addictive, but I don't think that’s really a concern. If I’m sick, it’s only natural that I’d depend on medication. I’m not taking these because I’m healthy and want to feel "crazy"
but rather to keep this miserable PTSD under control. People who abuse these drugs aren't worth mentioning; they just waste taxpayer money that should go to those of us who actually need it. Here's an idea—call me crazy if you want—but I think anyone with a formal PTSD diagnosis should be put into inpatient care for a month, where they take their prescribed therapy UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF A PSYCHIATRIST. It might seem like an expensive experiment at first, but I'm pretty sure the results would show themselves well before the month is up. Right now, you just pick up the meds, count the days, grab the next dose, and meanwhile, everything ends up in the trash. You might find it funny, but I'm one hundred percent right about this.
And she gave him a "very brilliant" response, the kind any doctor would give:
"It would be best if you contacted your primary psychiatrist to discuss your current treatment plan, which is appropriate. Regarding Helix iXanax, they are essentially the same medication; the generic name is Alprazolam, but the brand names differ because they come from different manufacturers. Therefore, the reactions to these drugs shouldn't vary. We also suggest that you focus on helping yourself recover rather than worrying about other people's problems; let us doctors handle the treating.
"
I've been spending the last week scouring various forums and websites looking for info on depression and the use of various medications, and honestly, what I've found is pretty shocking. But then again, maybe I shouldn't even care. Even my grandmother has a home pharmacy filled with a million pills she only tosses when they expire; she doesn't take them, she just can't remember which one is for what when you ask her. But she's an elderly woman. On the other hand, it feels pretty sad to see more and more young people relying on endless medications for every little thing. Are we really overmedicating, or are we just a sick and depressed nation?
So, what actually sets you apart from Frida? My god... You have all this intelligence and, as you put it, artistic talent, but then there's this devastating pain on the other side. I find it hard to believe you haven't been able to find some decent, "normal" friends who might actually understand and support you.
By the way, did you report the assault and the beating?
My delivery wasn't exactly difficult, but my little girl was in such a rush to get here that I ended up with quite a few tears. Honestly, I made the mistake of ignoring all the advice from the older women; I thought I could just rest while sitting up. Huge mistake. Even though this was my first baby, if I ever do this again, I’ll definitely listen to them and stay lying down, because even three months later, I wasn't feeling my best. I felt this heavy sensation, too, which made me want to avoid going anywhere. It almost felt like my uterus hadn't shifted back yet, but my OB-GYN reassured me during my checkup—though she did tell me I needed more bed rest since things were taking a bit longer to settle back into place. I could feel those internal stitches for ages, which made intimacy pretty uncomfortable. To make matters worse, I had this pain on my left side that messed up my walking and sitting. Between the general pelvic pain and everything else, I couldn't tell if it was the stitches or hemorrhoids, but as things settled, the pain stayed concentrated in my left buttock and hip. That's when we realized it was actually a pinched nerve from the labor, which we eventually got sorted out. I read a ton about childbirth and postpartum recovery, and I can say with certainty that nobody ever mentions how much your backside hurts after a vaginal birth. And yes, even from the pushing. So, I always tell my friends not to freak out if they feel what I felt. Just call your doctor and take it easy—twenty days of rest is nothing for a new mom. 😉