MY LIFE - DECEMBER

Tuesday, December 19, 2000

I had a very touching moment with one of our customers tonight. This guy had just come out of having heart surgery recently and had a couple of prescriptions that he needed filled. I remembered him because I helped him yesterday too. So I took down his information and told him to check back in a half hour or so. He then asked me if I could grab four boxes of Puffs kleenex and I said okay.

About a half hour later, he came back through, but his stuff wasn't done yet because we got hammered. I told him I was sorry, but he was nice about it and said he'd come back through again. I finally got caught up and was just about to get his stuff rung out (he had already given me a check that just needed a dollar amount filled in) when he came through again. I smiled at him, told him I was ringing his stuff out now and made sure the Puffs were the right ones.

I gave him his bags and he said something that I don't want to forget. He thanked me for all my trouble and then said he hoped to see me again sometime because he wasn't doing so well. I told him not to say things like that and that he should do the best that he can do and we'd (the pharmacy staff) would do what we could to try and make it easier for him.

He thanked me again and said he was grateful that I was willing to do so much for him when he didn't have anyone to really help him out (he had a wife, but she's not in any condition to do much herself) and he really appreciated what I did. For one of the few times in recent memory, I felt the emotions kind of welling up inside of me. I told him that I'd do what I could for him and told him to try and take it easy and not give up.

He thanked me and finally went on his way. I turned around and another tech, Jean was looking at me and she had obviously heard what had gone on. It was one of those moments where I realized why I do the job that I do. Not to listen to all the crabby customers, but to listen to the ones who really understand that we are doing our best to help everyone we can.

It was just a very good moment in a pretty good day for me. I wish I had more moments like that. Not people on the brink of dying, but those who genuinely appreciate what we do for them.

---

Everywhere I look, I see reminders that the year 2000 is almost over. Magazines are doing year-in-review specials, newspapers are starting to chronicle important events from 2000, and the holiday season is in full swing. I myself have gone through a lot this year and will be presenting my own year-in-review. I'm not sure how I want to do it though because there are a couple routes I can go. I can put them into parts of upcoming entries or I can put it in Come Again?, which seems to be the best option.

Has this year been a good one for me? I'd say it's a stark improvement over the last couple considering the events that took place. I remember turning 18 wasn't exactly a great time for me and last year certainly didn't do a lot for me. Graduation was probably the highlight for me last year.

So I don't know. It really depends on how you want to look at things. Things are certainly more stable now with us living away from my dad, but then the whole mess with my dad comes back into focus. He's still got problems and we don't know if they'll ever be resolved. I'm hoping so, but there's no telling if that's going to be the case.

I've talked about that enough in the past though and I do not wish to continue to talk about something that isn't that fun to talk aboute. Let's face it. We live in a society that feeds of tragedy and hurting people. I never paid attention to that stuff when I was little because I was always watching comedians tell funny stories and make life a little easier to laugh at. Being a goof has helped me tremendously in getting through the things I had to go through.

I've been weird since I can remember, although the weirdness has certainly tapered off and only shows itself at certain times like in yesterday's entry. I'll admit this much. I liked writing yesterday's entry a lot and think it's one of my better ones from a lighter standpoint. It's certainly not the best entry I've ever written (there are a couple others that could have that honor), but it was a lot of fun and I felt good writing it.

I liked looking at what other people had written and turning it into something I could pick apart. That's why I've been reading the Cleveland Live forums, especially the teen ones. Some of the things they talk about are so silly, so meaningless, yet they take it so seriously. I've seen so many entries revolve around sex that anything else is a breath of fresh air.

I don't like all the hating going on in there, but it's interesting to read and see where these teens are coming from. I think that most of the people who post don't actually do anything they say they do. If they do, then that's great, but I find it hard to believe sometimes what I read. I also like reading entries from "hotties to hotties" and then watch them try to defend themselves from other people.

We're talking 16 year old kids who are probably getting a little carried away. One kid was from Strongsville and was tired of the girls there. I don't know what he's smoking, but I've seen girls from Strongsville and they are nothing to laugh at. There are some very attractive girls in that city. Many are prissy, but still...

I read one entry that was particularly laughable. There's a guy who is trying to be an activist within the city of Parma and has been posting every once in a while on unethical acts performed by various groups. His latest attack is against Fox 8 News in Cleveland. He listed all these reasons how they were lying to their viewers and how they claim things that aren't true.

He's timed how long they cover certain events. He timed how long they covered the Supreme Court ruling. He complains it wasn't long enough. I was complaining it was too long. I didn't give a shit. I already knew they had gone in George W. Bush's favor. I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to see one of the stories. This guy was upset over this though.

He also complained about their promotions, that they weren't prioritized right or something like that. He then used other stations as examples and was nitpicking Fox 8 to death. I was trying not to laugh while reading this. This was beyond stupid. This was just plain sad. How much time do you have that you critique news channels?

He then goes on to complain about their claim of being your official school closing station. He then lists the reasons why they aren't and that they should stop. I thought for a minute and remembered that every god damn station in Cleveland claims to be your official school closing station, that this is nothing new. Radio stations claim the same thing too.

I just couldn't believe what I was reading. He essentially asks that we boycott Fox 8 News and I essentially wrote back that if you don't like the news program, don't watch it. It's not his responsibility to tell us what to watch and what not to watch. I understand his concern, but it's a news station! How bored can you be to be upset over a news station's practice? Even better, how bored can you be to be upset over their practices and then complain about it in a teen forum?? How many teens actually watch the news on a regular basis?

He would've been better off posting in a senior citizen forum or a forum for those who are into the news. These teens are talking about sex and drugs and how hot they are. They aren't talking about the presidential election or anything going on the world. Why would they give a damn about what a news station is doing?

They wouldn't and that was what made it so silly. I told him he needed to find something better to do with his time. It's the truth. It's not worth the time to pick on a news station. They're after ratings anyway.

---

People really make me shake my head though. I just can't figure out some of the things I see people say or do anymore. We get so hyped up over the stupidest shit. I just can't fathom it sometimes. I remember when People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was threatening CBS with a lawsuit because the people on "Survivor" ate rats on television.

They were going to sue over a rat, the same animal that one of the members would have killed in a heartbeat if they found it in their house. They just couldn't bare to see one of the billions of rats in this world die because some people stranded on a island needed something to eat. I wonder how they discussed going through with this? Before or after their steak dinner?

I seriously hate PETA though and it's not because I'm annoyed by them. That's a big part, but some of the things they complain about just makes me scratch my head. It's one thing if it's an endangered species or an animal that's really being treated cruelly. It's another thing when a mouse or a rabbit is being used in an experiment. Those things multiply faster than most people can count, so you don't really lose anything in the population. You'd actually gain.

They also drive me nuts when they try and give a good reason why they're doing something. They're statements sound so hokey. It's like a third-grader wrote the speech or something.

"We really don't like to see the (insert name of animal here) treated bad because they're really neat. If you give them enough love, they could be a pet."

"What about the case where the (you know the drill) maimed a five year-old child?"

"He just wasn't loving his pet enough.">

That's pretty much what it boils down to. Love everything, even if it means you don't eat another meal again. If we all became vegetarians, I'm sure some plant-conservation group would spring up and defend plants against inhumane attacks on them.

I'm not saying that I hate animals. I don't. I live in a house filled with them. My real point (you knew there had to be one somewhere) is I get sick of people demonstrating for silly things. I can understand certain arguments, but other times I just shake my head. People do stupid things and they know they're doing them.

I remember when Tiffany's first opened in Brunswick. People would stand outside and hold up signs condemning the place and curse the patrons who went to the highly successful strip club. I never had any plans of going there, and I don't agree with that kind of business anyway, but hey, if someone wants to blow their money on that kind of thing, then that's what they're going to do. Who am I to stop them?

That's why I hate protests so much. Rather than just ignore it and let it die if it really is bad, someone has to try and make everyone else think what they think. It's not good enough for them to hate the place themself, everyone has to hate it too. I always thought that someday some woman was going to throw herself in front of my car to try and keep me from going somewhere she didn't like.

Anti-abortion demonstraters once demonstrated outside of Strongsville High School early in the morning, encouraging motorists to honk in support. If I lived near that high school and had to listen to car horns at 5 in the morning, you can bet I'm not going to go out there to shake someone's hand and say good job. If I take someone's hand, it's going to be so I can throw them in the street and maybe shut them up for a while.

That's my view though. I understand the right to protest is a thing we have. I just think we waste our time on things that really aren't all that bad.

Lawsuits are another thing that needs to be curbed. How is it that spilling coffee in your lap the fault of McDonald's and worth $25 million? How is your own stupid mistake someone else's fault? I just can't understand some of the things people sue over. Some of the things, I understand. Other things, things that are so frivulous (like most injury claims) just get to me.

I was sued over a car accident I was part of. This kid didn't actually hurt himself until he was picking up stuff from someone's lawn and his back popped. It was all traced back to the accident he had with me and he sued me for $25,000. He won just over $200, which means he basically took a loss on the case after court costs and lawyer fees.

In our never ending quest to vindicate ourselves, we have to find someone else to blame. It's never the person's own fault for a mistake, it's someone else's fault. We don't hold ourselves accountable anymore and it's sad. I admit it when I make a mistake, so how hard can it be for anyone else to do the same thing? Are we so afraid of looking silly that we have to blame someone else? This doesn't apply to things like the mess with Firestone tires and things like that. Those I understand.

But when you break something, or hurt yourself using something improperly, or do anything that's just a stupid mistake, stop looking for someone else to blame. If you staple your hand to the floor with the staple gun, don't go suing the company because it made a dangerous product. Use your head next time and DON'T put your hand where you intend to staple.

It's a simple concept to use your brain. I wish more people would. The world would be a whole lot safer.