Tonight's picture was taken around Halloween of 2008. Mattie was in the child life playroom and student groups from the University came by dressed in costumes to entertain and play with the kids. Though Mattie was recovering from surgery and his right arm was all bandaged up, he found a way to have fun, participated in the activities, and made the moment memorable for all of us involved.
Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.
- number of people diagnosed with the virus: 9,465,646
- number of people who died from the virus: 233,535
During the week, we like to walk Sunny on Roosevelt Island. It typically isn't busy, and we are surrounded by greenery, which is peaceful. Given the frenzy of the election, peace is hard to find. Which is why we retreat to the Island. Nonetheless, while walking Sunny, I noticed a young woman with two children. The woman herself had to be in her early thirties, White, appeared educated, and her two children were under 5 years of age. It was a beautiful weather day today, so it was the perfect way to get the little ones to expend energy and enjoy nature.
Unfortunately, as I approached the woman I couldn't help but read her VERY BOLD AND VERY RUDE statement on her sweat shirt. I think we are all entitled to have freedom of speech and to express our opinions, but why should an educated woman with two young children be wearing a sweat shirt that said F*CK twice? Doesn't she have the skill set to use more substantive words? Better yet, how stupid does she think her children are?
Children are like sponges, and like me, they too are absorbing what's on the front of her shirt. This mom was the poster child today for all that is wrong in our country, and serves as a terrible role model for her child. I couldn't get over the obscenities on her shirt, and literally as Peter and I passed her, we said her shirt was vulgar and that we were concerned for the welfare of her children.
I have found this whole interchange very upsetting today, because I feel that parents have a moral and ethical obligation to their children. All I could see here, was a mom more interested in her own opinions and lashing out, rather than using our world's state of affairs as a teachable moment. Nothing positive is going to be learned from obscenities and I am mad that she has two healthy children in front of her and she takes for granted her chance to be a role model, change agent, and a beacon of hope. To me none of this is acceptable, yet who is going to confront anything now a days? Certainly in our cities, it isn't a good idea, especially if you have a high regard for your own personal safety and security.
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