Soap Box Sally

I didn't mean to use this blog as an observation deck for life and all things happening in it.  But what I realized is that I have a lot of observations that go on in my head every day.  And I really don't have anywhere to express it.  So this becomes my platform.  

Here's the latest observation.  We are a lazy society.  I know, please don't link you in with laziness.  So I say, apply this where it might apply in your life.  My spewings come from my experience today.  I volunteered to be on the PTA as the grounds clean up chairperson.  I figured it was twice a school year, a Fall Grounds clean up and again, cleaning up the Spring.  No big deal.  Wrong!  Today was our Fall clean up.  Here's how it went down.  I sent out notification of this 4 weeks in advance, again 3 weeks prior, 2 weeks, and you guess it, about 4 days prior to the event.  Parents were requested in notification to respond to my email address to let me know they were attending.  Every day religiously I checked my email, waiting for those good samaritans to volunteer some of their time to help me take on the school grounds.  Not one email ever came.  I figured that was the American way.  Don't do the formal notifications---just show up.  I'm game for that too.  As the old cliche goes, I can't look a gift-horse in the mouth.  So this morning I arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of clean up in hopes of getting a good head start on the job.  There before me sits a large mound of "mulch".  Only Easterners use mulch apparently.  We continue every year to stack wood chips around our trees with some hope that it looks "pretty" but instead we're creating an activity bed for the tree bark to rot and not get as much water to the roots.  It's ludicrous but okay, stick with the standards.  I soon realize after 30 minutes into the time of clean up that not many will show up.  One parent comes with two boys and one shovel.  It's a help.  But the man stands there directing his boys on what to do while he does little to aid.  I think right then "We are a lazy society".  We are so used to not having to do the hard labor of our forefathers that life has become too easy.  Even my own husband was not much of a kick in the pants for this whole affair. I was taught the value of hard work and felt I was up to the task.  But I have to say it would have been nice to have the help of a team of volunteers.  We began with a flat tired wheelbarrow to load mulch, barrow by barrow to the base of each tree.  It was the only wheelbarrow we could find.  Apparently, the janitorial person was supposed to be there to help us with the mulch but I couldn't see him.  I thought he'd be out waiting with baited breath for our arrival.  I did eventually find Tanner (name changed to protect the innocent) who was the janitor and pulled him into the battle of the mulch.  Other parents showed up but without many tools in hand. I sent them to various parts of the school to pick up trash and large weeds.  Rob continued to shovel mulch, Tanner continued to deliver it to the site and we worked hard for 3 long hours.  Several other parent/child combos showed up to help and then everyone was gone.  And there I was with 4 dirty children, one smelly, mulch covered husband, and me with my Medussa hair, wondering what went wrong.  Why didn't more people show up?  And to add to that I had one mother tell me that I should have provided donuts and juice.  Oh, I see.  No one can bother to let me know they are showing up and yet I'm supposed to go out and try and "guess" how many might show up and provide donuts for them.  Donuts that apparently would have gone to waste or waist as you will because I would have purchased more--I have a glass half full approach and figured many others would show up.  But people can't bother to say Hey, I'm coming to help".  So then it took me to my FINAL conclusion of Grounds clean up, people want to come for 20 minutes and do a little work here or there, get instant gratification by saying "alright kids, we worked hard, let's pack up" and then have a donut and a juice on the way out.  I guess I'm not that sympathetic.  You want the donut and juice, come and put in an hour, 2 hours worth of hard work.  I see the positive in this---my children learned the value of working together and we had fun.  We worked hard and came home.  My house didn't get cleaned today, my grocery shopping will be done late and we won't have this one Saturday to do family fun things because we took the time to help clean up.  I guess I'm on this blog to get my own gratification.  I worked hard today and so did my family.  And we didn't expect anything in return.  But I'm disappointed that parents didn't show up.  And I realize that those who truly understand hard work are the farmers who get up before the sun rises and come home when the sun is setting.  I bet if I was in Iowa cleaning up a school, I'd get some great workers who didn't come expecting self gratification or food.  I know, I'm harsh.  But it's a disappointment to see that we expect too much and give too little.  Eva steps down from the soap box.  

Here's hoping the next entry becomes a happy family adventure.