Why are people hitting those swimmers?

I thought I would share this little anecdote for my Friday post. I think it just gives a little glimpse into the innocence of a child’s thoughts….

My daughter at her first swim meet

..The swimming meets my daughters participate include differently abled children. There is something truly inspiring about watching these courageous children swim. No matter what the final result theses children have overcome so much just to be in the pool. The smile on their faces at the end of the race just says it all….and invariably makes me cry. I think it effects many others in the same way because the loudest cheering from the spectators is always for the wonderful efforts of these children.

In my opinion, this is what sport is all about. It’s challenging your self to participate and improve. A chance to show yourself and the world that you can do it….regardless of your ability.

The visually impaired swimmers have a helper that carries a long stick with a soft ball on the end. The helpers touch the swimmer as they are approaching the end of the race so that they know that the wall is coming and when to stop.

At my younger daughters first swimming meet, she was very interested in the differently abled swimmers and enjoyed cheering and supporting them. She also had many, many questions that I answered honestly, to the best of my knowledge. I wanted to ensure that my daughters respected these swimmers and thought of them just like the other competitors. I wanted to make sure that my girls would see the person and not just their disability as this is a topic very close to my heart. (See the post about my son here)

It was at the finish of one of the races where my daughter turned to me in shock and indignation…she said…

“…Mum, why are those people hitting those swimmers on the head…it’s not their fault that they are blind! They don’t deserve to be hit….”

Well, I guess I hasn’t explained the situation as well as I should of to her, that’s for sure!

I don’t mean to be offensive in any way…this is truly what my daughter said. In a way I was glad, at least, that was very concerned for the swimmers. But I was very quick to set her straight on the real use for the ball sticks…..

I'm flogging this post for Flog Your Blog Friday over at With Some Grace .

A Ranty Pants Red Head Post!

I am a proud red head. In fact, if I was to nominate my favorite feature, it would be my long red hair! I was delighted when two of my children were born with a great shock of the stuff…my eldest daughter was born with a bright red Mohawk!. I feel happy, proud and honored when a passersby on my blog, or in real life tells me how lovely their hair is…

…but it wasn’t always this way. During my childhood and early teenage years, I would have given anything NOT to have red hair. I was teased mercilessly because of it. I was called a red-headed chook and an orange carrot top. I was convinced nobody wanted to be my friend because I had red hair.

Fast forward to my adult years and I wouldn’t have it any other way…. I still don’t like the word ‘orange’ J…..But I have learnt to appreciate my hair colour! My hair has been the subject of some often hilarious pick-up lines (….yes…red ones do go faster, by the way….and yes I am a REAL red-head!) and I leant that sometimes what makes you different also makes you stand out in a crowd and remembered. Now,  I would never change my hair color!

Me and my hair at a a soccer game

However, there are two things yet that I have not reconciled with being a red head. The first is the term 

‘Ranger’.

Ranger is derived from the orangutan, a large, orange tree dwelling ape. Honestly, would you like to be called a name after a hairy primate? I have to admit that I just don’t like the term. Maybe it is the sound of the word. ‘Ranger’ can be almost thrown, or spat out of a persons mouth if it is used in a derogatory way.

I dislike this word when used to describe me or my children. I also don’t like it used to describe the current Prime Minister of Australia. Regardless of ones political beliefs or persuasions, I think it is a low act to simply bring a person down based on their appearance. I can’t believe that it is socially acceptable to do this!

My friends teenage niece is intelligent and beautiful, and she also has red hair. This girl has taken a different approach and  taken ownership of the word ‘Ranger’. She makes a joke of it and describes herself as ‘everyone’s favorite ranger’. She uses the term ranger to sign off on her emails and facebook posts. Although I am proud and a little envious of the way she has taken ownership or the word, I worry that such a beautiful an intelligent girls defines herself simply by her red hair….because surly this is not how other people see us…just our red hair??? …or is it??

This brings me to the second part of being a red-head that bothers me. That is the propensity of non-redheads to think that all people with red hair look alike. You would be amazed at how many people have said

  “…..There is someone from my home town/school/ mothers group with red hair and she looks just like you! Do you have a sister there???...”

If there is a red-haired child on a TV commercial my children even get asked if they have been on TV!

I do realise that I, and the other people mentioned share red hair and a similar pale complexion. I also realise that most of us are probably not lacking in the freckles department! However red heads, like other people, have different facial features and different personalities. We are not all related. We are individuals.

 Red-heads should not be defined, grouped and stereotyped  simply by the color of their hair but, just like everybody else, what is on the inside…our personalities.

I would love to hear what you think of the term ‘Ranger’? If you are a red head, or have children with red hair, do you like being referred to a ranger….or do you ever get told you look just like somebody’s mothers cousin, who also has red hair?? 

OK rant over now….I feel so much better!!

I am joining in with Jess from Diary of a SAHM who has also written a great post about hair (!!) (great minds obviously think alike!) for  the wonderful Tuesday link-up  #IBOT (I blog on Tuesday) Come and read what others have blogged today!

A Ranty-Pants Post: My Thoughts on the Police Union Rant about Australian Swimmer Henrick Monk

I mean no offence by the following post, It’s my attempt to have a humorous look at rants and a chance to experiment with being a ranty-pants myself J

I have been following the story of the Australian Swimmer Kenrick Monk in the media. Kenrick Monk broke his elbow riding his skateboard to training. He made international headlines my lying about the incident and saying it was a deliberate hit-and run. Recently it was announced by the police that he would not face charges for his behaviour.

Personally, I think that that Kenrick Monk acted in a very impulsive and immature way. However I am not sure that formal charges would have any usefulness in fixing the damage that has been done by this lie or serve any real purpose. I believe he will be facing the consequences of this lie throughout his entire life. Apparently the Queensland Police Union has a different opinion and a representative of the union has stated.

"Swimming Australia now being caught red-handed being complicit in orchestrating Mr Monk finagling out of being charged by police, has to be the final nail in the coffin of Swimming Australia's fast sinking credibility," Mr Leavers said.

"The public rightly expect that no one should deliberately waste the time of police, whether they be wannabe B-grade celebrity athletes like this modern-day 'boy who cried wolf', Kenrick Monk, or just regular people.

The union rep seems to be saying, in a round-about and ranty way, that valuable police time had been wasted and this time would be better spent doing more important things.

I have been thinking abut this rant by the Queensland Police union representative and I have come up with a rant of my own....

....Recently a friend of mine was fined by the police for parking on the nature strip at the school. As is the case with many new schools in this area, there as been little planing for parent parking at drop-offs and pick-ups. When the 20 or so car-spaces are full, there is little choice for the other 600 or so cars, but to park on the nature strip. Parking on the strip  is not obstructive or dangerous (except perhaps to the grass).

Is this an example of a more useful way that police could be spending their time?? 

Instead of using their time prosecuting mums for parking on the grass to pick up kindergarten children, the police could be doing other useful things….. you guessed it, I have some suggestions.

My son Buster likes to help me open the petrol cap on the car and watch me fill the car with petrol. Last time he tried to ‘help’ Sirens sounded and a loudspeaker announced that I could remove my child from the petrol bowsers immediately. As I attempted to wrestle my scared and screaming child into the car the loudspeaker repeated this demand twice. I Immediately drove away (there was no need to pay, I had not pumped any petrol, we were only just opening the car petrol cap) giving the loudspeaker a gesture of my own!! Since this appears to be such a serious offence,  I suggest that  preventing underage petrol cap opening would be a  more useful way to spend police time.

‘Car-park mum' apprehended me in the car park to tell me my son has been rough with her children and other children at the preschool. I immediately went to see the teachers, who unequivocally said that this was untrue. Yes, there had been some small issues over toy sharing, but no more than many of the other 3 and 4 year olds. Again, I suggest that mediating toy disputes between preschoolers may be another useful way to spend police time!

Obviously this post has been very tongue and cheek. But my point is that although clearly, the union rep was very upset about Kenrick Monk ‘getting away’ with his lie. I believe there are more important things for the police union to be worried about than the credibility of Swimming Australia. Perhaps the rant by the union rep was almost as impulsive and inappropriate as Kendrick Monks lie…..

……Just as my rant is equally impulsive and inappropriate. But gosh, it felt good to write it!!

Why I’m Not a Kids Sports Committee Mum….. Yet!

The thing about kids sporting clubs is that they are organized by volunteers. These wonderful people do a fantastic job administering the club, setting up, packing away, fund raising, scheduling competitions and training times. There are countless tasks they perform and these are often thankless tasks as well. Many of these volunteers forgo precious family time to work on behalf of their club. They do this so that the children in the club can get the best possible experience of being involved with a youth sports club. The simple truth is that there would be no youth sports clubs if there were no parents on the committees.

My children and our family have reaped many benefits being involved in youth sports clubs. I am thankful for the tireless efforts of the individuals who make these clubs possible. Now that Buster is 4 and becoming slightly more independent (although I still carry him around on my hip at most Little Athletics meets). I am feeling the moral obligation to contribute to the organisation and running of the sporting clubs my family are involved with…..but there is one major hurdle……

I suck at committees!! There, I’ve said it! If there is such thing as an anti-Midas touch, then, that’s what I have when it comes to committees! I don’t know what is about me and committees. I honestly have the best of intentions, but everything just goes ‘pear-shaped’. It’s like I’m too enthusiastic, or I try too hard. I manage to completely alienate everybody and it has just never worked out!

My first experience with committees was at our playgroup. I thought that I should do my bit and contribute to the playgroup committee, so when I turned up to the meeting and was presented with a 20 page document entitled ‘minutes’…well….you could have knocked me over with a feather….In my naivety I thought “this is a play group..what more is there than a biscuit and cup-of-tea roster”…how wrong I was! Lesson number 1: never assume anything!

I by no means aim to degrade the fabulous work that a committee does, however in my personal experience, committees seem to be loaded with committee people. Committee people are extremely efficient and hardworking, but also seem to have a very high appreciation for detail and correctness. I think I am more of a ‘big picture thinker myself!’

When my eldest daughter reached pre-school. I was the enthusiastic newbie mum. I had read somewhere that if a parent is involved with the child’s school, than the child is more likely to be successful. So that’s what I did! I turned up to the first committee meeting and somehow, although I’m not entirely sure how, I ended up with the vice-presidents position. Lesson number 2: never just go to a committee meeting  if you don’t want to walk away with a position!

So, just when the president decided to take a 3-month overseas holiday, I decided the right thing  to do was to stick up for the poor young mum in her early 20’s that had volunteered as a fund raising officer. She was trying to suggest ‘new’ things such as a ‘family fun day’ and (heaven forbid) a Krispy Crèmes stall. This was all too much for the committee stalwarts who would rather carry on as they had done for the past 10-years with lamington drives. In defending the new, young mum against the bullying behavior, I was also targeted  for bullying, I received abusive emails and phone-calls. I even once had a chair thrown at a meeting and the doors slammed. I vowed never again!! Lesson number 3: learn from past experiences.

Now, when I check my in-box I am confronted with guilt, as the various committees of the sports my children play are literally begging for more parental help. I am happy to help out by baking goods, selling raffle tickets, and actually helping the kid s out and doing time keeping and other such  duties at the meets. Because my children are so involved with these clubs, I really feel that I should be doing more for these clubs myself. In a way, giving something back to these clubs that we have so enjoyed being a part of…….. I am almost thinking about joining a committee!!

GrumpyDaddy, is horrified. He remembers my past experiences with committees and definitely does not want to re-live the drama. (I also suspect he does not want to be left looking after the kids while I am off doing committee stuff!!).  I am myself conflicted. Should I learn from my past experiences and resign myself to knowing that committee work is just not for me? The alternative is to try and let go of the past and give a new committee a try. You never know, perhaps involvement will open new opportunities for self fulfillment, new friendships, demonstrate to my kids that I am interested in them and their activities. Perhaps I will be surprised? Or perhaps I will be learning another lesson…. lesson number 4: I told you So!!

I am wondering what experience other readers have had with kids sport parent committees and if you would recommend joining one? Please let me know what you think in the comments.