What do You Think?

Right off the bat - let me say I'm not posting to inflame or create controversy but I was incensed at something I saw on a news report yesterday and I'm here to have a little rant and see what other people think. 

The story goes something like this. Sophia was turning 7 and her parents sent out invitations to a number of children to her Tie Dye birthday party. So far so good...I wouldn't have minded an invite to a party like that myself. 

One parent responded indicating her child would not be attending and provided a written explanation for her child's absence from the party. 

Image taken from news.com.au who listed their source as Facebook

The background is that Sophia has two Dad's. Two parents who love her enough to throw her a tie dye party (Umm... tie dye party for 7 year olds - are these guys among the bravest parents you've ever heard of? ) Two parents who aren't influenced by meaningless gender roles and what is "appropriate" and invited a boy to their 7th daughters party. 

What burned my grits wasn't that this little girl has two Dad's. I couldn't care less about that.  Live and let live. I think love is wonderful no matter where you find it or who you find it with. What got my back up was the response by the other parent. Since when did it become OK to be an ill mannered witch?  A simple "No Thank You, Tommy is unable to attend" would have sufficed.

You know who I feel sorry for? Not Sophia. I feel sorry for Tommy who lives with a parent who has no basic manners and thinks its perfectly acceptable to be rude, without regard for the feelings of others. The right to your opinion does not override basic human decency.  You know what honey? Your child is going to be exposed to all sorts of differences out in the big wide world before he leaves your care and has to learn how to interact with people without being completely manner-less and bigoted. And I guess he's going to have to learn how to do that from someone other than you, because that's a obviously a skill you haven't learned yet. 

A Birthday Party RSVP for a 7 year old isn't the place to moralise about your lifestyle preferences. Pull your head in. 

What do other people think? Was her response over the top or perfectly acceptable? 

Slaps in My Saggy Face

Aging seems to be a bit of a  theme at the moment. I had an email conversation during the week with The Chicken's Consigliere about it, Little Miss Sunshine  and I have been discussing it and then Jenn over at Life in Bonetown posted this  video which is absolute gold. I'm jumping on the bandwagon because I haven't had a decent rant in weeks ( that wasn't kitchen related) and I had two age related experiences this week that mildly peeved me off and confirmed once and for all the world no longer  views me as a  spring chicken and has no qualms about shoving it in my face.

I don't think of myself as old. Until this week I didn't even consider myself middle aged, despite being a grandmother. A. Very. Young. Grandmother.    In my own head, I'm still somewhere in my early 30's, lithe , gorgeous, hip and totally down with it, and with a world of possibility at my feet. There is no way I look my age.  I'm still trendy, don't dress like a nanna, refuse to let my hair go grey and still use moisturiser daily. I haven't let myself go (much ) but have clearly been kidding myself the world views me the same way I view myself.

I was  in a shopping centre on Wednesday looking in Noni B, an upmarket ladies wear store to kill some time when a sales assistant in her mid 50's came up to me and commented on the dress I was looking at. Conversation ensued -on her side because she's hoping to make a sale, and on mine because I'm too polite to say "Lady, I'm not going to buy anything today because I just installed a new kitchen and we're livin' off credit cards". And then she started telling me about the new range they've just got in that is "fresh" and "new" and "so suitable for ladies of our age" and I seriously wanted to punch her in the face. Given that this woman was in high school when I was born and was probably having her first child when I started Grade 1,  I was mildly offended. At that point any vague hope she had of a sale galloped out the door.

Scenario Two: While I was at Lincraft on Thursday night getting my crafting supplies I ran into someone I worked with about 20 years ago. After we had exchanged the usual pleasantries, (which included catching up on our respective kids doings, and trading notes on divorces, births  and deaths) she commented "oh you're here getting craft stuff? -we're at that age where we're getting into the crafty stuff". The at that age part is in italics because it's important. For me that was the key part of the sentence.

My first thought was "No shit Sherlock-I'm in a craft store , holding a 48 x 60 canvas , 6 bits of scrap booking paper, 4 metres of 250 cm wide bamboo batting and the spray can of glue I have tucked under my armpit because I've run out of available hands makes me look like I'm a freaking kleptomaniac -  good observation that I'm here getting craft stuff" . I am usually quite testy by Thursdays and it had been a particularly long day. In my 20's I would have actually said this out loud, which means I should get some credit for having at least developed tact along with  wrinkles.

My second thought was - who says aged  people are the only people being crafty. I know a lot of younger people who do craft stuff.  And  last time I checked there was no law that said you to be over 40 to wield scrap booking paper, or knit a beanie, or handle modge podge.

My third thought was "Exactly what age are you referring to  and  why do you even think I'm  there along with you when I clearly recall you had high school aged children when I gave birth".

I've been thinking about all of this. Apparently it's socially acceptable to intimate these days I am an old hag. Apparently I look my age , or worse still ten years older than I actually am. Apparently I have reached the 40-59 year age bracket that you find on survey forms. Apparently I am meant to be behaving in a certain way , wearing certain clothes and undertaking certain activities because I am no longer "young".

I've decided  I must need a face lift - and I'm broke. If you can help by sparing a   few bucks , email me and I'll give you my Paypal address. According to the world, I look like a train wreck and it's OK to comment on it.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to wander off and make a hair appointment. And  go roller skating and then hit a night club and get drop down dead drunk. In a mini skirt and ridiculously high heels. I refuse to allow the world to pigeon hole me because of a number.