Thursday, June 14, 2012

Missed Childhood?

I have heard this several times. I am a kid person and feel for anyone who thinks they did not have a childhood. I hear Michael Jackson created the Never Never Land, because he felt he did not have a childhood, and was always in the studio or on the road recording.

Many Olympic performers and childhood musicians, say the same. There are always trade offs, if it is the child I understand, but I do not understand a parent who pushes a child for their own personal agenda. That being to appear in the spot light with their child.  Maybe even the financial gain that might come with it.

I touched on Child labor in my last entry. We experienced visiting a site where the ‘Spaulding Baseballs’ were made by children in Haiti. The person leading the tour was an experienced missionary.  We were stationed on Gitmo at the time and were able to bum a ride on the Embassy flight. The USN in Gitmo made a weekly flight to Haiti to ferry the Embassy folk over to shop and also to do some Gov’t business of transmitting  securely.

The plane, a small sea plane, left Gitmo empty. As a morale booster, the troops on Gitmo could put their names on a list to fly over for a day. I wrote the missionary and asked what they would like for us to bring, they wanted some Ham. So we bought a huge ham and took it over.

As I stated, the Spaulding shop was not hid, as a matter of fact there was a lot of pride in the children. Without their jobs the family might go hungry, or the child themselves might go hungry. There were smiles from the children. They took breaks and played like all children.

I am sure this was not a show for us, it was only Sherry, our two boys and I.

Sailors,  have seen the same kids on a pier trying to sell their mothers or sisters, or just begging money. If there is a choice, I would prefer the kid earn 10 cents an hour.  Ten cents an hour is not bad where folks live off $2 a week.

Now, if shops exist where kids are forced to work, whipped etc, I think the owners should be horse whipped then shot!

Thanks for coming by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Embarrassing medical EXAMS:

From friend Buddy!

At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall.
'Big breaths,' . . . I instructed.
'Yes, they used to be,' . . . Replied the patient.
Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes ,
Seattle , WA

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1954PackardPanther

I’d question your sanity if you didn’t want one of these! LOL  the 1954 Packard panther (Note the wrap around windshield on the Panther, it was ‘55 for most cars.)

or the

1955 Buick Century (The century 4 port holes matched the Roadmaster’s 4 port holes)

1955 buick century

10 comments:

Paula said...

Yes and those mothers who dress their little girls up like adults and enter them in beauty pageants.

Helen said...

I agree with both you an Paula about children.

Fred Alton said...

Oh my! How I thank God for the days of my child-hood. I was protected by strong parents whom I knew I could trust to even fight for me if it became necessary. They were strict disciplinarians (especially Dad) but showed us over and over how much we were loved. We were allowed to play until dark-thirty, marbles, kick the can, shooting our home-made "flips" or slingshots, or even (from age 11 and up) allowed to shoot our .410 shotgun at bottles and cans. This brought up some very good feelings!

shirl72 said...

It is sad when kids are pushed to
excel and always having to practice
what their parents have decided
they will be. I am thankful for
our wonderful parents and setting a good example for life.

Anonymous said...

excellent and much needed entry.

please have you all a good friday.

Anonymous said...

I had a great childhood. My mother's childhood in many ways was rather bleak. Her parents worked in the fields while she and her siblings were left unattended. For the most part there were no books or toys to relieve the boredom. As she got a little older, she began to help out, and of course a big part of her job was to help tend the younger siblings.

betty said...

Kids do seem to grow up so fast these days; I think parents do need to be very careful with their motivation when they have their kids involved with this or that; some kids are so stretched thin between sports, learning an instrument, clubs at school, homework, etc then have no time just to relax and daydream and do all the fun things we did growing up. Do agree with you, Jack; child labor that is forced and punished and the kids are not treated fair, the people running places like that should be tar and feathered. But if a child can work in fair conditions and help support their families I am sure there is great pride in that!

betty

Louis la Vache said...

That Packard Panther you show is one of five that were built. «Louis» thinks that all 5 survive. This one was updated to include the "cathedral" taillights of the '55 Packards. The Panthers originally had the "sore thumb" taillights as used on the '54 Clippers. A supercharger was added to the straight 8 engine for more power and one Panther set a record at Daytona.

The Buick Century was called that because the original Buick model in the '30s with that name was certified to be able to hit "the century mark"": 100 mph, a big deal in a time when not many cars could do that.

DD said...

How sad that any child can not have a pleasant and comfortable childhood, regardless of the means, by choice of the parent or hardships thereof.

I am thankful everyday for my little station in life, my family, but most of all, my upbringing. I had a great childhood. My hubby thinks I am still in it! ...lol.

I love that awesome Buick convertable!

Good entry, take care, you and Sherry.

Chatty Crone said...

I totally agree with you today. Making decisions on how much children should work or not work. I always felt if my kids made good grades - as we have the Hope Scholarship here - it was doing some work. . . . what do you think? sandie