Monday, October 15, 2012

It seems the things you love most are also the ones that can cause the most pain.  While struggling to get Erik to participate in scripture, my 3 month old ipad flew off my lap onto the cement, shattering the screen.  I've had him for 12 years, and he is talented, helpful, and loveable.  At times.  He is certainly the source of advanced parental training at other times. 


Speaking of training, I got the ipad through continuing education funds, so I hadn't even paid for it directly.  But it is surprisingly useful and precious to me.

The next day, a patient asked me how I was, so I told him my troubles.  He didn't seem impressed when comparing some broken glass to his brother's kidney cancer.  So I stopped telling my 1st world problem and listened to his problems.

I told Erik I loved him anyways.  I told him the story of when I broke some glass (as a 14 year old backing the Malibu wagon through the sliding glass doors).  I thought my parents were wise and appropriate to prepare a way out for me, which included burying the evidence in a hole in the back yard, and working in the cafeteria for several months.  I asked him to make lunches for him and me for the next 2 months, and to fix the problem.

Apple doesn't cover damage under their warranty.  Unless you get the right person at an apple store.  We took it with to an apple store in SLC but didn't get the right person.  They will fix it for $270 (over half the initial price).  A local place will do it for $250.  Or you can mail your baby and just $170 to some unknown, who's address you get from the web.  Or you can read a lot, watch some you tube videos, get tools with cool names like "spudger" and just the right replacement for $54 from amazon, then spend a couple of hours spreading broken glass around the kitchen while narrowly missing tearing up wi-fi connectors, cameras, and sensors.  I think the end result is going to turn out just fine.  And the ipad looks good too. 

Monday, January 23, 2012

Don't get shot

A young man got shot at 5 pm in a Safeway parking lot 2 weeks ago after doing some degree of auto-derby with the federal marshals trying to bring him in for a parole violation.   I'm not a fan of avoidable violence, be it vehicular or firearm.  But I had a harder time feeling sympathetic for the fugitive than the marshals.  So I tried picturing this man's situation and up-bringing (if you're really interested this inteview with his mom is illuminating), and how, but-for-the-grace-of-God, I could avoid having this happen to anyone I am close enough to love.
The paper's coverage was almost as unsettling as Gingrich winning in SC.  I'm fearful society will get what we deserve.  So I had a talk with my sons and I got the following published as a letter to the editor. 

Don't get shot

    As I read about Jimmy Georgeson's death, my first thoughts were how to prevent this from happening to my sons. I felt duty-bound to review with them consequences of steering a full-sized vehicle at a federal marshal or otherwise physically combating police in the performance of their appointed duty.
     I'm trying to instill in my sons the desire and skills to live meaningful lives that do not attract violent intervention by law enforcement. I teach them to have confidence in their ability to control themselves; to trust public servants to work for their best interest or else work within the system for change when needed, and to accept and grow from any social debt they may be assigned. I will not stand with a poster in front of a sympathetic newspaper reporter pretending injustice.
     May we help our sons everywhere contribute to making the world a better place. This paper does them a disservice by sanctifying a troubled young man and vilifying marshals that as far as I know were following their training while their lives were at risk in the course of serving the public.
— Marvin Olsen, Central Point

ps,  I'm grateful my daughters are already so self-confident, emotionally well-developed, and perceptive of the context that they will not take offence at this being written about sons. 

How blessed I am to have kids that make the world a better place. Especially my world.

BTW, Esther has started to blog regularly at http://raininglemondrops.blogspot.com/