I Want A New Drug

"Is the witch off?"

No good night, I love you, or bye.  "Is the witch off?"

You see BLOG reader, we have a Halloween decoration on the front porch, near Boy #1's bedroom window.  A witch.  Who if turned on, will cackle and talk crazy witch talk if her motion sensor is tripped.  Which often happens when things go bump in the night.  Said bump being the neighbor's cats.

"I'll go check," I said. 

"Come back and let me know." He said.

Which was odd.  But ok.  I do as told with most family matters.  Especially Boy(s) requests, if reasonable and asked in a polite manner.

I went to the front porch, turned the witch around, making sure she was 'off', then walked back to his room where he had a big shit eating grin on his face.  This confused me.  The witch usually freaks him out, hard, based on a stormy night episode where she went off, or on as it were, repeatedly because of thunder and lighting

"She's off, Boy."  I said.  "What so funny?"

"Didn't you see?"  He asked.

"See what.  No.  I don't have my glasses on...?!" 

"We put our Red Ribbon bracelets on her."  He laughed.

"Nice," I said.  "I'll have to get a picture of that tomorrow."

"Yeah," he laughed some more.

That's my Boy.  Or Boy(s), because like me, they both think Red Ribbon Week is about the stupidest thing the school does all year.  Or in Boy #2's words, "Red Ribbon Week is boring...and all they give you is crap."

Which is true. Half baked (pun intended) theme days that trip over themselves to tie into the theme of 'not choosing drugs.'  Example. Erase drug day where you get crap, err, an eraser.

Red Ribbon Week is such a beating I'm surprised it doesn't cause kids to actually do drugs. 

Like I told one of the Mom's who got wrangled into coordinating Red Ribbon Week.  She was asking me how she could raise money to pull off Red Ribbon Week, which was really asking how she could fund buying all the crap.

"Sell drugs." I said.

She laughed.

"Really," she asked again.  "How do you think we can raise money for Red Ribbon Week?"

"Sell drugs." I repeated.

"I'm going to tell (insert PTA Mom leader person's name) you said that."  She said.

"Please do." I said.

"I hate Red Ribbon Week.  It's a beating.  And a waste of time." 

Which is what I believe BLOG reader.  Jaded and rant-y as it may sound.

I don't think Red Ribbon Week works.  Their hackneyed propaganda fails to persuade most kids, even those at a a grade school level.  And the ones that they get end up sounding like anti-drug-booze-cigarette-McCarthyist parrots. 

Reading what I rant, might lead you to believe that I'm Cheech or Chong.  I'm not.  In truth I'd be considered a square by many in that regard. Even as a kid, I didn't do much of it.  Beyond some light experimenting. Which I'm sure is what many of these kids will end up doing.

If you want to help them, be honest, and talk to them.

Because I doubt seriously you're going to buy any of them a drug free life by giving them a free eraser or allowing them to dress up as their favorite character from a book (as long as it is a 'good' one, so no Neely O'Hara, please!) 

Until I BLOG again...One that makes me feel like I feel when I'm with you.