Gurgle.
I did have a betsywetsy equivalent, named Sally, and I love her, even with the cracked head, and I guess I did that head cracking. I also had a toni doll, but that was an off shoot of my dad's work. Mostly I didn't have toys. I did have tv early as it was part of my father's work.
I never saw an erector set, never had leggos, however you spell them, and never had lincoln logs. How then could a girl become an architect? To clarify, I'm a landscape architect, but there is a close alliance.
I got here by mistake.
When my parents went house hunting, I tended to come home and draw little plans. Very little and undoubtedly unworkable.. but I was primed in all those househunting years.
Funny what becomes a toy... as in that case visual experience did. I didn't have siblings and not all that many books, say, before thirteen.... I didn't really draw. I guess I spent a lot of time in my mind.
I was trying to remember if I ever had a serious gift disappointment and I did remember once begging for a little stuffed elephant at a fireman's carnival. You had to throw darts at a board and hit the smallest mark to win. I remember crying that the only thing I wanted for my birthday was that stuffed elephant. I whined, I cried, I was pitiful - I turned on my best Jewish guilt tactics. My parents ignored me.
Two weeks later I had my birthday and I opened a wrapped gift to discover that elephant. I had totally forgotten all about it. At some point my mother told me that my father spent an hour trying to win that thing and couldn't hit the target. He finally bribed the kid running the booth to give him the elephant. I really had forgotten about it and I would have been just as happy with something else. Today the gesture has far more meaning for me than that toy ever did. If parents think their children are going to remember the Xboxes and cell phones over true love, they are in for a sad reality check.
Absolutely.
Unfortunately, one gift I remember, and there weren't all that many, but usually something to hang on to... was the bookbag. That was for my birthday. I had gone downstairs the night before and detected it, somehow, in the wrapping.
So, in the morning I asked my mother if I could open the bookbag (instead of can I open my presents?) Oh, dear.
Plus, I never liked that book bag. Much too adult, I see in retrospect. Must have cost them, at the time, as harder times were just ahead. Would I could have that bookbag now...
But back to christmas gifts. I don't think it is the packaging and the p.r. at mo's age. More the delight...
I remember years and years ago talking to dear edgarblythe about growing up po' and it being Christmastime. I could tell that he felt it too - this thing that makes everything else okay - this, I don't know how to describe it - this heart-swell of knowing that people did their best when the house was crumbling around your head.
The site I posted to was Craigslist. The "items wanted" section is just full of beggers. I'm sure that some of them are legitimate but fercryingoutloud - sell the computer and ditch the internet service if you are really that poor.
This is a site where people will, on occassion, post photos of their genital warts -- and MY post was offensive.
I don't know.....
I usually don't go off like that.
I thought about contacting the site to say WTF but I dunno.....
The only other time I've been censored on the net is when I posted that Paul Outerbridge photo here on A2K (I mean c'mon - it was taken in 1937! How offensive can it be in 2005? (http://www.masters-of-photography.com/O/outerbridge/outerbridge_claws.html))
I probably deserved that but even then they just took the photo down and replaced it with a link.
I guess I'm spoiled by A2K.
Boomer, I went back and read your original post and I think it was a case of "the truth hurts". I think the Craigslist mods. might have thought your wit was a little two sharp and the sarcasm would offend their customer base, thus you were censored.
Slappy Doo Hoo wrote:...
All these years on A2K have turned me into a feminized, tree-hugging little wussy boy.
Then our work here is done.
Boomer, you think my Mod team would pull this topic? Oof. We have spam to pull. Sounds like the Craigslist Mods have no work to do. They can have our spam. We will even giftwrap it.
I didn't think it would be pulled from A2K and I figured that the cast and crew here would be able to tell me what might have made my post offensive.
I think someone was offended and they flagged my post for removal. I got a generic e-mail form letter from them saying my post had been removed and inviting me to repost it if I thought whoever flagged it was wrong. I think their moderators respond to flagging without really checking out what is going on.
I guess if I were one of the beggars I would be offended. Your post is clearly calling them what they are. To that I say, "tough ****" to them and good for you.
I don't know if we were poor by any standard definition of the word, but I do remember getting gifts as a small child and trying my hardest to pretend to like them so that my parents wouldn't feel sad. Kids want everything and I was no exception so reality was always a disappointment. But I knew that my parents were doing the best they could and was happy that they had gotten me anything at all. Today, I'm hard pressed to remember what I got for Christmas any year of my childhood. It just doesn't matter.
Some are offended at the slightest mention of Jesus in an off key statement, however well intentioned.
>trots off to craigslist mumbling<
ill show them beggers..
this will probally be removed from craigslist.. BUT-
i posted..
Quote:Only the guilty will want to flag this post.
Its funny how, only THIS time of year, are there more and more requests for money backed by the famous " I cant work, I lost my job, or I'm in capable" reasons. ...Then any other time.
Even funnier, is how these people are able to have an internet connection in their homes... yet ... cant afford things for their kids?
Ok mr or miss My child has to have thisÂ…. Heres an idea. Turn off the 20 something dollar a month
Internet connection and SAVE YOUR MONEY.
Jeezee.. What a concept.
Why , have we as a nation, allowed christmas to become so commercialized that people feel like they are obligated to gifts and money.. just because " Its christmas man..?"
The whole base of christmas should be... and at one time was.. FAMILY.
Getting together or having dinners with each other was the best part about christmas time.. Before the introduction of hallmark, Mattel, proctor and gamble..etc
Now,...... if you DONT BUY stuff you are not in the christmas spirit?
Oh bullshit.
Dont peddle me for money I work for because you think I'm a sucker and will give away money
""" just because its christmas"""". Go stand on a corner with a cardboard sign if you think that approach will work.
.
If you really had problems and couldn't make it financially, why do you wait until christmas to ask for help?
Oh yeah.. thats right.. Because you are preying on the christmas spirit that you think other people have. And since it IS christmas you are obligated to GET STUFF huh?
Dont retort with " i won't have a christmas with out an X-box, or a sally pee-pee doll for my little girl. "
If you have taught your kids that christmas is only about presents and other pricey items... its your fault.
And you live with it.
Dont look to my wallet to fill your greedy needs.
Stop giving Wal-Mart your christmas spirit and get your friends and family together . Spend time with people who love you and not the cashiers at Target.
Stop begging me to empty my wallet on your greed.
Craigslist only pulled that because people flagged it...I don't think they even have mods patrolling the site, at least not too closely.
I can't believe that got flagged, considering a lot of the other stuff on there.
Right, was gonna say that ^^^ (Slappy's post), I think it's all member-moderated, and if it gets a certain number of flags (from members) it gets deleted, all automated. So you put it in the section with the beggars (?), the beggars see it and don't like it, the beggars flag it (not because of offensiveness factor per se, but because it makes 'em mad), and it goes bye-bye.
I agree with your sentiments, tho.
So is your post still up, shewolf?
Are they begging in Texas too?
I started reading those "help" ads because I have stuff to give away. The ARC, who I mentioned on another thread, isn't due to pick up stuff until the 22nd so I thought I might just pass some of it around. A lot of it is really nice stuff. I'm giving it away anyway so why not?
I didn't come across one ad that made me feel like giving anyone anything.
The only "gift" I remember being heartbroken for not getting - year after year after year - Christmas after birthday - year after year - was a camera. I never even asked for anything else. I knew they were too expensive but they did surprise me one year when we were finally flush.
I didn't get much for Mo this year. All he has asked for is "Lady, the Golden Engine" for his Thomas set so I'm guessing I'll have to resign myself to ToysRUs next weekend. He'll like that $10 train better than anything else.
Shewolf! You posted that in the Portland wanted section!
I am totally laughing my ass off.
I think you've started a trend.
Ha! I flagged shewolf's post for Best of Craig's List. Maybe that will help it last a little longer.
http://portland.craigslist.org/wan/118103592.html
yup. sure did.
And I posted it in Austin's too..
hee hee hee
its still up..
I assumed you posted it to Austin's list but came across it on the Portland list.
That was great!
i see that there are a few MORE posts that are like mine after I did that in the wanted section.
maybe I DID start a trend.. hhmmm ;-)
