I am slightly offended

For those who know me, I do not get offended easily.  I get angry easily and defensive, but not usually offended.  I saw something today that got me thinking so I facebooked it and it evoked some comments and I figured I'd blog about it.

I went to a Wells Fargo bank this morning and there was this sign in the parking lot:

LOW EMISSIONS VEHICLE PARKING ONLY

I am slightly offended.  I realize low emission vehicles are a great thing and I am all for them but I simply cannot afford one and they do not make one in a "family size".  Or at least, my family size.  I have owned my van (see previous blogs for details) for over 6 years and God and my wonderful mechanic have kept it running and on the road.  I simply cannot afford a new car right now.  Even if I did get a new one, it wouldn't be one of the new low emissions vehicles because, again, they don't come in 8 passenger.  And if, by my lack of education in the matter, they do come in 8 passenger models, I can't afford them.  So now what?  That means at the bank I have to walk 10-15 extra steps to the front door because the spots that border the building are reserved for low emissions vehicles. That is just dumb.  I'm sorry but it is.  Is that supposed to be incentive for me to get a loan from said bank to buy a vehicle so I can park 10 feet closer to your building?  Um, no.  I am not going into more debt so I can park closer to your building.  A friend of mine says they have those parking spots reserved at her local library.  Really?  Shouldn't those spots be saved for people with children so the kids don't have to run across the road in the rain?  Or for older patrons so they don't have to walk as far?  No, they are for the young wealthy people who can afford a nicer car. I am not against young and wealthy and I am not against those of you who are better with your money than I am, I just don't think you deserve or should get a better parking spot because of it.
  Another friend of mine said those signs aren't law so she doesn't have to honor them.  I did honor it but only because I knew if I backed into the spot (which I have to do since I can't really back out of parking spots well in the 15 passenger) and I hit the sign with my less than low emissions vehicle, they would probably make me buy another one.  And since gas costs a fortune these days, I really can't afford to replace the sign. 
  So what do you think? Do you think businesses can really put up a sign that reserves spots for certain kinds of cars?  What would be next?  Should we all stand outside the Wells Fargo and protest? I am all for it if it's not raining. If it is, we can just sit in my running van and wave our signs out the windows.

Time. Defined.

I use my children as points of reference to define the time things happened in my life.  I'm sure ya'll do too but I will give an example just in case you have no idea what I am talking about. Our church is having a 10 year anniversary celebration!  I was pregnant with my 5th child when we moved into that building.  Wow, no wonder I don't remember a single event, including the Christmas play I was in.  Or: I remember when we went to Cancun, we only had 3 kids then and I was pregnant!  My life, at least in the last 17 years, has been defined by which kid I was pregnant with or nursing at the time.  Since the majority of the people I hang with are in a similiar stage of life, I hadn't realized I was doing this until I started college.  This year, one of my 18 year old classmates asked me, "Why do you define time by which kid you were pregnant with?"  Her question stumped me (but only for a second).  I asked her what defining times did she have in her life.  Going from middle school to high school maybe or before or after she went to some great camp that changed her life.  Life is doled out moment to moment but we don't remember it that way.  We remember it in chunks and by the people that were important in that chunk. So, I remember Cancun and I remember I was pregnant because I couldn't imbibe in the all you can drink option that came with our plan. I remember going to MI with my friend and our combined 12 children, including my 3 month old and her 3 week old.  We will forever define that trip with those 2 babies ages.  I remember when our church opened it's doors to our brand new building 10 years ago because I was holding my only son in my arms. 
How do you define time?  Before or after your marriage? Maybe it's a significant death that is your marking.  Maybe it's when you became an empty nester or a first time parent.  Or maybe it's when you got devastating news like, "Before the cancer".  All of us define time in some way.  What's your way?  

A Random Stranger

This is a long Isabelism, figured I'd blog it.

5 of my kids and I went to Home Depot to make fancy keys for those children responsible enough to keep track of their key.  We are all surrounding the key machine and picking out fancy keys and playing with the doorknobs in the aisle, clogging up the whole area.  This young man, probably around 25 years old or so, walks by with a fabulous walking stick/cane with a snake engraved on it.  The snake is wrapped around the stick and it is all beautifully painted.  He limps slowly through my mass of younguns and Isabel yells out, "Hey! I know that story!"  The guy stops and looks at her, quizzically.  Then he stops, stoops down a little and says, "Tell me the story".  Wow.  Hold on, gotta get a tissue, I'm tearing up.  So, Isabel proceeds to tell him about the story in the Bible where the Israelites have to look upon the bronze snake on a stick or they will die.  The man knows the story and they have a small conversation about it and then he walks away.  What a moment.  My daughter, totally ignoring the fact that the guy was lame, sees a snake on a stick and thinks of the Bible.  This man, who probably has more on his mind than a kid asking him questions, stops to have a quiet conversation with my 5 year old about God.  I mean, how many young people would do that?  Would you stop and take the time to talk to a small kid in a Home Depot because they yell out a comment?  I was so impressed by that young man's character.  He certainly taught me a lesson today.