Sticking to your guns

Stick to your guns! That is a lesson I have been learning the meaning of for the past two weeks. I am sure if there were ever a quiz on it … I would ace it … No doubt! I’ve never been one for confrontation, I have never gone out of my way to deliberately start something (sisters while still growing up doesn’t count) I have never been malicious or vindictive. It simply is not in my nature. I am too sensitive for that. But sometimes, there are some situations that cause someone even like me to emerge from their door mat like status and stand up. To push back the tears that threaten to pour from having to deal with a harsh situation and hold your chin up a little higher and say … NO! Or Reconsider … or whatever word fits into your own personal situation.

For the past seven years the bus has stopped at my driveway to pick up my children … I admit that I had been spoiled to that. And while it wasn’t my idea of a great change when they changed the bus stop to a few houses down the way. I understood.

However … when a school fails to contact the owner of said driveway. It poses a problem. Especially when owner of said driveway does not want strangers trespassing. They don’t feel comfortable with people in their yard with their children.              ETC. That poses a problem.

When you call the director of transportation assigned to your schools district to explain the circumstance. And they come back with “It is a state maintained road, the state owns a part of their driveway so you will stand on that.” Okay, so legally I am no longer trespassing. But what happens when the lines of the barrier between state owned and privately owned are blurred? There are no visible lines, nothing that helps shield from attacks of consistent reporting of trespassing when you can’t prove otherwise because you do not know where in fact you are overstepping boundaries.

A hassle! An easily avoidable hassle.

But when the only contact you have is that of a Mr. Griffin who has proven to be of low character. You are simply at a loss. When you complain of the situation and practically beg him to rethink, reconsider a separate place. And he simply says “I do not know you, I do not care and frankly I don’t like you, so if you hassle me about this again, I will put them all at the corner”

The corner he talks about is barely after you turn on a blind corner. His job is to map a route and keep children safe while doing so. This by far shows that he is completely failing at his job. To put a bus stop where a bus would be stopped (its back end in the middle of that turn) You not only put children on that bus in danger but the driver as well. I realize that my road says that 15 MILES PER HOUR IS THE LIMIT, but any person who knows the statistics of people who actually follow speed limits KNOWS that they don’t. A car speeding around that corner would barely have time to tap the break much less come to a full halt before crashing into the back end. When convenience takes precedence over child safety because you have a problem with a mother who expresses her concern … well then, you should be looked at further for weather or not you are able to actually do your job.

What are you supposed to do? When the only contact you have is a man who doesn’t give a care about you, or your children … he is just there to get paid. Someone who if you do anything other than let him bend over so you can pucker up deliberately says he can and will make things more difficult if you continue to confront the situation? What do you do? When there are laws that protect your freedom, and loop holes for which they have to invade it? I tell you what you do! You call someone who cares! That is one thing I learned … there are people who are sad and angry, unwilling to help, and then … there are people who care. Mr. Honeycutt proved that today. That NOT EVERYONE is only there to get paid. Some people DO in fact care.

Sticking to your guns will eventually lead you to someone who is in the proper place to help you. Not only in the proper place to help you … but willing. Someone who cares. I honestly do not think that Harnett county schools could do it without him and Mr. Frye.

Even if the situation doesn’t end up in a way you like … even if it stays exactly the same. At least you tried. At least you didn’t give up, and let people like Griffin sit back and smile and take pleasure in your pain. You gave them a little bit of hell. People like that don’t know what to do with people who stand up for themselves. They use power they have. But don’t let that stop you. Because no matter what power they have … there is always someone over them!

Hell … the president doesn’t even have all the power, and that’s the fucking president! Whatever your situation is … fight it! No one ever got what they needed sitting on the side lines and allowing people to make their decisions, their lives up for them.

 

Bottom line ... fight for what you believe in! Because no one else will!

thanks for stopping by

xxDee