This really wasn’t what I was going to write about today….but while I was surfing the Rogers guide and came across Grease with the year (1978) beside the name, I started to think about how old (young) I was when I saw this movie. How the content was so inappropriate to a seven year old and how so many movies today are inappropriate for the kids that live in our world today.

Life was different in 1978. I remember playing on our street with the kids in the neighbourhood hide and seek. It was okay to hide behind your neighbours cars on their driveway, on their porch, etc. Would we even think about doing that today? Are you crazy?! Back on Mother’s day we were having brunch at my brother’s house and his 8 1/2 year old niece asked if they could play in the front of the house. The answer of course was no, we are all in back, so you can stay and play out here.

My cousin’s lived a few streets away from us at that time. I remember that their side door to their house was never locked. Honestly, and I know that there are other people that have said their doors were never locked as well.
It is amazing how ‘old’ the young people in my life appear. Children are exposed to so much more in today’s world then we EVER were at that the same age and stage. My nieces can navigate their way through an Ipad, Iphone, they know how to Skype, and so much more.

They live in a world where picture taking is instant gratification. “Back in the day”, we had to wait until the pictures were developed to see what our birthday party looked like. Now, my 17 month old nephew knows how to touch the iphone/ipad screen to scroll through the pictures. As soon as you take his picture he holds his hands out to hold the camera and look at himself.

Which brings me back to Grease. I heard an where John Travolta was talking about the Grease Lightning sequence. John played Kenicky on Broadway and said that the song was very sexual. If you watch the videio he takes a roll of saran wrap and moves it across his lower area. “You know there ain’t no shit, we’ll be getting lots of tit in Greased Lighting”. “I am not bragging, she’s a reall pussy wagon, Greased Lighting”

The funny thing is that this movie, even with it ‘mature content’ was tame by comparison to some of the movies kids are seeing today. I have no clue about these vampire movies, but the kids love them, as much as their moms…who were their age probably watching Grease for the first time.

Ashton and Demi, Kim and Kris, Taylor Armstrong from Real Housewives of BH…..just to name a few. These are people who live their life in the spotlight, on television, big screen magazines. People who put there life on display for others to see, and then in the face of their own troubles, want their privacy. Their good times can be shown in every medium possible, but their bad times, “please give us some privacy”.

I am not saying that they don’t deserve their privacy, let’s get that out right now. I am just saying that it is hard to define when you can leave someone alone when you make them such a part of your life, that total strangers feel like they have a right to judge or comment on your life. We, the general public, the readers of their twitter accounts, the followers on facebook, the ones who watch the entertainment shows, go to their movies and all that we do, don’t know these people. And that is what they are, people, human beings who have a life outside of the their public live and living their mistakes just like you and I.

I am sure we all know people that have had trouble in their lives. I know people who have been cheated on, people who have ended their marriages, suffered illness and loss, people with personal issues that are not in the spotlight. They don’t have ‘good press’ or ‘bad press’, they have live each day in their own spotlight.

I know that earlier this year when I was having my unknown stomach issues, that my own brother had to ask me what was going on. When I asked why, his reply was, “my friends have been reading your status updates and they have been calling me to find out what is going on with you and if you are okay”.

When you put your life out in the public, even if you are not a celebrity making $750,000 for a half hour tv show, or $20 million dollars for a movie, you open yourself up to “YOUR” public. For me, that is my 373 connections on facebook, or my followers here in this blog, or the people that follow me on twitter. This is MY celebrity. Even though I share a lot of my life in my public forums, I try to keep an open mind that you will all read with an open heart and mind.

Thank you for following me, and allowing me to share my life with you. My life the way I see it……

There was a recent episode of Parenthood where the ‘deadbeat’ dad is trying to make mends with his children. He decides the best thing to do for his family is to leave and let them get on with their lives without him. When his daughter comes home she finds two envelopes on the table, one for her and one for her brother – the note says something like “for all the ones that I missed”.

The daughter (now 19 or 20) opens up the package and in it are cards from each year of her life – You are now 1, to my beautiful 2 year old, on your sweet 16, you get the drift. In each one there is a note from her dad asking for her forgiveness for missing each year. The picture fades away while we watch her connect with a father she doesn’t really know.

We live in the electronic age now, and we can’t escape it. Electronic greeting cards have been around for a while now, and now with Facebook you are updated when your ‘friends’ have birthdays. I have had a few facebook birthdays and I can say that it really makes you feel good to see your wall fill up with good wishes for the year to come.

So….where does that leave the greeting card industry? I am not going to cry for Hallmark or Carlton cards, but I would venture to say that they have seen a shift in their profits from their greetings over recent years. Especially with the increase of discounts stores like dollarama. Sure, you will probably not find the “BEST” greeting card on the planet at dollarama, but it is $1. I bought an anniversary card for my parents in October and the card was $5.49 plus taxes. I love my parents and the card was totally appropriate for them, so I paid the price.

But where do all ‘used’ greeting cards go? I guess it depends on the person. I would think that your 1st birthday would be something your parents would want to keep. Bar Mitzvah, Sweet 16, 21, 30, Engagment? Wedding? Baby? Where does it end? It doesn’t.

I admit to having too much ‘stuff’ in my life. I do keep cards from special occasions, some thank you cards, especially the ones that have personal pictures on them, hand made cards from my nieces. I have a box of cards that were given to me on this special birthday this year. So many people made such an effort to come to my party, and pick out cards for me, that I don’t want to throw them out…..

but when do you throw them out? Which comes back to the earlier point…about electronic greetings, birthday texts, messages on facebook. We can enjoy them for the day and then move on….