Tuesday, April 03, 2007

two for Tuesdays


I have a conflict.
Griffin is performing at his school this evening. They announced it a couple of weeks ago. The problem is that a couple of months ago I committed to speaking at this deal tonight.

So clearly I'd go to Griffin's deal if I had a choice...the problem is having someone fill in for me tonight doesn't look likely. It's different when you need someone to fill in for you when you're running a meeting, or picking someone else up at the airport.

People like to actually think about and plan a talk.

So I'll miss Griffin on stage tonight. I blame the school for throwing the date at us so late in the game. I'm running into the same deal with sports. I'm the head coach of Griff's t-ball team and our practices start Thursday. I don't even know when the games start, where they'll be, or how long the season lasts.

I keep asking and they keep telling me they'll know in a couple of days. They thought they'd have the schedule by the time our last meeting came together (two weeks ago) - but still - nothing.

So now I have this fear of planning to be at any meeting, any time. I'm guessing this'll get that much tighter once Coop and Parker start playing sports....

Maybe I should have been a mailman.

45 comments:

  1. Oh Murph, you know you have nothing to worry about regarding the t-ball thing. All you have to do is show up. I mean, since everyone wins, why bother with practice, start and finish times, team rules, informational meetings, and the like. Since those would damage the child's psyche, you need only worry about being there to have pizza and a trip to the dairy bar at the end of the night.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Seriously, you're putting too much thought into this.

    ReplyDelete
  3. if i were there, i would speak for you.

    not that you should do this...but...

    who would you rather disappoint? your boy?
    the people looking to hear from you?

    just sayin'

    ReplyDelete
  4. although, disappointment is a part of life and can be a teaching moment. it would be one thing if you were an absent father (which is obviously not true), but the fact that you have a previous appointment and that you are having to do something you would rather not do, but because you have given your word you are going to keep your commitment. it seems that this could be a small teaching moment. just my 2 cents (i don't have kids though so it all may change at that point but i don't think so).

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous3:46 PM

    and the child of conservative parents loses once again. poor griffin.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would have stepped in for you (if I was allowed to - I'm assuming it was Alpha). You should have pulled some strings and given me a call.

    Either way, Griff will never remember. My mom and dad both missed a game here and there - but I remember 18 years of great parenting; not a missed game every once in a while.

    That anonymous comment was just silly and WAY below the belt. Anonymous, is this really who you want to be? Is this how you want to spend your time?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Make that 30 years of great parenting - you get the point.

    ReplyDelete
  8. just for the record...
    sean and annie might be the greatest parents i know. so, eat it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You are absolutely right Anonymous. Your child does lose.

    He or she loses everytime he or she doesn't learn how to deal with disappointment in positive, healthy ways.

    My parents had to miss wrestling matches. They didn't make it to every all-day tournament. My mom didn't go camping with me when I was in the Boy Scouts. And my dad had to miss a few due to work obligations. But here's what I remember about those things. My parents worked hard to avoid missing stuff, but I remember them working hard so I could do that stuff.

    But back to your little brain-vomit in the comment section. I remember a story from the mid nineties. See, there was a guy who kind of went crazy and decided that he would bring a fully automatic rifle into his workplace and destroy those he worked with for years. Why did he do this? I seem to remember it was because he lost his job. And because he didn't know how to deal with that, he lost his life in a gunfight after destroying dozens of families.

    So I think that being conservative (which I'm pretty sure that the Murphy's are) is fine. Being ignorant however is completely different. So maybe your self-appointed label should be changed...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous, WT...?
    I just don't get it, that is just so mean.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous11:08 PM

    So, um, Bragg, if I try to show my kids how important they are to me by cancelling other plans to Be There for them, they'll end up shooting people because I haven't shown them enough disappointment? Label for Bragg, anyone?

    ReplyDelete
  12. I don't know. It seemed like since you like to hit below the belt and place unwarranted stereotypes on individuals, I'd go ahead and participate. How's it feel?

    See what I did there?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous6:24 AM

    Yes. You ignored my question and redirected attention onto me. Pretty common for this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  14. See, the last time we had this little diatribe, I specifically asked you to stop name calling and actually present an argument. But you don't like that and instead, rely solely on tearing others down instead of having meaningful discussion.

    So, before you go flying into another frenzy about how we all are a bunch of hypocrites, I'll answer your question by saying that I used the extreme end of the spectrum for my example.

    Will your kid go on a shooting rampage? Can't say. But I have a feeling that today's struggling education system, the litigious trends of society, and even this comment thread are operating out of the fact that dealing with disappointment has sorely been lacking in parenting skills.

    See, while using a weapon is the rare, extreme end of the spectrum, we use lawsuits to deal with the biggest side of disappointment. You burn yourself on coffee, and what's the first thing you do? Blame the restaurant that sold it to you. Not yourself for drinking and driving. Another extreme example? Maybe. But think about all the frivilous lawsuits we joke about now. Maybe they aren't jokes to you because you would be the one, based upon a previous comment thread, to show up at the school's office and threaten action for not cancelling school due to temperatures below 45 degrees (read that as sarcasm).

    See, the real irony is that you've done a great job of labeling yourself through your comments. And I think you know that.

    Now, would you like to present an actual example and explain your beliefs or will you, a. stop commenting as you usually do at this point, or b. call me another name and not actually contribute to the discussion?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, and it's not about showing them disappointment. It's about showing them how to deal with disappointment. So, who's really reading and who's looking to name call?

    (Sorry, I went back to make sure I answered your question completely. I see that I kind of missed the mark, so here's the rest of the story.)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous8:34 AM

    I've never been in a diatribe with you. I've never called anyone any names. I never fly into "frenzies" and I'm really not sure what you're referring to.

    I don't even drink coffee. I haven't ever had to complain to my child's school. I haven't been in any kind of a lawsuit.

    My point is that sacrifice shows kids you love them. I don't see how that is too hard of a position to grasp.

    You are the one who is attacking me so, yes, by definition, that would make you, alone, a hypocrite.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ok I am chiming in against my better judgement.

    Every time in the past when I have been hurt/offended/really frustrated/really annoyed in a post or bunch of comments, I have gone to that person face to face and talked about it. This has several times with both Steve Bragg and Steve Fuller yet I still would call them friends of mine and my family. They have come to my house, sat over dinner I made and didn't poison and we talked and talked and talked until we all felt comfortable not talking anymore. We were able to explain further what we MEANT by our words with tone, passion and real relationship.

    The problem I have with you anonymous, is that we can't do that. This conversation doesn't go further than this computer screen, it can't because you won't let it by hiding behind the anonymous title. And you say incredibly hurtful things.

    I guess those are my thoughts and until I can go unaffected by other people I will put on my rain-x and pretend words will never hurt me.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm just glad that Murph cared enough to be concerned about haveing to miss ONE, that's right one, of his kids events. The issue here is that a parent wants to be at his kids stuff. At the same time, this same parent has to make a living so that his same kid can go to his event, and come home to a house, with food on table, when he's done.

    Anonamous, you may have a point if the case was everytime Griff has something his dad never shows up, and promises to be there next time, and again fails to follow thru. How many times have we heard that story? That's not an evil conservative, or liberal, it's just a parent with a bad sense of priorities. And the one who suffers is the kid. That is not the situation here.

    Just wondering Anonamous, do you have kids now? If so, have you never missed one thing that they are doing? If you are able to be at every practice, every game, every play, every conference, every doctors appointment, etc... you are a better man than I'll ever be. And honestly I rarely miss something that my kids are doing, but it does happen from time to time. By the way, having kids under 3 doesn't count, they are not doing a whole lot of extra stuff yet!


    Sean, keep working hard at being a great husband, a great father, and a good employee.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love you all, but why spend so much time responding to someone who chooses to remain anonymous? It's like banging your head against a brick wall, only without the cool scar as a payoff. My vote is to simply ignore anything and everything he/she says. The responses just fuel the fire. Everyone who knows the Murphy family knows anonymous is way off base, so why spend so much emotional energy on him/her?

    Just a thought.

    ReplyDelete
  20. i'm going to go with fuller's theory on another comment thread. i think anonymous is sean's alter (self-hating) ego. he is his bizzaro if you will. sean might have no idea he is doing it. we should all pray for him.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous3:16 PM

    You guys are right. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk.

    I'll shut up, now.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous3:16 PM

    You guys are right. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk.

    I'll shut up, now.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous3:47 PM

    I appreciate you guys defending me since I can't stick up for myself.

    ReplyDelete
  24. here's an attack.

    you are a coward. you cannot string together two words to make a point without negatively criticizing someone else's view. you are more shortsighted and egocentric than you want others to believe, and so you spin everything around and blame the other person for their point of view. you refuse to take responsibility for your comments. you refuse to take responsibility for your actions. you refuse to accept truth. you refuse to see beyond the pages of whichever feel-good child psychologist's chapter falls in line with what you want to believe about adolescent development. your mom wears army boots. you fail to find value in experiencing loss or failure. you pick and choose which rules you want to follow so that you don't have to experience loss or failure. you fail to find value in teaching life scenarios. your kid(s) definitely lose because the shelter you have placed around them is so much more constricting to understanding life than what damage you believe we cause by forcing them to go to school on a cold day or operate within the rules of the game.

    now that's the start of a great attack! booyah

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous3:52 PM

    It sounds like I hit a nerve, Bragg. I think you're more upset about your parents missing your wrestling matches than you thought.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous3:53 PM

    Woe is me, for I am ruined.

    You are correct in everything that you just said.

    ReplyDelete
  27. so much for the contrition

    ReplyDelete
  28. again, that's all you got? you respond without providing your point of view? yeah, i think we're done here.

    so uh, deal with that.

    ReplyDelete
  29. good lord, this is just to the point where this is funny now.

    ReplyDelete
  30. stop stalking me.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous4:05 PM

    I would think it was funny, too, if I wasn't so overcome with grief about my own arrogance and hypocrisy.

    I'm repenting in sackcloth and ashes as we speak.

    ReplyDelete
  32. oh come on. now that's funny.

    ReplyDelete
  33. so anonymous, you seem kind of hot and bothered at the moment. you wanna go expend that energy in a useful way? and by expend that energy, i mean make out. complete with heavy petting. good god i am so turned on right now.

    ReplyDelete
  34. no seriously, my email address is braggsr@gmail.com

    send a picture. you've got mine in the avatar. and yes, i still have that sexy beard.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous4:23 PM

    I went to you blog and looked at your picture.

    Um, no thanks...

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous4:30 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous4:30 PM

    for the record, all the anonymous comments about apologizing and repenting and whatnot were from me. (3:16, 3:53, and 4:05)

    I was just trying to stir things up a bit. It seemed that a good laugh was in order.

    Everyone needs to calm down some. The Murphy kids are going to be just fine, the world isn't coming to an end, and I'm not going to be rubbed raw by wearing sackcloth. Everything is going to be okay.

    ReplyDelete
  38. good gravy that is hot. i want you all the more badly now. it's a thirst that won't be quenched until i can be with you. i love the park, i love the beach, i love the forest, i love the car. and if it makes it any easier, i'll let you turn the light out.

    ReplyDelete
  39. dammit brown. i was having fun. but now that you're out of the way, i am serious about the real anonymous. i need you....

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous4:35 PM

    I've missed you, Bragg.

    I'd love to have you mix it up some over at siemprebueno. I'm sure I've said some racist stuff recently that you could call me out on.

    ReplyDelete
  41. you bastard. you racist bastard. you poor hating, racist bastard. i know you. i'm on to you. just wait. yours is coming. he's a cookin' a somethin' up.

    ReplyDelete
  42. does blogger have a comment maximum?

    i guess i will find out today...

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous9:51 PM

    "You guys are right. I'm sorry I've been such a jerk."

    pretty quotable!

    (thanks mike for lightening things up)

    ReplyDelete
  44. no offence murph but i think i like the comments almost more than the actual blog.

    ReplyDelete