Facial Piercings and Four-Day School Weeks

I have two subjects this week for your reading and or listening enjoyment. Controversial both but not too bad. One is this facial piercing craze and the other is the infamous four day school week.

I’ll start right off with the facial piercing thing.

Being born in late 1942 I recall pictures in the National Geographic of African women with bare upper bodies, images that have fascinated me through my infancy, my puberty and into my adultry.

The images I’m referring to aren’t the bosoms. It was the pictures of the body and facial piercings that adorned these people. Mostly females were shown, some with rings around their necks making that appendage seem to be a foot long or better. Some had hoops in their earlobes that stretched the lobe large enough you could drive a Mack truck through. Well, OK I exaggerate a tad bit. The bone through the nose always made me a little nauseous.

Here’s the hook. I dis-enjoy going out to a fine restaurant for a steak dinner and the first thing I see is my waitress (or waiter) showing up at my table sporting a ring through her/his nose, a stud in the eyebrow, and 15 multicolored ear studs. To date I haven’t seen a woman with the stretched-out earlobes but I did see a male (I think) with lobes that could hold a Copenhagen can. Yikes!!

As for the women, old school I am, and I am also of the thought that a woman should not try to hide her natural beauty by piercing her face. When I see a drop-dead-gorgeous beauty, and there are quite a few in Glasgow, I don’t concentrate on the beautifully sculptured face, the delicate bone structure and the lack of unneeded makeup. All I see is the disfiguration of a beautiful countenance.

Pierce your bosom protuberances or your navel or your other unmentionable parts. Just leave that pretty face alone.

I know, it’s a choice, it’s your choice. However, it’s my choice to voice my opinion and to get up from my once-a-year steak dinner and walk out the door. Or to ask for a wait person who sports no visible piercings.

My other thought is this. Is education getting in the way of sports? If so, that would be tragic. I mean, like, well, you know, what would school be without sports? Boring. Whatever.

So the four-day school week was dreamed up. Those proponents cite academic reasons and those also in favor cited sports (if they were absolutely honest.) I heard it all when Saco went four day prompting Nashua and Hinsdale to follow suit. Those in favor said it would save “lots of money” on heating and electric bills and lunches not to mention gas for the school buses and wages for the drivers. In actuality it gave the teachers a much needed raise. Four days work for five days pay. “Good on ya’” to the folks who educate the young of America. It’s a noble profession and deserves better compensation.

You recall when industry went to the four-day work week and the workers rejoiced. They got the same pay for four 10 hour days. But little did they realize there was a crux of the matter. They now had an extra day to go spend money. Savings accounts became depleted and credit card debt rose alarmingly. They could no longer pay for their toys: i.e. murdercycles, jet skis, ATVs, bass boats and $1,500 hunting dogs.

But I digress.

My thought was that a four-day week would eliminate the necessity of getting out early on Friday to attend away games. But in the three weeks volleyball has been in session, the players have been given an “out early” pass on Thursday for away games on two occasions.

What’s next? Three-day-a-week school with an early out on Wednesday for sports?

As most of you know, I was an avid fan of the Hinsdale Raiders and have travel 10,000 miles per year to watch and report on their progress.

I am now a solid fan of the North Country Mavericks and Lady Mavs and plan to do the same.

That’s it for now folks. Thanks for listening.