What's it all about?

Fast approaching 30 I've fallen in to teaching, a career though championed by many amongst my friends and family, I've tried desperately to avoid. Worse still I appear to have missed the heyday when students were keen and wages were plenty. Having left city-life behind to support my partner through a prolonged recovery from cancer, it's clear I've become isolated, not only from my old life, but from the future I hoped it would lead to...

There must be more to life than this..?


Thursday, February 10, 2011

Non-Moan no.1 (Week 6)

Parking your prejudice.
I don’t have children. I don’t want children. I don’t even really like children. They’re messy, noisy and frankly at times quite irritating. I send apologies to all you parents out there, though I wonder if you feel the same about other people’s kids?
I’m not disabled, unless you count my mouth which sometimes speaks when it shouldn’t. I am physically very able.
Yet I’ve noticed more and more at my local supermarkets that there are fewer and fewer parking spaces for those of us who are in childless families, or not disabled. It seems there are spaces for people who are disabled, people with large children, people with small children, people with short children, people with tall children.

Okay. I’m exaggerating now. And I should point out that I do understand it must be difficult to go shopping with kids, not to mention worrying as they cross roads and car parks.
Now obviously being disabled is not a choice and if it were I doubt anyone would choose to be. But having children is a choice. Of course if people didn’t, I’d be out of a job, so I do appreciate the irony of what I’m about to say.
Should having children give you the right to park closer to the store? Should it provide you with a wider, easier to use, easier to slide a trolley between and unpack your shopping, space?
I don’t think it should.  Where are the spaces for the young professionals who are in a hurry after a hard day’s work? Where are the short stay spaces that allow me to pop in to a shop and quickly grab a pint of milk? Where are the spaces that cater for me and my needs?
I’ll tell you where they are. About a frickin’ mile and a half away from the store’s entrance, that’s where! I am in fact being discriminated against because I’ve chosen not to have kids.  So in order to remedy this, and much to the disgust of many passing vehicles, loaded with children bouncing off the windows from sugar induced highs, I’ve started using the family spaces near the entrance.
I have a family. I am part of a family. I just don’t have children. I have a partner. I have two cats. That to me constitutes a family. I have parents, brothers and a sister. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins etc.
So I say to all those who believe it is their given right and those who design car parks in such a way, Down with Discrimination! And until the day this prejudice is toppled I will continue to park in the wider, family spaces, closer to the store entrance!

4 comments:

The Frisky Virgin said...

You know, I don't think I've ever seen parking spaces reserved for people with children! Honestly, and I don't have any children either, I think it would bug the heck out of me if I saw a sign like that. I mean, what if I don't feel well--what if I'm going to the store to pick up some medication--what if I injured my leg and it hurts to walk a mile to the store? Is it fair that some bouncy children (who, by the way, are always full on energy)only have to skip two seconds to the storefront?

Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind on this when/if I have children one day. Until then...not cool.

Belle said...

Drew- I'm sorry I missed reading your comment on my blog today. I just noticed it now. I think you could be right about the movie, The Black Swan, but I think it should have been rated restricted in Canada. Faith made me laugh so much when she told me about it that I thought she could blog her review. The movie did upset her quite a bit.

I would like to understand the reason for this character's breakdown, but I don't want to see all the things Faith saw. Actually, I can't watch any movie that would make me cry. I figure I have enough to cry about in real life.

As for the parking spaces, I agree with you. I took my kids and grandkids shopping for many years. It would have been nice to park near the door, but we didn't really need to.

Drew Benn said...

Hi Belle - Please don't ever apologise or worry about missing my comments. I'm just thrilled to have gotten on top of work and to finally have some time to actually Blog! I missed it last week :(

I hope you didn't think my comments were derogatory to your own post, I very much enjoyed reading it :) Was a great insight to the teenage mind! reminded me of me and I love that she had her own opinions, that's a brilliant sign I think!

I know exactly what you mean about the film. I do think it should have been given a higher certificate, some parts are very explicit and others are quite frightening in a psychological way. It probably needs to come with a warning at the VERY least.

I actually loved the film but i did leave me with quite an unsettled feeling upon ending, somewhat unnerved me.

I think because I worked in Film for some time and I also teach it I see this as being a sign of a good film as it provoked such emotion and reaction, but I definitely understand why it might not and should not appeal to a younger audience.

Drew x

Anonymous said...

hahaha. I have seen the spaces reserved for expecting mothers (and understand that) but not small kids. I have no kids...and if God loves me at all I never will...but I do nanny for 4 kids. Getting them in and out of stores/karate/hockey/wherever is not easy but it's doable! They are 3, 6, 8, and 10 but I started when they were 3 months, 3, 5, and 7...and I could do it them too.

I'm sure that more families frequent those stores because of those parking spots. I'd probably use them over one who didn't...but that being said they are necessary!

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