SHUT THE HELL UP & CONFORM ALREADY?

“Why don’t you stop that?” “Why do you say things that insult people?” “Why can’t you just keep your mouth shut?” These are questions that I've heard my entire life, & I may be starting to form clear & thoughtful answers. Some of which incite even more questions, but those are more for my benefit not my demise, like the ones quoted previously.

As a very young child, I remember seeing an adult take something off the shelf in the Piggly-Wiggly & immediately telling my mother. She went directly to the store owner & somehow, the criminal was in the back of a police car when we finished shopping. My mother was a spitfire. She never took any grief from anyone, especially men. If my mom saw something that wasn't ethical (the law didn't matter to her, but she held tight to her ethics) she wouldn't just complain about it. My mom always did something about it.

This trait has always been a curse for me as far as “fitting” in is concerned. In school, I couldn't put up with someone being accused of something that I know they didn't do (sometimes because I was the one that did it). I co-staged a sit-in when a friend of mine was accused of calling in a bomb threat (I can neither confirm nor deny my involvement in or knowledge of others’ involvement in such an activity).

I've lost people that I was close to because I can’t handle injustices, no matter how small. While living in Depew, Oklahoma as a 4 year old, I witnessed a neighbor beating his horse with a switch. I told my mother, & she high-tailed it outside after demanding that I stay inside, which I never did. I then told my stepdad’s father what was going on & he hollered for the wife to grab up his shotgun because Eileen had taken up another cause. My granddad was crippled from the waist down, so we got everything outside & ready for him before he got out there. My mom was already face to face with the boy, & the grandmom handed me a pair of binoculars. I saw my mom grab the whip & start hitting the neighbor with it. He ran off, & my mom marched back. I’m certain there was backlash, but they didn't fill me in. Like I said, my mom was a spitfire.

I can’t listen to babies cry when I can so easily fill that need, so going to any public market place is terrifying. There have been times that a parent has hit a child in front of me & I've reacted:  sometimes violently (I probably should have been arrested for it one of the times) & sometimes verbally. Generally, I march right up to the abuser & tell them that I hope that someone that is as big as a Buick does the same thing to them (the abuser). My go-to comment is, “Man, if you did that to an adult, you’d do 2 years with a mandatory 1 year of probation.” If it seems like a volatile situation (like the kid will get into more trouble), I simply call the police or my local Children’s Protective Services Office. I've been known to block these people in a parking space & wait for the police to arrive.

When I was working at the local Southwest Washington family YMCA, my ethics sensors set off alarms like you wouldn't believe. TOO MANY THINGS TO TRY TO IGNORE!!!!! It was a den of lies, deceit, manipulation, & control. Injustices & law breaking galore gave me instant sensory overload. Twice per month, on the 5^th & 15^th, I had to have my pay check readjusted because there was, more often than not, a “mistake.” I repeatedly told my direct supervisor & the CEO/President that it was nearly impossible to make mistakes every single payday! Needless to say, I was terminated on August 11, 2008 because the CEO/President wasn't following policy & tried to deny my Unemployment Claim under the guise of “employee misconduct (which was later changed by the judge representing unemployment).” The judge said that the CEO/President was the one that was exhibiting the misconduct & I was awarded my unemployment compensation. The Financial Director was fired in December 2012 for embezzling over $180, 000, according to an article on The Daily News’ website, dated February 27, 2013.

When I was asked by two investigators if I thought the CEO/President was involved my answer was very honest. After a few moments of careful thought on my part & an awkward silence from the investigators, I told them that “I don’t think he was smart enough to have pulled it off, but he did do things that were questionable.” For example, during my orientation workshop all he did was talk about how he & his wife had three little girls & he still wanted a boy. Apparently, she begrudged him having a boy, according to the orientation presentation. I thought this was inappropriate at work. Also, during my employ, the CEO/President had told me that he only hired people from his alma mater, Washington State University. This was, in fact, the case. The only people that he personally hired, without the aid of his subordinate supervisors, were in fact former Cougar students. It was very apparent when he hired his Administrative Assistant. She would post signs & send out letters that were misspelled, full of typos, & misinformation. There were many complaints from the members that the signs looked like a child a made them. I was the only one that spoke against him, so I was terminated. It might not have made me so determined if the behavior wasn't blanketed with Christianity. . .  but, I’ve gotten my dander up with folks that claim no religion, too.

Again, why don’t I stop my disruptive behavior? That’s simple. To stand idly by would cause me physical illness, & I seem to remember an ambassador for peace by the name of Jesus Christ getting righteously angry when folks were using his Father’s place of worship for ill-gotten gains. Mostly, however, it’s because I am Moitle, & I speak for those without a voice & uncover darkness that tries to hide in my light.