There are a lot of spooky places in Paris. I took Gracie to
the catacombs of Paris when she was little. The Catacombs are deep underground
the streets of Paris and house the remains of 6 million people. The bones are
all artistically arranged, of course. I continued my reign of terror with
Gracie as I also took her to the Conciergerie in Paris which is a former prison
where Marie Antoinette awaited the guillotine. Gracie was so terrified that she
could hardly look into Marie Antoinette’s cell. Gracie decided the best thing
to do was to just stand still and close her eyes. She was even too scared to
run. I had to carry her out. It was hysterical… I should have my parenting
license revoked or at least suspended.
The most scared I have ever been in my entire life is at my
grandmother’s house. She had a big old stone house and everything was beautiful
and warm and cozy… Except the basement and the attic. It was like a house of
horrors up in the attic and down in the basement. I was always convinced that
I saw blood on the walls. I wouldn’t even go there as an adult if you paid me.
There is nothing spookier than a haunted house
but there is also nothing chicer than a haunted château, non? Take a look at
these photos of abandoned châteaux in France. By the way, in my mind, abandoned
means haunted.…
A toute!
*Okay, I’m here today to ruin our happy-go-lucky Happy
Halloween series. I have a feeling this blog could go two ways… You might hate
me or you might agree with me. Regardless, I will still like all of you… Maybe.
Here’s the scoop.… I received a “comment” on my blog yesterday that stirred up
some emotions. A woman who identified herself by first and last name and was
aware that her comment was public, wrote that we all have our burdens to bear…
She said my burden was ALS and her burden was an abusive husband.
Now, being me, I could not just let this comment slip. Now,
also being me, I wasn’t very empathetic. My response to her was that yes, I do
have ALS but I cannot run away from it. She, having an abusive husband, can run
away. The two are not similar. I told her that if she was smart enough to get
on a computer and write a comment on a blog, then she was smart enough to stand
up and walk away. The only way she wouldn’t be able to walk away was if she was
hostage and I doubt that is the case if she’s reading my stupid blog. In this
day and age, in my opinion, there are no excuses to stay in an abusive
relationship unless you want to. There are shelters, there are hotlines, there
are charities and there is the police. I am fully aware that this is not an
easy out. I realize that even if you get a restraining order against your
douche bag husband that he could violate the restraining order and still hurt
you, and maybe even kill you. But guess what? He would do it anyway so you
might as well try to leave. I don’t fancy the notion that you should stay in an
abusive relationship for the children. That means you’re a shitty mother. Your
job as a mother is to protect the children, so grab the rugrats and leave. I
also don’t fancy the notion that you should stay in an abusive relationship
because your douche bag husband is the sole financial provider. Walk away, get
a job and support yourself. Like I said, there are plenty of charities that
will help you get on your feet. Hell, I’ll help you get back on your feet. I
also don’t fancy the notion that if you were raised in an abusive family then
this is just the circle of life. No, it’s not. It is up to you to break the
abusive chain. No matter what excuse you give me for staying in an abusive
relationship, you are wrong.
You are not brave enough, you think, to walk away? Yes you
are. Women are stronger than men. Do you think a man could ever have a baby?
No, that’s why women were chosen to have the babies because we can handle it.
Gather your courage and walk away
No matter how scary it may seem to walk away and start life
on your own it’s better than being abused by your douche bag husband. You don’t
agree with me? Well then, stay in that relationship and see how that works out
for you, idiot.
Remember what Maya
Angelo says, “When you know better, you do better.” I know that this woman
knows better.
Do you think your husband will change? Nope, he won’t. Remember
also what Maya Angelo says, “When people show you who they are, believe them
the first time.”
Maybe this woman was reaching out to me and
telling me that she has an abusive husband as a way of asking for help. Good
for her, if that’s the case because she came to the right girl. I will be her
superhero, I will be her wonder woman and I will guide her out of this rabbit
hole that she has gotten herself into. Maybe all of you can help as well. If I
can help her while I have ALS, you all can help as well. Even if you have
cancer, you can do it between your chemotherapy. The only way I’m going to let
any of you off the hook for not helping this woman is the following… If you are
in Africa, working with Doctors without Borders at an Ebola clinic…you are off
the hook. If you are caring for any sick child, a child in need or a child in
danger…you are off the hook. If you are working in any capacity to get the African
schoolgirls back who were kidnapped by Boko Haram…you are off the hook. If you
are at Oscar de la Renta’s funeral…you are off the hook, obviously. But, other
than that, no one is too busy to help this woman. Leave your advice for her in
the comment section and maybe, just maybe, something one of us says to her will
flip the light switch back on and she will see clearly.
