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A place for everything, and everything in its place

Today Jordan went to a concert at Heinz Hall with her kindergarten class. She informed us that Miss someone or other (not one of her teachers) was wrong and there WAS a harp there. Jordan also said she saw chandeliers and that they sat in red velvet seats. (Are those new at Heinz Hall or was it that I never noticed them? And by new, I mean in the last six or seven years or however long it has been since I was there [man, this makes me miss my theatre subscription].)

I am glad Jordan was able to experience this outing, but that, unfortunately, was not the thing she focused on. No, she informed me that the mother who drove her smoked. Jordan then said that she must be a bad mommy. I told her, no, smoking does not make her a bad mommy, and I reminded her smoking is a bad habit. But then Jordan informed me that this woman threw her cigarette butt on the ground. Houston, we have a problem.

Pennsylvania has a litterbug hot-line. The number (888.548.8372) is programmed into my cell phone, and I call it whenever I see someone throwing a cigarette butt out of his/her car window. Jordan has been with me countless times when I have done this. She has also walked with me when I have picked up trash in our neighborhood. She knows littering is a big no-no. Honestly, I am shocked Jordan did not tell the mom, "My mommy will call the litterbug hot-line on you!"

I am not sure which bothers me more, that this woman smoked in front of the kids (Jordan assured me that the woman did not smoke in the car) or that she littered. Actually, I do know; it is the latter. Why is it so hard for smokers to use an ashtray? I don't mean to lump all smokers together, but I can tell you that in the warmer months when I have sat in traffic and watched people holding a cigarette, only once have I not witnessed said cigarette ending up on the highway. In fact, when I am behind a car with a smoker, I write down the license plate so I can be ready to call when the butt is tossed in the air. It pretty much always is.

I guess I can just be glad that even though I have had my share of failings as a parent, it appears I am thus far succeeding in instilling in her the evils of littering (and that smoking is something she should never do).

Don't be a litterbug, and if you are, you better not do it in front of me in traffic!
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