February 21, 2013
The
local
Despite the complete dearth of things to do in Cedar Rapids, it’s a pretty okay town. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a few bones to pick with it! Here I was, thinking that life was great, when I had an unjust encounter with the lovely parking department of Cedar Rapids. I’ve been thinking about my other brushes with local injustice ever since, and what can be done to prevent these outrageous occurrences. First, here’s the story that sparked this whole reflection. A couple of weeks ago I arrived back at my car after an exhausting two hours of work to find a parking ticket tucked under my windshield wiper. I was absolutely floored! Don’t get me wrong- this isn’t my first run-in with the meter maids. On occasion I’ve worked a few minutes late, making myself three measly minutes over the time I paid for. This time, however, I’d paid my $1.50 for two hours at the little parking robot, and with my credit card! I most certainly was not going to pay a $7 ticket when I’d already paid parking, and especially when I only make a whopping $16 a day. So I marched over to my
Opinion
injustices credit union, requested my bank records, slapped them on the desk of the parking office, and after talking it through with the baffled receptionists, I got my parking ticket voided! Get this- the parking office lady tried to convince me I entered the wrong number. She said, “if you enter the wrong number you could be paying for something in Europe or Asia for all I know!” Yeah, me entering the wrong THREE DIGIT NUMBER buys me parking time in Asia. And the lady next to me in line totally bought it! People these days. I worry about them. I suggest we go back to the old school parking meters so I can resume scanning the parking garage for meters with time still on them. No one over 40 can figure out the new meters, anyway. My next beef is with one of my favorite hangouts, the public library. Occasionally I’ve wanted to go to the library when I haven’t had my wallet on me, and therefore didn’t have my card. So I thought, “hey, how about I just get one of the keychain ones to put on my keys!” I told the lady working just that, and she said “that’ll cost you a dollar AND you have to turn in your library card.” Uhm, as in my precious library card that I have had since I was five? My signature on that was ADORABLE.
of
Cedar
I didn’t even sign my last namebecause guess what? I probably didn’t know what it was yet. I’m also pretty sure my “y” was backwards. I mean seriously, what bad thing was I going to do with a library card and a keychain? Sell the card on Craigslist to some book thief? Just write “VOID” on my card and call it a day. If Marion thought it was safe from my shocking exposé, then it was sorely mistaken. My house was built a little over a year ago, and apparently because of that, I don’t get the luxury of a MAILBOX. Instead, there’s this mail unit at the very end of my street that I can only access with a key. What do they expect me to do, WALK to it? How about you just take away Hiawatha’s mailboxes and only deliver mail on Tuesdays, instead. My final and biggest beef is with all drivers. My job requires frequent walks to the courthouse and Copy Shop, and it seems like every time I nearly get run over. One day I was walking down the street and this SUV pulls into reverse and comes racing at me like a freakin’ maniac! He’s lucky I didn’t have practical shoes on or I would’ve chased after him and made a citizen’s arrest. You have no idea how many times I’ve had to full body roll out of the way of vehicles revving toward me. How about we
Flowers grow from the inside All of us resemble flowers. From the time it is a tiny seed, a flower’s main purpose and goal is to grow, first breaking out of its safe armored shell, then putting down roots and fighting its way to the light. The flower never seems to rest, because it is always stretching, getting taller, and reaching for more sunlight, grasping for the nutrients it needs, and growing bigger and more beautiful. In comparing kids to flowers, I mean we are all intently focused on growing up. People tell us to slow down and enjoy it, but they forget how much work it takes to be a flower, constantly fighting to go from naïve and delicate to strong and beautiful and relatively selfsustaining. We battle our wills, the pressure of gravity, competition with other flowers, and there is always one more challenge to surmount. However, we also have a tendency to get ahead of ourselves. We see it most noticeably among our middle school counterparts. They try to dress, talk, and act how they think we do, and we laugh or get annoyed. We all see it:
5
Rapids
put the meter maids to good use and have them escort me across the street and on errands to ensure my safety? All in all, I just want the city of Cedar Rapids to step it up a notch. As a citizen, I feel I am not adequately being looked after. I’ve just laid out several instances of child endangerment, and that is simply unacceptable! Props to CR for having free entry at the art museum on Thursdays, I greatly appreciate that. And to all of the meter maids: nice try, but I will NEVER EVER EVER stop glaring at you every time I pass one of you.
Peyton Rosencrants Assistant Opinion Editor
Meatless Meals 1. Pasta with Marinara 2. Cheese Pizza 3. Salmon 4. Cheese Quesadillas
Just like flowers, people grow up quickly. Cassie Busch Photo. they’re trying to grow up too fast. Look at us, though. Temptation to drink, desire to be in serious relationships, and rebellious outfits point to the truth: we’re still doing it! We want to be adults, free to do as we please. But while we’re focusing on appearing older than we are, we never look at what it really takes to be an adult. What is the real difference between you and your adult role model, not the movie star with fame and fortune, but that person whose life is beautiful and admirable? These people make it clear that partying and acting uncommitted and free is not what makes an adult. They exhibit maturity and wisdom
that astound us, and that’s what truly makes one ready for the world. We’re not ready to pay our own bills or go home without an adult to cry to when we had an awful day. We keep trying to outwardly look and act like adults but without growth in the heart or the head, we’re going to be in some sad shape. It happens, which is unfortunate, but I encourage all of us to try to grow up in what counts: intelligence, wisdom, grace, maturity, and most importantly, the capacity to love. Let’s grow up, Xavier…but not too fast.
Gina Reiman Opinion Writer
5. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup 6. Veggie Burger 7. Caesar Salad 8. Tuna Salad Sandwiches 9. Fish Sticks 10. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches