This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

There's Poop EVERYWHERE!

“There’s poop everywhere!”  

Five-year-old Adelaide scrunched up her little nose and waved her hand back and forth in front of her face.

“Gross! Don’t anybody step on it!” she warned.

Find out what's happening in Mentorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

My kids and I were at the park last week, and sure enough, a LOT of geese had been through the field before us. As we walked the pathway up the hill toward our chosen picnic spot, we had to dodge all of the foul "calling cards" that the fowl had left behind.

Once in a while, one of my kids says something that really resonates with me. Something that really hits home – something that makes me think.

Find out what's happening in Mentorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Oddly enough, this was one of those times.

While they all played on the playground, I sat on our blanket in the sun and contemplated those three little words: there’s poop everywhere.

I know, I know, this sounds really weird. But honestly, there really IS poop everywhere. Maybe not literal, actual POOP, but when you think about it, there’s garbage on TV, on the radio, in books, in magazines, all over the internet, in your emails, on billboards, in newspapers, on store signage… EVERYWHERE.  

You know what I mean, parents. I’m talking about the sex, the violence, the drugs, the objectification of women, the foul language (they’re going to have to come up with a new super bad word like the f*bomb used to be – it’s used so frequently now that it’s lost pretty much all of its shock value.) Not to mention the vulgar song lyrics (sometimes I feel like I’m being harassed by the crap they play through the speakers at the drug store) and the ridiculous kinds of ads we see everywhere we look (yes, I know “sex sells,” but what does a make-out session with a pig really have to do with helping me decide what kind of insurance to buy?)

Don’t get me wrong – I know that not everything needs to be marketed toward children. But advertisers need to realize that grown-ups don’t need to be borderline harassed or grossed out just so they can somehow get their brand onto our radar. Here’s a revolutionary thought! Maybe, just maybe, they could tell us about their product without making us feel like we need to Purell our eyes/ears/brains after coming in contact with their ads!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I forget that I need to dodge all of that stuff. I need to turn it off, fast forward it, turn the page, turn the dial, change the channel, close the browser, avert my eyes. It has no value.

I don’t need to step in it and get it stuck all over my shoes – and I really need to be careful about warning my children to go around it instead of tromping right through it, too.

Yes, I’m a mom, so I'm hyper-sensitive about such things. And yes, I’m also pretty darn opinionated.

But you kind of have to be, because – say it with me, now:

There’s poop everywhere.





We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Mentor