Every now and again, I like to take a trip down to Ogdensburg, NY. From there it's a very pleasant drive along the Black River Trail (Route 34) to Massena. The reason many, if not most Canadians, go to Massena, NY is of course the Mall. There is a good selection of shops and stores and the prices are very reasonable. You can get some pretty decent bargains there and you can find different stuff not normally available at home.
After having made some finds at their electronics store and the local T.J.Max, it was time to get some chow and then head back across the bridge to Cornwall, ON. My better half has a weakness for the local Ponderosa steak house, so we decided it might offer up better fare than the many fast-food outlets at the Mall. Upon entering said restaurant, my very first sight was something which brought home many of the television specials we have seen airing, that deal with obesity in North America.
There was a table immediately to our front, where sat a family of four. The father was a rather large lad himself, over six feet in height and tipping the scales at probably 250 to 300 pounds. It was his two young boys however, who really stood out. They may have been ten to eleven years old, it was hard to say really, but both of them were in the same weight class as their Dad, despite being less than half his height.
Maybe I'm being naive here, but how does a parent not notice this? I've raised children and I can tell you that I would not allow something like this to continue, once it had come to my attention. I mean, these children were so bloated, their faces actually looked Asian. You can't tell me a parent wouldn't notice that! I know a lot of people are quick to point out how cheap enormous amounts of food are, in many American restaurants. The portions are huge. To give you an idea, both of us had unlimited access to the breakfast, lunch and dessert buffet, for $20.00. Our cashier told us that for $1.00 more, they would throw in an 8-ounce steak. An 8-ounce steak for $1.00... That's just crazy!
I suppose my point is that just because the food is available, doesn't mean you have to eat until you puke or lose consciousness. Kinda like playing spot-the-practicing-alcoholic at an open bar. He or she's the one that always gets hammered. There has to be some amount of self-control exercised here and it seems kids aren't being taught this. When your children have so many skin folds they're beginning to look like Shar Peis, that's a sign that something ain't right! It is up to the parents to step up to the plate and act like goddamn parents.
After having made some finds at their electronics store and the local T.J.Max, it was time to get some chow and then head back across the bridge to Cornwall, ON. My better half has a weakness for the local Ponderosa steak house, so we decided it might offer up better fare than the many fast-food outlets at the Mall. Upon entering said restaurant, my very first sight was something which brought home many of the television specials we have seen airing, that deal with obesity in North America.
There was a table immediately to our front, where sat a family of four. The father was a rather large lad himself, over six feet in height and tipping the scales at probably 250 to 300 pounds. It was his two young boys however, who really stood out. They may have been ten to eleven years old, it was hard to say really, but both of them were in the same weight class as their Dad, despite being less than half his height.
Maybe I'm being naive here, but how does a parent not notice this? I've raised children and I can tell you that I would not allow something like this to continue, once it had come to my attention. I mean, these children were so bloated, their faces actually looked Asian. You can't tell me a parent wouldn't notice that! I know a lot of people are quick to point out how cheap enormous amounts of food are, in many American restaurants. The portions are huge. To give you an idea, both of us had unlimited access to the breakfast, lunch and dessert buffet, for $20.00. Our cashier told us that for $1.00 more, they would throw in an 8-ounce steak. An 8-ounce steak for $1.00... That's just crazy!
I suppose my point is that just because the food is available, doesn't mean you have to eat until you puke or lose consciousness. Kinda like playing spot-the-practicing-alcoholic at an open bar. He or she's the one that always gets hammered. There has to be some amount of self-control exercised here and it seems kids aren't being taught this. When your children have so many skin folds they're beginning to look like Shar Peis, that's a sign that something ain't right! It is up to the parents to step up to the plate and act like goddamn parents.
To shirk this particular responsibility is to condemn your children to a life of Hell.
I know... I know... this is just one man's opinion and no, we shouldn't try to circumvent the law of natural selection. It's just hard sometimes to curb my sense of disbelief...
No comments:
Post a Comment