People Love Their Homecoming Mums in Texas
I think this is really just a Texas sorta thing, so if you aren’t a local reader, just know during homecoming football games boyfriends or parents buy their girls a mum to wear. The mums aren’t made out of flowers, but usually a bunch of ribbons and glitter and stuff. In my hometown small cowbells were actually attached which made the hallways between classes sound like a cattle calls.
They look something like this:
What’s crazy is that they get even bigger and more elaborate.
Anywho, on to the story . . .
The Southlake Journal may not be a big newspaper, but a recent article has caused some Texas-sized controversy.
It started with a Nov. 4 column from Dr. Cindy Ryan, a pastor and writer, who tackled the issue of oversized mums and the exorbitant amount of money people are paying for them.
Ryan suggested instead of paying massive sums for those massive mums, the school kids and their parents put the money toward programs that feed the hungry.
Ryan went on to point out, ”Each outrageous mum represented to me 33 hungry children who could be fed for a month.”
And as if she knew what was coming, Ryan tried to head off those florists and mum business owners by suggesting instead of sending an angry letter or e-mail they “get busy designing the cool ribbon or button everyone could wear instead which says, ‘I banned a mum and fed 33 children.’”
Well that very Christian idea lead to some not very Christian responses from readers printed in a Nov. 18 column.
I remember being so proud of my daughter when she was in junior high telling her little junior high boyfriend to not buy her a mum…..it was a total waste of money!…she never worn one from junior high to high school!
Probably cause your daughter is a troll, and no one bought her one to wear after that
Some High School kids did this exact thing at Irving Bible Church. They made buttons that said, "I sent my mum to Africa" and sold them as a fund raiser for Water Is Basic (http://www.waterisbasic.org/). It was apparently pretty successful.
I am a florist. I truly hope that whatever industry you as a poster are in.. that someone does not decide to "ban" it – You can "ban" away everything and then
more and more American children would be on that list of hungry children.
Do people think that florists work for fun? We work to put food on our tables, pay our mortgages, give our chilren better lives and to give to others when neccessary.
Homecoming mums are not the reason why children are hungry. Plain and simple!
Our economy and capitalism depends upon "spending" – Keeping small business America up and running.
It is no longer a debate only about Homecoming Mums, but about every luxury that we have.
.
Starbucks frappuccino is the perfect example. I buy them… should I? Should I save that money for hungry children? I don't know the answers – or where to draw the line.
In my own family we do not drive new cars or have cable TV. We do give reqularly to many worth charities. We all make choices.
The list of luxury or "unneccessary" items is very, very long – So I am not sure why Dr. Ryan chose florists and other homecoming retailers to attack.
I can assure you that most florists are very caring, giving people.
Perhaps if Dr. Ryan had worked with florists and challenged us as an industry to help her get the word out about hungry children, we could have helped her with her mission. Instead of building a bridge – she created a gap – as now we stand in defense of an industry that we hold dear to our hearts.
Wow…. One more reason to be thankful that I live in the Enlightened North!
(Kidding. Sorta).
Perhaps, Tammie, you could be one of the first, and encourage other florists, too, to reach out to Dr. Ryan and try to span that gap, and offer such a mutually beneficial solution to the industry? Sometimes change is more effective when it comes from within…
Ceasar – I have emailed Dr. Ryan four times, and two senior pastors at the First United Methodisty Church of Grapevine. Not one of them has taken me up on my offer to meet face to face and resolve.
By they way – i would like to point out that Dr. Ryan is the pastor here.. Not me. Methodists misson statement is to "open doors, open minds.. open hearts"
Many ways should could have gotten florists on her side. By "banning" part of our income is detrimental to our families and our businesses.
Change in what? Americans spending habits?
Whoa, whoa, whoa! I may be misunderstanding the article, but I don't see a call to ban florists or the floral industry. She's calling attention to the outrageous excess that has overtaken this once endearing tradition (and, as I read it, asking to ban only the ridiculously expensive homecoming mums). I simply don't see where the author is claiming that florists and their ilk are to blame; especially not attacking them as anything other than "caring, giving people." If anything, I would guess the main thrust of her criticism is the culture that these parents have created for their children that you have to go bigger and better than everyone else.
I think Tammie is correct that it is not really a debate about homecoming mums, but about every example of excess. No need to feel defensive about that! Again, I'm guessing that the author's intent was to begin a meaningful discussion on the issue – judging from some of the responses posted to the original article, I'm afraid that the "discussion" generated has been far from meaningful.
Which by the way.. the grower is a freind of mine… And… he did not need to be told that fake flowers were on mums.. as he already new..
Which he informed Dr. Ryan of this in his email to her.
I am seriously going through charity fatigue. All of the charities I contribute to invariably send me a follow-up thank you note, which always includes a request to immediately contribute even more because the need is so great. I have the misfortune of having earned degrees from three different universities and all three call me continuously asking for contributions. The minimum requested is never less than $200. I contribute to public radio and television; to all sorts of food pantries; I contribute SPCA and volunteer my time to Meals on Wheels and Adopt-A-Highway. I give to Disabled Vets and to the parish and its building fund.
If Dr. Ryan gets her wish on Homecoming, next year she will suggest we all unite to do away with Valentine’s Day in favor of contributions to a charity and the year after she will humbly suggest Halloween and tick-or-treating be sacrificed in favor of simply writing a check to the needy. The fact is there is no amount of giving that will ever be sufficient.
Enough already. Take a deep breath and let the kids have some fun for one evening without having to feel guilty.
Brent I appreciate your insight – What you must understand is that her comments to the public have been VERY much different than to us.. the florists and the growers..
She stated in her article that she did not have the heart to tell the grower that real flowers were not used on the mums… She did in fact tell him that. Very clearly in an email.
So the fact that Dr Ryan is not being totally up and up with the public is a lot of my problem..
@Dan I agree with every word you wrote.