Good Advice

Kids need to learn from parents. They get easily frustrated because school and life seems to be harder for them now. There are so many ways to get into trouble these days. I remember many lessons my Mom taught me, like change your underwear every day, you might be in an accident; don’t put that in your mouth; stop torturing that bug; and quit eating the clover, you’ll get worms. Dad didn’t really care. He was a boy once and he swallowed a lead airplane. He knew the complex thought process of the trial and error method boys go through growing up. Mom always worried about what other people would think of me and Dad just dreamed up things for me to do to keep me busy like digging holes behind the garage and then filling them up. I worked off a lot of energy doing that sort of stuff but it sure beat getting into trouble with my friends. Yes there were days when I would lock my sister in a suitcase and throw my brother through the dry wall in the dining room but all in all it was OK I guess. These were the conflicting philosophies of the two people in the world I loved most. One day Uncle Sam called me up for Viet Nam. Mom said, “no” and Dad said, “go - to the Navy.” But like Dick Cheney I had other priorities rather than dying so I went to community college. How they let me in I’ll never know. As a compromise I went off to college, played ball, got hurt and found myself a wife. I had to go all the way to Michigan to find one. She has been the recipient of my neurotic and confused upbringing. I like to start off the day with a very positive and uplifting ritual. I set up on the side of the bed and say, “I love you so much; you are so good looking.” She thinks I am the greatest. So far she hasn’t noticed the big mirror on my side of the bed. The best advice I can give a kid is; do what your Mom and Dad tell you and be as honest as you can about who you are. Don’t take yourself too serious and stay positive. Things will get better.