Times Have Changed

Remember when you were little and mom and dad taught you to open the door for those coming and going? Whether it is a store or your house. Remember how you saw an elderly loading or unloading a car and mom and dad taught you it was polite and correct to offer help? Remember when those people said thank you? How about last when you tried the same? Or did you even make the effort? When you made that effort, was it welcomed with a thanks or rolled eyes and a snarl?

Kinda busts my ass that I can offer help to some one, whether they need it or not and and get a dirty look. I remember days when you respected elders and helped them, no matter what you were doing. Now days you have to hope that you do not get sprayed with and hope for the polite no thank you. I offered to help some one this morning load their groceries in their car. I walked up and said "let me get that for ya". I got a rude and impolite, "I got it. I'm not crippled." I was being me and trying to do the nice thing and there was an attempt to insult me.

I was taught better than that. For example, I had the privilege to hunt at Sonya's mom's house. I was also welcomed to stay there and have dinner and sleep there so I would not have to drive in the mornings. I offered to fix a few things around her house and helped out with what I could. I could have done more, but it is better than doing nothing.

I wonder how parents today were raised to treat others with respect and forgot to pass it on to their children. My mom would have my ass if she knew I was disrespectful to anyone. Let alone my parents. I get tired of seeing kids in the store running the family. My mom would have, and still would, bust my 30 year old ass. Right there in front of God and everyone. And trust me when I say that I teach Courtney respect. She is learning it more from me than anyone. I have to believe that because of how she used to act in front of me. She knows that I will pass on what and how my parents taught me.

Why is it so hard for a parent to discipline? It isn't hard. Who cares if some one thinks that spanking is wrong. Your parents did it and look at you. OK, not all of you. There were days that no one cared what cartoon you watch, what video game you played, how you played outside or if you got your ass busted on a regular basis. I know that technology has changed since then, but we grew up fine watching GI Joe and He-Man and all the other violent cartoons. We didn't think we could shoot thousands of real bullets and no one get hurt. We never thought that we could drop an anvil on our brother, flatten him, and try to blow him up with an air compressor. I am tired of society blaming violence and our problems on TV and video games. How about education our kids with good teachers instead of teachers giving those private sex ed lessons. How about we have parents that are active in their kids lives and actually be parents. Stop letting them hide in a room all weekend and do something they want to do as a family. That doesn't mean if they say they don't want to go, don't. That means drag their crying little, embarrassed butt along and make them have fun. My parents did it all the time, and still try too. Most of our friends think that we have cool parents cause they are always involved to this day.

I am lucky to have a family calls just to call every day when I am siting down to a hot meal that is cold when I get off the phone. I am lucky to have parents that come to visit. I am lucky to have parents that can be a pain in the rear and even annoying at times. I will never tell them they are a pain or annoying when they are, because they raised me better. OK, mom I did yell that time you were annoying us all playing in the floor with Courtney, but we couldn't take it anymore.

So, shut off the babysitter, I mean TV, and do something with your kid. Even if it is just talk. Or pick up the phone and call and annoy that kid that moved out a long time ago. I know you are call as soon as you read this mom so I won't answer. OK, I will because it is my mom.

Stop blaming others for your kid's problems. You know how your mom and dad raised you. If worked, why are you afraid to do it. Afraid what your friends will think. I do believe that if you have kids, you are out of high school by now. Who cares what they think. It is your child. Be a parent.

Wow, I went from some rude lady to raising kids. I know that I do not see my daughter enough, but when I do, I cherish every moment and I am fighting to get more time. And spending money I don't have to make sure I am with her more.

SGT John Strader