Consequences

Consequences. You know it’s kind of like that law of physics. For every action there is a reaction. Do something and something else happens. Do something good...good consequences. Do something bad...bad consequences. Now let me ask you this. What are the consequences of...not teaching our children about consequences? What happens when instead of showing a child certain behavior is unacceptable and will be punished...we give them a “Time Out” in their room with the TV and Play Station? And instead of showing a child that disrespect for anyone will not be tolerated...we just remove them from the situation so it won’t happen again? And when we do tell a child no...and the hissy fit begins... instead of disciplining bad behavior right then and there...we distract them to get them to stop? A child who grows up without consequences becomes an adult living without consequences. Every action and non action has consequences. Do something and something else will happen. I guess we have to decide what we’d like those consequences to be.

What???

Ok...I’m really in a pickle about this. Whatever happened to all those wonderful old sayings that used to pepper our conversations. Some of them were funnier than a barrel of monkeys. And I’m not just whistling dixie here. Just between you, me and the fencepost, I think a lot of us would be just tickled pink if they made a comeback. And I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if I don’t think our kids are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to colorful (in the good way) conversation. But maybe I’d better just mind my own beeswax and leave the art of colorful wordage up the creek without a paddle. After all, as a writer, I don’t want to cut off my nose to spite my face. In today’s world I guess you have to use todays words. So, I’ll just mind my Ps and Qs and write right...so no one ends up giving me the cold shoulder. God willing and the creek don’t rise though, I just might try to sneak one of those golden oldies in every once in a blue moon.

The Hard One

A couple of years ago, I learned a pretty valuable lesson from a 5 year old. My nephew Nick. Now, Nicky has always had some very interesting observations and comments on this life we live. When you flipped a coin with Nick it was heads or buildings. Take a look at a penny some time. One Sunday, a visiting priest from South Africa gave the sermon. Nick sat on the kneeler as he always does...drawing his pictures. At the end of the sermon the regular priest started making the announcements. As he started to speak, Nick jumped up...and stated rather loudly...”Finally there’s some Michigan. I didn’t know what the heck that other guy was talking about.” But the lesson I learned came from when Nick was learning how to write his name. First he told me...Up down up...line with a dot...half a circle and the hard one. N i c k. Then he showed me. I watched...up down up...line with a dot...half a circle and...after a struggle...the hard one. Nick proudly signs everything now. The lesson learned...We can all deal with the up down ups...lines with dots and half circles of life....It’s the hard ones...that help us grow.

Who Is This Guy?

Most of us have an image of ourselves. This picture in our heads of
what we think other people see when they look at us. Well...most of us are
wrong. Believe me...this conclusion is from first hand experience. See, my
image of me...my head picture...is that of a mature, dashing, athletic, rugged
man of the world. That's me. That's even the guy I see in the bathroom mirror.
Then I was handed a photo recently taken of my oldest son and I. "Isn't this
a nice shot?", my wife said. I was stunned. Who the heck is that balding,
graying, overweight, old guy standing next to my kid? What cruel
practical joke is this? That guy can't be me. I may be thinning, but that guy is
damn near bald. I'm mature...that guy's looking old. I'm athletic...that guy in
the picture actually has jowls. Hey, only old, English character actors have jowls.
Alright...jokes over. Who is this guy and what have you done with my kid's Dad?

Don't Let Go!

Remember when you first learned to ride a bike? Remember that feeling in the pit of your stomach as Dad took the training wheels off? The anticipation, the excitement...the fear? Dad would run along side holding you up as you tried to peddle faster and faster. Remember how red his face got and how he huffed and puffed? You’d be screaming, “Don’t let go...Don’t let go.” But he would...and you’d fall. You’d skin a knee...bruise an elbow. Then one time Dad let go and...you didn’t fall. You were actually riding a two-wheeler. You were flying. You were lord of the sidewalk. And all the skinned knees and bruised elbows were a small price to pay for the feeling of the wind on your face and this new found personal freedom. The point is you took a chance. Sure you failed a few times, but when you succeeded...you were magnificent. Life is like that. Never take a chance and you’ll never fail, you’ll never skin a knee, you’ll never bruise an elbow...you’ll never fly.

Adventurous...Ya Think?

So, what do you suppose was on the mind of the first person to think that an oyster just might be a good thing to eat? “Hey...lookee here. Crunchy on the outside...Chewy on the inside.” And what about potatoes and carrots and rutabagas? Who woke up one morning and thought to themselves, “I’m gonna go out and find a nice patch of dirt and then dig around in it until I find something to eat”? And then there’s wine. Did you ever wonder who was the first to think that a glass of really old, leftover warm grape juice might just hit the spot? Which brings me to ...Escargot. Who was the first to think to themselves...”Ya know, I’ve really got the munchies and I’ll bet those snail thingies would make a great snack”? One can only pray they had a nice butter, wine and garlic sauce to go along with that very first bite. All those extraordinary people who crossed those forbidden lines and had the courage to go where no one had ever gone before must have been truly adventurous souls. Or maybe they were just the losers in some ancient game of “Double Dare Ya”.

My Time

This morning it dawned on me again. Mornings being the preferred time to have things dawn on me. Today really is brand new day. A yet to be used, twenty four hour period of time that I own. Oh sure, there are responsibilities and obligations, but it’s my life and it’s my time. I’m the boss. I get to choose. Now, of course, I’m going to choose to spend some of my time on my responsibilities and obligations, but the rest of my time this brand new day...I’m spending on me. And if that sounds selfish, well, maybe it is. But I only have so much time. And I still have hopes and dreams. Things I want to accomplish...goals I need to reach. And if I don’t spend some of my time chasing after my dreams, nobody else is going to get out there and chase them for me. Every minute I let slip by that I’m not learning, wondering, questioning, understanding or trying to reach further and higher...is my time...wasted. And I only have so much time. Today really is a brand new day. A day full of my time yet to spend. I hope when my time runs out, someone will be able to say...he spent the time he was given wisely.