My oldest son is in high school, in the eleventh grade. Lately, when I come home in the evening, he is perched by the sixty inch living room television. He is not watching any shows, instead he is playing with the XBOX in the dark. At the age of seventeen a person should be concentrating on midterms, finals, SAT's, ACT's, Regent's and anything and everything that will help him get into a quality university. I am not berating video games, just that anything in exaggeration is possibly unhealthy. Make sure if you are going to be spending time on something you are actually learning in the time that is being invested. From the moment you are born, to the time you pass away, life should be a learning experience. If you are not learning in life, it is a waste.
Ever since, I met my wife and married her and we had children, our goal was and is for our children to become better than us. So far our three sons are growing as we have expected, good, well rounded young men. My boys are involved in school athletics and public service in addition to their school work.
When my wife and I were growing up, we were both children of immigrant parents. Our parents did not have more than an elementary school education. What ever we achieved, was good enough because it would be better than what our parents had. I remember when I was young, my mother would say, "do whatever you want in life as long as you get an education". What she meant was, that I go to university and graduate with at least a bachelors degree (BA or BS). The field of study did not matter to her as long as I had the paper on the wall, that she never manage to get. Guess what Mom, I did what you wanted and even more. Yes, as the world moves forward into the future, knowledge is the key to better living.
Where I am now is solely through my own doing. My parents were unable to help me with reading or writing. Whatever I did was good because they did not know any better. As a child, when I came home from school, the front garden was my playground, on good weather days. Other times, I would do my homework and watch two or three shows on my parents black & white television set, have dinner and then bathe and go to bed by eight in the evening.
All youth goes through similar stages of stress. When we talk to our friends and parents many times our worries are lightened and this stage of life goes with minimal grief. Talking is a tremendous stress release because we find out that other people are going through life with similar situations and how they are coping.
I am still of the philosophy my mother had, "get and education and do what you want". As time passes the more a person know's, the better the chance of surviving comfortably in society. I am not saying that I am perfect. It is not possible to be perfect but if it were a person would be GOD. We live in a society, where the people believe in only one God and he or she, is the only perfect and almighty spirit/being. All we can ask for is for our children to be better than us and if they manage this feat it will prove that we as parents were great teachers(mentors).
Think With Your Head, Not With Your Feet!!!
Be Young And Enjoy!!!
Just Do Not Waste Your Whole Youth Away!!!
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