19 January 2011

The Road Scholar - Day 19


Well, another day is done. I'm about 25 miles north of Marion, IL, which seems to stand out to me. Not for anything spectacular, just a billboard promoting the city and its endorser being Marion Ross of Happy Days fame. I'm on my way to deliver tomorrow in Osceola, AR. it was snowing ever so slightly earlier, but now, it too, has stopped for the night.
Just one more night on the road, this time tomorrow I'll be blogging from home... whether I do on the home computer, or, as usual, on my phone, still has yet to be determined. Chances are, it will be on the phone... for those of you who have boys, or teenagers, or a combination of the two, will know precisely what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I love my sons... I'd like to put them through college... and at times, through a wall. I've held on to one simple truth: parents of teenage children truly understand why animals of the wild eat their young. My oldest son and I indulged in some playful banter a few years ago. During our exchange, he remarked, "remember dad, I'll be choosing your nursing home," to which, I replied, "that's ok, we're spending your inheritance now."
I firmly believe that for every child that becomes a teenager, it should be their parents' right - nay... DUTY - to embarrass said teen, in public, with much joy, and most importantly, frequency. After all, they know EVERYTHING, right? By us fulfilling the afore mentioned duty, we are actually helping and educating them with an important life skill that will surely validate their character as an individual. Their reaction to our sound tactics of embarrassment, will determine their successes or failures in the real world. By doing so, we are shaping them to, in the words of Gunny Highway, "improvise, adapt, overcome" to a wide variety of situations they may be confronted with as an adult.
Ok... maybe not, but at least WE will have fun for a few years, right?

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