Consequences

There are a couple of things I feel that kids these days (and by kids, I actually mean anyone my age or younger) are not being taught. One is that life is hard. As my mother-in-law put it so well, "Life is full of big NOs." So many times parents say to their kids "If you don't want to, you don't have to." This arises when objections occur to such things as eating vegetables, continuing a season of a sport, using the school bathroom (yes, some students actually get checked out of school to go home and use the bathroom) or abstaining from sex.

The question "Why can't I?" starts from a young age when people are told NO! The questions get bigger as individuals age and are upgraded from "Mom, why can't I borrow the car?" to "Why can't I be exactly what I want to be and make exactly the amount of money I need? Why can't I succeed as a singing alpaca farmer?" Because, life answers some of my questions with a big NO. Now, before you get mad at me for being a negative realist, understand that I believe in chasing one's dreams. I just acknowledge that sometimes it's not an instinatneous thing. See, that is the other problem. It's not just that we want what we want, it is that we want it RIGHT NOW. No patience. No desire to work hard. Sigh...

Moving on. Life also has big consequences. Look at todays financial situation for illustrations of this. "Why can't I live beyond my means and have the life that I want and that everyone else has?" Because you can't spend more than you have for an extended period of time without, what's the word, CONSEQUENCES. I.e. reposession, foreclosure...you name it, it is happening. I know that people have also been taken advantage of by greedy mortgage brokers, lenders, and yes, even real estate agents, but, I would venture to say most just wanted more than they could really afford.

My point is this:

• Decisions, good or bad, reap consequences.
• You spend more than you make, you may face foreclosure or bankruptcy.
• You practice poor eating and exercise habits, your health will be affected.
• You commit crimes, you'll be discovered, arrested, and punished.

That is life. But...kids in school these days can be disrespectful and violent and very little is done. Granted, this is because teachers can only do so much. At the very worst, they are going to be sent home to their parents who may or may not punish them.

Okay, it's after midnight. There is my rant.

Goodnight!