What Do You Drive?

As for me...

Ha Ha!  I'm sure my boys thought I flew around on one of these when they were growing up, especially when they didn't get their way.  As the Rolling Stones lyrics go, "You can't always get what you want."  That was a common theme song in our house when the boys were growing up.  Actually, I don't believe that my broomstick came out too often. 

If you know the lyrics to that Rolling Stones song, you know there is more:  "You can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes, well you might find you get what you need."  Maybe the boys didn't get everything they wanted but we made sure that had what they needed.  Life was different then, it was not centered around instant gratification.  If the boys wanted something, they worked toward it.  Chores were weekly assignments with extra credit benefits built in.  Some things they earned, some they bought on their own.  It was a fair system and taught them how the outside world worked. 

It doesn't seem to work that way anymore.  The ability to discipline our children has been sorely compromised.  A solid drum battle on my backside hurt my pride but never injured me physically.  It certainly got my attention and made me realize that I didn't want to repeat that bad decision again.  Really, it's terrible that we can't discipline in the same way that we were as children.  It taught us boundaries of which there are too few today.  Without boundaries, we become lost, we make poor choices and unfortunately, the world has to live with those choices. 

I am thankful that my boys were brought up the way that they were. Now that they are parents in the driver's seat, they can pull their broomsticks out of the closet as well.  My grandchildren will grow up with boundaries (boundaries and lot's of love as well).