This month Fun Monday is hosted by In Good Company and for this Monday they ask; what advice did your mother or father give you that you remember and/or still use to this day?
I guess it's time to deal with these issues, right?
This one is a toughie for me. Why? Well, probably because I don't really even remember any advice given by either of my parents, but I shall try to give you a sample of a couple, because I care like that.
My dad once told me, after I had paid for breakfast one morning, "remember that it's okay to let your kids pay once in a while." I think that was the last time I ever went out to breakfast, lunch or dinner with my parents. I guess I figured that I didn't want to get stuck with the tab, or something. Now, if I can just teach my kids to pay once in a while, it will all be good.
My mother liked to yell. She liked to yell, a lot. I'm sure I deserved some of it, but...
Anyway, one day, I was lounging around the house listening to some Rush, or Journey, or Foreigner, or Styx, who knows? The point being that I was lounging around, doing absolutely nothing.My mother was not happy... Let me paint a better picture for you.
On June 1, 1985 I graduated from high school, on June 2, 1985, I was driving to my new home in San Antonio, Texas. Such is the life of a military brat. To be honest, I was thankful that my parents didn't make me move a year earlier, when my dad first got transferred there. I was going into my senior year in high school and I was heavily involved in the marching band and the concert band. Plus, it was my senior year! Anyway, they agreed to be separated while I went on to graduate from high school (side not: they never did this again, even though my younger brother had to deal with the same thing {actually it was different because he was going to the school on base, and my parents had to leave base housing, etc. Plus, they moved back to the same house we had occupied three years earlier, and Michael still kept in touch with his Colorado friends...}). Which I thought was pretty cool, especially since I knew the band was taking a trip to Disney World the following spring, not to mention the other trips. Oh and I also had a girlfriend at the time, which honestly I thought would be worth staying for, but turned out not to be.
Where was I?
Oh yeah, motherly advice... As I was lounging around doing nothing on this day, the twelfth of June I believe, my mother came screaming into my room and told me a sentence that has stuck with me forever... "Why don't you get a job, go to college, or join the Air Force?"
Okay, really? Here I am freshly graduated from high school, transplanted away from all of my friends, and seventeen years old and my mother had the nerve to tell me to "get a job, go to college and join the Air Force."
Did you notice the difference? Mom said "or" and I heard "and."
Needless to say, I had already tried to do two of those three things already, and I had only really lived there for less than ten days, so I went out and did the only thing I hadn't done yet. Joined the Air Force. Which turned out to be a decent enough thing in my life, as I got to see the world a bit, learned a career/job, and got out of my mother's hair. Which I think is what she wanted anyway.
Of course, a week after this "lesson" I got a call back in regards to a job, and registered for school. Good thing I had six months of deferred enlistment to spend working and schooling, eh?
Now head on over to In Good Company and see what other maternal or paternal advice they all remember.
In other news... I will be hosting for the month of April, so come on back and see what I ask you to share. It'll be a great month, I promise!
I suppose the "let your kids pay sometimes" is a hard lesson for some generations to learn as the whole idea of being a father was tied to breadwinning. Sounds like your dad had a sense of humor. My mother also was a yeller--not what you'd call a softy. Interesting question--how is she with her grand children?
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking on Fun Monday hosting for April. I'll be back to see what you have in store for us.
First of all, thanks for taking on the prestigious job of hosting Mon Funday. Hopefully, I can join in here and there along the way.
ReplyDeleteSecond of all, OMGoodess ! You wanderwrite like I do. All over the place with your thoughts. Scary thing is, I think I kept up with what you were saying.
Together, my husband and I have 7 kids. Can't wait to visit all of them with the news that it's their time to buy !
Great post! We're still in transition with our married kids on the paying for dinner thing--at least paying for their own :)
ReplyDeleteMany of us don't seem to remember any "advice" and yet all we have to do is look and listen to ourselves. I liked the difference between what your mom said and what you heard. I never thought of it that way :)
Thanks for hosting next month. Look forward to it!
My parents never had to tell me to leave - I was already straining for the door as soon as it was legal for me to go. Having six little brothers will do that to you.
ReplyDeleteMy dad has a hard time NOT paying. My husband wants to pay sometimes, but the only way we seem to pull it off is by cooking at home for them - and still they ask what they can bring!
Thanks for taking up the Fun Monday responsibility for April. Your hints for the assignments look intriguing. I hope to be able to participate in each and every one. Perhaps, you can convince some our Plurk friends to join us. Holly, Janet and Beckie used to be Fun Monday faithfuls.
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