How was your my birthday
This morning I wrote a post called "The Airing of Grievances". It was just a few observations I have made over the last week or so. With a focus on large topics like the NFL and gun control, I thought it would be a good time to make note of a couple of great things from this past week. And to find them I barely had to leave my house, and didn't need to go outside my hometown.
As you know if you are a regular reader (thanks by the way), I am a doting father of 3 pretty awesome sons. This past week, my oldest, John-Michael, celebrated his 16th birthday. We took him and his girlfriend Rebekah to the Golden Corral. I know, not exactly Hyde park, but it was his choice. It was a great time, but my favorite part was not the food or even the company we were keeping. No, what struck me most was that every time someone asked him how his birthday was , he replied in a most unusual way.
"My birthday was great! How was your my birthday?"
I know, it doesn't even sound grammatically correct. But my awesome kid asked how everyone else was enjoying the day that was supposed to be all about him. That is pretty cool. I look around at this world, where teenagers often act entitled, self centered, and thoughtless, and wonder if the manners that the boys have now are the exception rather than the rule. I hope that's not the case, but realize that the world is not the same as it was when I was a kid, or when my parents were kids.Every generation is way worse than the one before if you listen to the ones who came before. But maybe, just maybe, that doing the right thing attitude is not as uncommon as we might think. Especially here at home.
John played football for a couple of years, and I got to know a lot of the other parents that had kids in the program. He since has decided to hang that sport up, deciding to focus on wrestling (and Rebekah) instead. Still, I miss the comradery of that bleacher crowd and am grateful to be Facebook friends with a few of them.
One of those Mom's mentioned that her son had lost his wallet at a function this week. And he was devastated, as anyone would be. Losing it meant not just losing the money, but losing the fruits of a ton of hard work he had put in all summer. But she reported today that another kid had found and returned the bill fold, without a single thing missing.
I was not really surprised by that update. I have met most of those kids, and know that for the most part they are a lot more like my son than the kids who do not have a clue. Polite and respectful boys who are growing up, becoming men, and making their parents proud. So for the parents of those kids on TV, or in the news, or even the ones who complain about theirs at my office, feel free to come see how we do it in Gahanna. Oh, and bring some paper. You might want to take notes.
Day # 542 (still). One day til vacation starts. It is good to be me!
As you know if you are a regular reader (thanks by the way), I am a doting father of 3 pretty awesome sons. This past week, my oldest, John-Michael, celebrated his 16th birthday. We took him and his girlfriend Rebekah to the Golden Corral. I know, not exactly Hyde park, but it was his choice. It was a great time, but my favorite part was not the food or even the company we were keeping. No, what struck me most was that every time someone asked him how his birthday was , he replied in a most unusual way.
"My birthday was great! How was your my birthday?"
I know, it doesn't even sound grammatically correct. But my awesome kid asked how everyone else was enjoying the day that was supposed to be all about him. That is pretty cool. I look around at this world, where teenagers often act entitled, self centered, and thoughtless, and wonder if the manners that the boys have now are the exception rather than the rule. I hope that's not the case, but realize that the world is not the same as it was when I was a kid, or when my parents were kids.Every generation is way worse than the one before if you listen to the ones who came before. But maybe, just maybe, that doing the right thing attitude is not as uncommon as we might think. Especially here at home.
John played football for a couple of years, and I got to know a lot of the other parents that had kids in the program. He since has decided to hang that sport up, deciding to focus on wrestling (and Rebekah) instead. Still, I miss the comradery of that bleacher crowd and am grateful to be Facebook friends with a few of them.
One of those Mom's mentioned that her son had lost his wallet at a function this week. And he was devastated, as anyone would be. Losing it meant not just losing the money, but losing the fruits of a ton of hard work he had put in all summer. But she reported today that another kid had found and returned the bill fold, without a single thing missing.
I was not really surprised by that update. I have met most of those kids, and know that for the most part they are a lot more like my son than the kids who do not have a clue. Polite and respectful boys who are growing up, becoming men, and making their parents proud. So for the parents of those kids on TV, or in the news, or even the ones who complain about theirs at my office, feel free to come see how we do it in Gahanna. Oh, and bring some paper. You might want to take notes.
Day # 542 (still). One day til vacation starts. It is good to be me!
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