Today's Journal
TOUGH LOVE
Whether you agree with the advice or not, some no-nonsense words directed at teenagers have drawn the attention of parents and youth alike after going viral on Facebook. The advice came courtesy of a principal named John Tapene, who was quoting a judge (from Colorado, I think) who regularly deals with youths. The judge was aiming to answer questions from teenagers such as, "What can I do and where can I go?"
Tapene has offered the following words from the judge:
“Always we hear the cry from teenagers "What can we do, where can we go?" “My answer is this: Go home, mow the lawn, wash the windows, learn to cook, build a raft, get a job, visit the sick, study your lessons, and after you've finished, read a book. Your town does not owe you recreational facilities and your parents do not owe you fun. The world does not owe you a living; you owe the world something. You owe it your time, energy and talent so that no one will be at war, in sickness and lonely again. In other words, grow up, stop being a crybaby, get out of your dream world and develop a backbone not a wishbone. Start behaving like a responsible person. You are important; you are needed. It's too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday. Someday is now and that somebody is you!' "
(I believe this was written in 1959, first appeared in this Journal in December 2013)
“Honor your father and your mother.” Jesus