Growing up in a small town: 2nd verse

Last week you heard a bit about what it was like to grow up in my hometown.   I guess I romanticized it a bit because it was far from perfect.    It was a very blue collar town so pretty much everybody was in the same socio-economic status.  Nobody had much but we didn't know it.

What I didn't tell you about was that of those guys that I grew up with, one was shot, one died under questionable circumstances but had been in jail on numerous occasions, and one was dead by his late 30's from lifestyle choices.

We grew up in the same place, attended the same churches and schools, played together and stayed together.  Yet, we all ended up on different paths as adults, most good but some obviously bad.

I grew up blessed.  I lived in a 2 parent home.  I never went hungry, I never felt unloved, and I never had to worry that I would have a roof over my head.   I also was never in jail, never failed a subject in school, and got paddled only once (and Mrs. Rainwater was wrong in doing it that time--I can't help it that Gary Alexander pinched Laura Booth behind my back in the 2nd grade!)

But we didn't have a lot.  My dad worked in a factory.  My mom was a stay-at-home mom until my dad became disabled and then she went back to work, ending up in the same factory where my dad had worked.  

It's a different world that kids are growing up in today.  Not better, not worse--just different.  Most of us worked (mowing yards, delivering newspapers, hauling hay) but that was for the necessities.  I can remember the first time I saw one of the rogue boys have a beer.   We didn't have drugs or spending money.   

I'm pretty sure I had good parents.  The only thing I can remember that I wanted that I didn't get was a guitar, but I didn't want much.  At 16, I was happy with a first car that cost $55 ('54 Plymouth, 2 dr, 3 spd on the column, primary color bondo). 

Today it seems like there are too many parents who make sure that their kids have absolutely everything that they want.    Parents that either can't make a decision or who make all the wrong decisions.   Who try to be a friend to their children instead of being a parent. 

Parents who threaten litigation against a coach over playing time.   Or that feel that because of who they are,  their kid should get special attention/opportunities.

Parents that can't get along at home but when a teacher wants to have a conference because of unacceptable behavior from their child, they insist that it is the school's responsibility to take care of those problems.

Parents who want too badly for their kids to have the success in athletics that they never had.  We hear about parents living vicariously through their children until it is simply a cliche. 

My advice?  Make sure your kids know the value of work, drive used cars until they are adults, know that if they get punished at school that it will be worse at home, and that your love is unconditional.  And remember that they got their genes from you.