Educate Me Three

one I hope that by the time you are able to read and understand this, the tide has turned in America and it will not be a punishable offense to be smart, but just in case it hasn't - know this: You are going to need an education. Your job as a child is to go to school. You have to go sometimes when you don't feel like it. You will have to go even if you think your teacher is unfair and your classmates are mean. I need for you to wonder and be curious. I want you to question everything and come to your own conclusions. I know you are strong and clever and brighter than most of the other stars in the sky. This matters as much as anything and it may not make you look cool, or allow you entry into whatever cool-kids trendy club you think is important, but it will last forever and is one of the only things nobody can ever take away from you.

two Don't make excuses for anything. Accept the consequences for whatever choices you have made. Life is still not fair (I'm guessing this one truth will never change) and I believe you have been given the skill-sets to make good decisions. People can be just as ugly and disappointing as they can be full of life-changing bliss, and that's just the.way.it.is. (Worth noting as a parent: Don't teach your kids to blame everyone for their failures. You may not expect them to practice kindness and consideration but we live in a world where they will, ultimately, be held accountable by somebody, somewhere. You won't always be there to hand them a trophy for just showing up and this thing that you do, when you do this, takes it's toll on all of us as a society. So, please don't do that. Just stop it.)

three  Always know that you could be wrong. Sure, you could be entirely right, but stuff shifts and things change. It's a tricky world we live in and it's entirely possible that you have been tricked. Do not take it as a personal offense. It really does not look that good on you when you get all puffy and red-faced about a thing that may or may not be true. Breathe. Call time-out. I'll bet research is a serious slice of goodness, by the time you find yourself here and reading this. Dig it. Do what you gotta do to just, at least, make sure you aren't getting all worked up over something that isn't true.

thesethreethings 2014 ©