Your kids are not perfect. Nor do they deserve special treatment.

I was talking with a friend today. His wife is a teacher. He was talking about all the different things she likes and doesn't like about her job. It seems to me that all the teachers I know have more things to gripe about than they do to be happy about with their jobs. In fact, it seems that most teachers do a great job IN SPITE of the hand their dealt. And they all have one similar complaint - parents are impossible.

My folks are both teachers - Mom teaches home-ec and Dad taught biology. I can't tell you the # of horror stories they can tell about crap headed kids that are horrible students who's parents expect the teachers to bend over backwards for.

So.

In an attempt to keep this post short, I'll cut to the chase. Here's a letter from me to all parents everywhere.
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Dear parent,

First, I'd like to let you know how important your role as a parent is. Family (parenting) is the glue that holds our society together. The job you do raising your children will define our county in the future. Please do not take this responsibility lightly. I know you're thinking, "I do a great job raising my kids." Maybe you do, but let's not kid ourselves. There is always room for improvement.

Secondly, stop baby-ing your kids. Both you and your children need to start taking responsibly for your child's mistakes, shortcomings, attitude problems, bad grades, apathy, selfishness, carelessness, and inconsiderateness. I say both, because if your kid is a turd, 999,999 times out of a million it's your fault.

If your son is failing biology because he didn't do the homework, didn't study, and didn't come to class then he DOES NOT deserve another chance to make the grade up. Or, if your daughter got kicked off the volleyball team because she got caught drinking alcohol, the coach IS NOT being too hard on her (I don't give a rip if she's the greatest volleyball player in the world). She made that choice.

When (not if) your kid does something stupid - if you fight for your child to get a second chance or you don't force them to lie in the bed they made. You are teaching your child there are no consequences, and no matter what you do someone will bail them out. This formula breeds criminals, freeloaders, and narcissist who believe the world revolves around them.

Which brings me to my third point - the world does not revolve around you or your kid. In fact, in the real world (after he/she graduates from high school) unless you do a good job teaching your child perspective - this world is going to swallow him/her up and spit them out unhappy, cold, and alone.

There is meaning in life, and unless you teach your child to search for that meaning, you are betraying that which is most dear to you.

I believe in this generation of teenagers. Now more than ever they have the world at their fingertips. Teach them to cherish that world, and all the opportunities it will afford them. Contrary to popular belief, we don't deserve this life we've been given. Teach your kids to earn their happiness.

In conclusion, on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being a terrible citizen and 10 being a wonderful contribution to society) we all automatically start at 1. Most people think we all start out at 10. NOPE. It is your job as a parent to help your child climb from a 1 to a 10. You can do it. Now go do it. 

Sincerely,
Taylor Robinson

PS. I know for a fact that there are wonderful parents all over this country, because I've met some wonderful kids. Lucky for us, they are out there.

PSS. If you are among the great many people who probably think this letter is bull-crap. Please stop reproducing. You're making it harder for the rest of us.

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Teachers are diamonds in the rough of our society. We should start treating them as such.

Peace.

Us.

Eric took our picture. He's good. Click here for more of Eric's pictures.

BULL!

The olympics rules are you have to be 16 to compete. The Chinese women's gymnastics team is made up of babies. Those girls aren't 16. They're not even 13.

Needle in a Haystack

Today Tiffany and I worked in the yard for 2.5 hours. We cleared off what seemed to be 1000 pounds of forest debris: vines, leaves, pine needles, dirt, rocks, small trees and even trash that was decades old. Our pile of rubbish stood 4 feet tall, 8 feet wide, and 15 feet long. We then got ready to float the river in our canoe. After we had loaded the canoe on top of the car, and were about to pull out of the drive way headed for the river, we realized that Tiff's keys were missing.

We searched the whole house 3 times, and finally determined that the keys had to be some where in the yard. I walked the perimeter of the yard twice, and was ready to call it a lost cause. But Tiffany was determined to find them. I looked through the house a couple more times, cause I was certain there was no way they could have fallen out of her pocket. She decided to move through the pile one rake load at a time. She moved the location of our pile over the length of the pile. I came out a couple of times and begged her to give up, cause it was an impossible task. Finally, cause I was getting lonely inside - I came out to help. She was about 9/10ths of the way through the pile and this is what we saw.


Here's a picture, after the fact, of Tiffany standing by the pile.

Please remember this pile - when we finished our work - was 15 feet to the left of where you see it here.

I salute my wife. She is a trooper. I CANNOT believe that she found her keys. UNBELIEVABLE. I would have NEVER searched for them in that pile. Never.

On the other side of three-zero.

Well I've been thirty for a little over 24 hours now, and I must say that it's not that bad. Infact, the past few days have helped me realize how many are in my life that I cherish.

So Sunday night, my last full day as a twenty-something, Tiff threw me quite possibly the best birthday party I've ever had. Here's some of the elements:
Friends (including some from out of town)
Roller-Skating
Dairy Queen Heath Bar Ice Cream Birthday Cake (my fav)
Tiffany

The only thing that could have made it better was if my immediate family members could have been there. But that's alot to ask, seeing as they all live at least 800 miles away.

Such a wonderful party.
Here's some pics.














There's not a luckier man than me.