My Own Selfishness Shines Through

I started this post a few times, before I thought to myself  "I'm just going to be honest..."  "And get ready, 'cause this sh*ts about to get heavy..." As Eminem would say. I know, right?!?!?!

Actually, there's nothing heavy here. Just me, b*tching about how crazy, busy these next few months are going to be. Most of you would think this is wonderful for the wife and I, since we really don't do anything. Hey, it's fine, but I'm going to be really selfish here. These busy times aren't stemming from anything we're doing for us. Oh no, they will be stemming from things we're doing for these strangers who live among us... like in our house with us. Those things called teens, who are so freakin' demanding, yet give nothing in return.

The bottom line:

We want the boy to play a spring sport... we expect it. We are not paying X number of dollars these next four years, for him to come home, and sit on a computer all evening. He's stubborn. He doesn't want to do anything for whatever reason. He won't tell us why. He never tells anyone anything. He was smart, way ahead of the game, but now he's killing brain cells with a computer screen. He doesn't read books anymore, and he doesn't put forth the effort when it comes to school projects. It's frustrating to watch a literally brilliant mind go to waste. I'll expect him to be a National Merit Scholar, and go to the best University offered up to him. My fear for him, is that he'll let his fears of the world, and his fear of failure, hold him back... that he'll allow himself to live a less than average life, because he's too lazy to work past his own worst enemy, which will be himself.

We want the girl to stop demanding freedom. Freedom has to be earned. You have to get a job to have freedom, get a degree, get a life outside that of your parents. Even then, you're not free... you have a boss, you have a budget, hopefully you don't have kids too early. Seriously, she needs to make some freakin' friends... stop living in LaLa land. She's almost 18. I haven't seen her crack a school book in literally 4 years, and has only hung out with friends perhaps 4 times in 4 years. She's mad because we won't send her to a University right out of the hatch. We need her to prove herself academically first at a junior college. We aren't paying crazy money for her to go sit alone in a dorm room, pinning pictures to Pinterest of how she wants her life to be, or worse, to shack up with some boy, and not actually participate in academics... and life.

So, sure, I'm feeling selfish. I won a LOT at the casino this past weekend. The wife says "We should put that toward a car for the Girl..." I say no... no, no, no. Maybe, just maybe, I want a new freakin' car. This is the car I want:

You know though, here's the difference between myself, and those teens. I didn't have anything growing up. I've worked so hard for everything, my entire life, and I don't feel like I deserve this car at all.

So to BOTH of our kids, I say this:

Participate in LIFE...  It's too short, it goes by way too fast, and it can be taken without notice.

Life is work...
Life is hard...
Life is taking chances...
Life is winning...
Life is losing...
Life is doing what you love...
Life is facing your fears and not letting them hold you back...

I'm sure you guys could add so much more to what life is.

I'm done complaining now. I have to go get dressed and ready to take the kids to get their passports. The girl gets to go on a European trip this summer, and she doesn't want to go. Seriously...