Random Randomness and Then Some Tunes

Friday, March 02, 2012

"A strong positive attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug." - Patricia Neal

I give my teenage son and his friends (and my daughter, too) a public service announcement every time I see them and twice a day when I drive them all to school.

It started as a joke at the beginning of the year I would greet them with a hearty "Hello Children of the Corn!" and then snicker all the way to school because they had no idea what I was saying.

That lasted all of two days when one of the smarty-pant boys got in the car and said "I Googled that and I know what the means now. You're calling us killers."

So, I added something new that day to my routine.

I greeted all of them with the same hearty hello and then sent them on their way with a rousing "Don't kill anyone today! Make good choices, and just say NO to drugs and porn."

When I pick them up from school I ask them all how their days were, and specifically ask "Did you kill anyone today? Smoke any pot? Looked at any naughty pictures?" When they all responded with a resounding NO! I break out an enthusiastic round of applause and yell "YAY! You did it! You had a super successful day! Great job guys!"

At first they were horrified that I would say that to them.

I mean what Mother in their right mind would openly talk to their kids like that about killing, drugs and porn?

Me, that's who.

For the longest time, they didn't know how to handle my little PSA announcement as they were dropped off and picked up. Honestly, I think I scared them for a while. They just didn't know how to take me.

Whenever my son would have his friends over, I would make sure that I said that my mantra to all of them. I wanted them to know what my "expectations" were.

It's funny to see how it's now turned into something that my son expects of me. He had a friend over spending the night and as I wandered off to bed, I told them my abbreviated mantra: "Make good choices tonight guys and just say no to porn!"

Thing 2's friend looked shell-shocked and as I headed up the stairs I heard him say "What the heck did your Mom just say?" Thing2 proceeded to tell him that I always tell him that "Make good choices and just say no to drugs and porn" He then said "she sometimes throws other stuff in there too, but she always reminds me to say no and make good choices. She just wants us to be good."

And that right there warmed my heart.

That really IS all I want.

I want them to make good choices.

I want them to say no to drugs and porn.

If I say it enough, maybe when they are faced with a choice, they will hear me in their heads warning them to "make good choices and just say no."

I like to think that it's working, too. One summer we spent the entire summer, every chance we got, pounding the story of Joseph who was sold into Egypt into their brains. He was faced with a choice-- a naughty girl wanted to do naughty things with him -- and he turned around and ran. He ran so fast out of there that he left his coat. THAT HE WAS WEARING. That's high-tailing it out of Dodge pretty dang fast, if you ask me.

The pounding of that story into their brains is working -- along with my daily mantra -- because one night Thing 2 came home from a sleepover at 1am. He hummed and hawed around and finally told me that the boys were doing and saying bad stuff, so he told them to stop and they wouldn't. He asked again, and they still refused and he remembered Joseph running away and Me always telling him to make good choices, so he packed it up and WALKED HOME.

He made a good choice, peeps. He did it. He was successful.

The boys from the carpool have asked me to add one more thing to my daily mantra: Don't steal anyone's soul today.

I will gladly oblige and say it over and over again if it will help them all to keep their noses clean.

"Make Good Choices, people. Don't kill anyone today and no stealing people's souls. And remember: just say NO to drugs and porn."

If you can do all that, you will have a successful day!

*****
That's all she wrote, peeps.

I'm working on a super fun project that's keeping me pretty busy-- and you can join me if you want.

Catch ya on the flip-side.