Generations
I don't know about you but as far back as I can remember my grandpa Joe always talked about how far they(he had 14 brothers and sisters) had to walk to school and in the elements no less....you know there was always 2 ft of snow and they couldn't afford shoes. You know the spiel don't you???? Well as I spend more time with my aging father I recognize that now he does it. Of course it's not to the severity as my (God rest his soul) grandfather but my Dad was telling me about how he started working at the age of 12 shining shoes and then selling newspapers. If he wanted more than the allotted 2 pairs of pants and 2 shirts a year then he was told he had to work for it. As far back as I can remember my Dad has been a worker. He worked NYPD for 20 years and spray painted cars and refrigerators and cabinets on the side. He retired from NYPD and got his electrician and plumbing licenses. He never rests. He was ALWAYS working and then he had to because after the divorce he had to maintain two households.
As a teenager I got a job at 16 due to the strain of my mom trying to raise 3 children on her own and my Dad trying to support two households. I didn't want anyone telling me what and how to do it because we all know that 16-18 year olds know everything. I wanted to be independent. And independent I was. I paid half for my car and paid my car insurance and my own gas and all the things I wanted. I didn't want to have to ask anyone for anything. I had it a bit rougher than most in my well to do neighborhood and even had to pay rent to my mom............I accomplished it all on $3..35 an hour.........So now I am in line with the stories of how rough I had it. Add me to my prior generations of the "how hard I had it and you have it so easy".
I find myself thinking about these things these days due to my almost 18 year old daughter rolling her eyes at me and being very impatient. I know I know it's par for the course but when oh when do we actually change into our parents? Is it slow and gradual or is it as soon as we give birth? I'd love to know but I guess if I could pinpoint the exact time of change in me I still couldn't stop it.....Wait till she grows up and turns into me....I told her yesterday the best revenge parents have is the knowledge that their children will have children just like them!!!!
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Words, once they are written, have a life of their own.
Carol Burnett
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A Word from the Writer
Teenagers are so frustrating!!
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