Where Do They All Come From

Sometimes the best stuff goes on at someone else's blog. You know, kind of like the way some couples fight at other people's houses.

Like this poor guy, making his helpful little Liberal remarks. I can pick a fight with anybody. Particularly the well-meaning, whose very springboard is All Wrong. Bamboo slivers neath the nails. Bring 'em on.

Comment by Robert Franklin

“BTW, we have just finished up a round of interviews with teens for the website I will be launching FamilyThrive and one thing that was really clear to me was that even though teens push back about spending time with their parents to their parents. When we conducted our interviews they all shared how much they truly cherish spending time with their parents and want to spend more. Ironic.”

Thread hijacking? I don't think so. Or let me put it another way: this hi- wanted so bad to be -jacked, people were making fools of themself every whichway, using their best stuff to honk off in all wrong directions. Mean kids, the blog owner called us.

Comment by Zo

“Actually, this comment has steam coming out of *both* ears. If it is in truth a SURPRISE to anyone that parents are NOT to look to their teenagers for signs of approval of their parenting … but to BE the goddamn parent … step over to my blog, I want to have a word with you.

You had to “conduct interviews” to learn this?

Where, oh where, did we go wrong. In the Sixties. Are you young enough to be my child? My kids are not clueless parents.

But wait—I was one of the few hippie moms who actually behaved as a parent. An “old-fashioned” parent, it was called. Hell-o? It was clear to me who the children were, and who were the (stoned, drug-addled) grown-ups. It was very fashionable to let your kids Do Anything. Tres cool.

Like most such trends of cool, this made life easier for said grown-ups. They didn’t have to be Adults. You know, like doing the right thing, making unpopular decisions and such work, all by your lonely self.”

Comment by Robert Franklin

“Zo,

Seems like what I meant was not able to make it thru the steam. What I was trying to convey is that even when our teens are pushing us away they really want us to hug them tighter.”

Except there, right after the word “steam,” was a Smiley Face. A service to the reader you will never find here. Ever.

“May seem obvious to some, but it bears repeating, especially during the tough times with our children.”

I did not take time to count the ways R. Franklin still hung up on reaction/acceptance. Hell, my daughter couldn't stand the sight of me til she was seventeen and one half, at which time she promptly returned to her sweet normal self, and I says to myself, Job well done.

Once in a huge and serious pillow fight—when she was thirteen and I a mere lass of thirty-four—she belted me a good one and hollered, (bless her heart, I'll never forget it) “You old sow!” I dunno, I wouldn't let her date somebody who worked at the gas station. Point being? Point being, “All the insecure people.” As the Beatles almost wrote.