I Am So Done

I am so done with fake people. I am so done with people sharing stories about other people without all the facts. I am so done with entitlement. I am so done with so many things. I am not done with trying to help people. I am not done with trying to make people aware of mental illness and all the ramifications that come with it.

It seems that I hear about the useless loss of another life more and more frequently. Each one I hear about feels like a knife to my heart. I know the pain the other family is feeling and I know that those feelings could have been prevented. What is causing so many problems? Well, life is. Life as we know it has changed so much over the years. We need to bring back some positive thinking to life. 

So many in life are raised to think they are entitled to everything and when that doesn't happen, it throws them off. Let's start raising the next generation to be important but not to expect everything handed to them on a silver platter. Let's go back and raise our kids to have manners. Teach them to say please and thank you. Teach them that others have feelings also. Teach them not to be a bully, but to lift them up to be a better person.

Instead of raising our kids to think they are entitled, let's raise them to know that if they want something special, they need to earn it. When I was younger, probably around 13, I wanted my own phone. No, we didn't have cell phones then, but I did have a father that didn't think you should hang out on the phone all the time. I even remember having an egg timer set at times to know it was time to get off. Now, I still wanted my own phone and my parents said yes. However, it came with conditions. The first condition was that I had to pay for the phone myself. Each month my parents handed my the bill for the phone and if I didn't have the money, they had my phone. If someone used my phone and ran up a big bill, again, I wanted the phone and it was my responsibility. If I let the bill get too high, I did a lot of babysitting to cover that bill. I remember ironing handkerchiefs for my father, etc. I ironed a lot of those handkerchiefs and trust me, you weren't getting paid a lot, I think I got a penny a handkerchief. Not a very profitable endeavor, so it was real work.

I had chores to do and I had to do them. Period. End of discussion. I didn't get an allowance for that. I was part of the family and it was responsibility to get my chores done. I didn't have the best experiences during school, so I opted to not continue on to continue my education. My choice but it was one I think I should have done. Anyway, instead of just living at home for free, I did have the option to live there, but, as an adult, I paid rent. I remember one day I had not stopped and cashed my check and I didn't have the cash handy and the bank was already closed. (No, we did not have an ATM to could run to back then.) Anyway, I just signed over my check and paid some rent in advance.

When I got my grades from school, I had some friends that got paid for good grades, well, I didn't get paid for my grades. I was told it was my responsibility. When I got good grades, I got praised. When I got bad grades, I got lectured. (I think I got way too many lectures, but by this time, I was already covering up mental illness caused by many things that happened growing up.)

When you hear a story, gossip, etc., instead of spreading the gossip to someone else, how about you try to talk to the person about it. One, you may find out that you really don't know the entire story. Two, you may get the other person to rethink something. Instead of tearing each other apart, let's try to build each other up. If someone is struggling with something, encourage them to overcome it. If someone is doing good for others, praise them! If someone overcame a major obstacle in their life, celebrate with them.

Listen to the music you listen to also. I have heard songs, that are bestsellers, talk about the thrill of physical abuse, the wonderment of death and suicide, kill them, harm that, etc. The list can go on and on. Really? That's what you want to sing about? As you sing those words, you are telling yourself that is what you want to live like! Try listening to music where the words are about a more positive life. Don't glorify drugs, violence and alcohol. It's your choice.

If you are dressed looking like a bum, acting like a bum, well, don't expect someone to come offer you a good career. There are too many out there that do care. Dress for success, not for a criminal future. I laugh when I see someone with their pants hanging off, underwear in full view, and they sit and complain that no one takes them seriously! Really? Do you want to live a life where people look at you and see a waste of space? A waste of a good life? Trust me, no one wants to see your underwear and no one thinks you are cool for dressing that way. I remember going to one store. The guy thought he was really cool. He even had a long, dangle earring in his nose. Now, he really should have thought twice about the choice; it was a light golden color. He basically walked around looking like he had a bugger hanging out of his nose. Gross. When he tripped over his own pants and fell flat on his face looking cool, I think the first reaction of many there was laughter. He could easily have been a clown for all the laughs he received.

Anyway, that's the end of my rant for now. If you want a better life, that's great - make some changes that make you a better person. If you have kids, raise them to be better people. You don't have to be your child's best friend, you have to be your child's best parent and as your child grows, you will find that the adults you helped raise are now adults that you love to be with. Have a great day and wish that to everyone you meet. Let's all work together, not to put people down, but to really try to build each other up. Let's encourage everyone we meet to be a better person.