Personal Responsibility/High School Clic

I would be much better off if I didn't check the news and current events during my lunch (and other) break(s). Today I saw the story about the Sunnyvale teen who did while car surfing. The driver of the car was charged with vehicular manslaughter and will serve less than a year in prison.

Ok that sounds fine, kids doing stupid things, thought a year for the driver was kind of harsh, but ok.

Then I go on to read that the teens parents (of the boy that died) did not feel justice had been served for her son.

Granted, I don't know all the details, and there may be more... however, the boy climbed out of the roof of the car himself, he wasn't forced.... it was his choice. Why does the mother want more justice for her son, he did it!!!

I think our society likes to blame everything on other people and want other people to suffer along with them. Common thread, it's not my fault....I hope as a parent I can teach my children personal responsibility and accountability. The hardest thing I think you have to do as a parent is allow your children to suffer the consequences of their actions. It relates the our relationship with God, and until I became a parent, I don't think I could fully understand how a father/mother's love for a child is so deep. I would rather suffer the consequences just so my children don't have to. And I have felt the same way about other's in my life as well....

The most trouble I ever got into in school was being suspended from sports for a week in eighth grade! I always followed the rules (snuck out only once and was so miserable the whole time that I never did it again). But this one evening I spent the night was three other basketball team mates and we invited some boys over. These were popular boys too, and me not really being in the popular crowd I was really excited. Well these boys, found the alcohol and added to their drinks. They didn't tell us what they did until after they offered us a drink and of course we figured it out. I spit mine out, and had no more. After my mom had picked me up I told her what had happened and told her that I didn't have any to drink.

Well on Monday, someone went to school and started bragging about "drinking" over the weekend. The teachers, principles and coaches soon go word of what had happened and called everyone's parents. They started out with a questioning type conversation, and luckily my parents were not suprised by what they were telling them. (always tell the truth, because you never know when you might get caught!).

My parent's explained to the principle they knew there was alcohol there, I had told them, but I didn't drink any of it so they didn't see any problems. Well, unfortunately, the principle didn't want to make the decision about who was guilty and who wasn't (and I wasn't going to tell, unless forced) so everyone that was at the house got suspended.

My parents got very upset and went and spoke to the principal but eventually decided that I needed to do what everyone else that was at the party was having to do. I am thankful my parents didn't try to get me out of trouble. However, at the time, sports was my life and I was devestated on two fronts 1. getting in trouble and 2. not getting to play in a game!

So if anyone is watching big brother, they have broken the house up in teams... athletes, popular, off beats and nerds. If I had to categorize myself I think I would go with athlete. After all, I did wear work out clothes to school everyday in eighth grade.... high school I got a little better, but it was a special ocassion for me to dress up. Why dress up, when you were going to sweat anyway? College, I don't know how I would classify myself... didn't fit in with the atheletes (I was attracted to men), don't think I was a nerd (although I am comparing myself to other engineers), off beat (may be, didn't seem to be many people like me), popular (definately not in college, I steered clear of the soroities and such.) ?