Sticks and Stones

"...love your neighbor as yourself..Matthew 22:39b"

If you are old enough to remember the first runs of Leave it to Beaver and Speed Racer, then you know what I'm talking about, if not, let me explain it to you. Back in the dark ages, when I was growing up, before calculators and ipods, kids actually went outside to play, and when someone called you a bad (offensive) name, you took care of the problem yourself, and many times you would hear the old song, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me," or how about this one, "I'm rubber and you're glue, what you say bounces off me and sticks to you." We didn't run home and tell mommy, who then immediately called her lawyer to sue the Jones next door because Johnny was insensitive to Suzie's feelings and was offended by it. We were taught that not everyone is nice, and you have to be ready to accept that fact.

When my daughter would start whining about how hard she had it, I always played that great Eagles song, Get Over It. Too many people have been pampered and swaddled all of their lives and don't know how to handle insults from just plain rude and ignorant people, which in turn, causes those on the receiving end to be just as ignorant. If you're not bruised or bleeding, you're not hurt; your pride may be, but that's it. The Bible says to heap coals of fire on the heads of your enemies, or someone who does you wrong. Many times, it aggravates the name caller more when you just walk away and ignore them. People hate being ignored.

What ever happened to taking care of your own problems? You chose to be a victim, it doesn't chose you. Teach your children how to be independent, not dependent.