Being Frank
By: Frank James
Special to the Milwaukee Times
A modern day parent strives to ensure that their child achieves more than they have in the madness called the USA. This statement is true for all races that reside in the 50 states. You often run into people who are unhappy with their lot in life and seem to be simply going through the motions. I ran into a man who exhibited the symptoms I just mentioned. This gentleman’s reasoning was, “I’m doing this for my child.” My question is, “Why not live for your child?”
If we are ever going to be free of the misery that manifests in our lives we have to acknowledge one fact. We have to realize that whatever situation that is taking place in our lives is our creation. Yes, wonderful people, the culprit for your situation is you. Once you can accept that the unwanted situation or even person in your life is your fault you can work towards change. The timeworn excuse of ‘I am doing this for the kids’ can go in the trashcan of history.
Every sane parent wants the best for their child. Many people equate the best as material objects. Other parents say the best thing for a child is quality time where the parent can nurture growth in the child. There is no right or wrong answer but there is one thing a parent can do for a child. A parent can model being happy and living the life they choose and not one dictated by some belief system that leads to misery.
Many are asking, “What the heck is he talking about?” It is simple, good parents; model being happy in life for your child. A great number of people in the USA work at jobs they would rather not go to. The excuse they use to continue working at such places is their children. Think. When you go home and are in a negative mood from working in a place that you dislike, how do you think your child views you? The lessons that stick in a child’s head are the ones we teach without knowing. Your child is watching you every day and in many cases the child grows up thinking this is how life is supposed to be. The loving parent has taught their offspring the worst lesson anyone can learn – the lesson to accept misery and not live your life the way you choose.
Adults out there, think back to when you were growing up. How many of your parents or grown people around you truly lived the life they wanted and not one dictated by society? Has this lack of modeled happy living shaped how you are living today? My adult readers, has your life been shaped into a similar misery rut that the adults around you while you were growing up lived in? Now adults, come back to 2019; are you modeling the same misery to your children and keeping the cycle going for the next generation?
The one gift we can give our children and ourselves is happiness. You owe it to yourself to be happy and content on this planet. I am not telling you to give up your job and wander the earth; if this works for you, do it. I am suggesting that an examination of the image you are projecting to youth may need an adjustment. Find something that you enjoy doing and go for it. If you are not happy with your job, then stack up money and quit. Go to night school or take online courses to gain skills needed to change your frown into a smile. Do not be afraid to take back control of your life. You may have to leave your spouse, which is a topic for another article.
There you have it, folks. A happy life is a simple, yet complex gift for every child that the parent can enjoy as well. The gift of being an example of a happy, content person living their life the way they want to and smiling every moment is a benefit to children and yourself.
Frank James IV © 2018
beingfrankwithfrank@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the writer and not of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper or NCON Communication, its staff or management. “Being Frank” is a bi-weekly column exclusive to the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper.