It's that time of year again. School is just around the corner, and families are considering their purchases of school clothing and supplies. Pants, shirts, shoes and socks, pens, pencils, crayons and paper will be bought at stores all over this awesome country. It serves as a great reminder to a story told long ago about a little twelve year old boy who was in such a time. It serves as a lesson when opportunity knocks.
His anticipation of the new school year was on the horizon, and very soon, he would be back at the books again. Although he didn't like school very much, there was a certain regard for how he would look when he arrived. He had a need for school clothes, and he wasn't very certain where or if they would come. Oh, many of the other children had parents who simply made it part of their routines to buy new clothes at that time of year, but not this little boy. Rather than just have them given to him, he wondered if they would ever arrive at all.
One day the little boy's father came toward him pushing a lawn mower. His dad stopped just short of the young lad, let go of the mower handles, and said, “There's your school clothes” and walked off. It didn't take very long for the boy to get the message. If he desired school clothes, he was going to have to earn the money to pay for them himself. Opportunity was knocking, and the little boy answered the call.
Today, this father might seem seem “mean”, “unconscionable” and boarder on a call to the HRS, but then it produced “work ethic”, “self-drive” and “personal gratification”. Mean? Maybe. But then again, maybe, there should be a few more mowers handed out rather than the produce the character that the“entitlement” mentality has provided today.
Until tomorrow...Why Say More?
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