teenagers....lololol
the pastor of my chruch used to work this parable into his sermons several times a year, about the father and the teenager:
the teenager was young, attractive, thin, quick witted and smart mouthed and made excellent grades. he thought his father was the most old fashioned, backward thinking, uncooth, out-of-it old fart on the face of the earth. NOTHING his ol' man did or said made any sense to him.
as soon as he graduated from high school with honors; he accepted a college scolarship as far away from home as possible. he chose the school not for academic excellence, but for the distance away from the ol' man. he was convinced he never, ever wanted to set his blue eyes on his father ever again.
4 years of college went by quickly, as did 4 years serving his country in the military. the boy got married, pumped out 2 kids, moved on in his chosen career path.
in order to accept a promotion he just could not live without, the boy moved back to his hometown, 15 years after he left home.
due to his wife's nagging, and a certain amount of deeply repressed guilt over his kids not knowing their grandparents, he slowly started seeing his parents again.
he gradually started talking to the ol' man about home loans, life insurance, dealing with the little woman and 2 teenagers, back stabbing, two faced co-workers.....other dull dad stuff that he was experiencing.
the ex-teenager was flat amazed to find out how smart his dull, backwards, uncooth father had become in all the years he was away!!!!!!
*****
RIP, Dad.....the longer you are gone, the more i miss you and realize what you sacrificed for your family.
i am now stepping off my internet soap box and heading for the gym.
peace.