Things Your Mom and Dad Said

[marv2]

Well, I did get mostly A's and a few B's [[or their equivalent number grades). But, I wasn't exactly Little Lord Fauntleroy. I ditched school a few times, got in about 4-5 "official" fights [[fights in school, in which we got caught and stopped by a teacher). But most fights started in school were held in alleys or fields, away from school [[and there were plenty of those that my parents never found out about). I said those cut lips, bruises and black eyes happened in my hockey games[[some did). I carried a switchblade to junior high school every day, as The Ukrainian boys used to jump us.

My father paddled my rear end a few times when I was little. But, he never hit me after I was 8 or so. He figured that once a kid was 8 or 9, he can understand things, and then can have consequences that "hit him where it hurts" if behaving badly, or to learn a lesson. Being grounded for a weekend or two was used. But, my parents couldn't take away my "allowance" or things they normally bought for me, because I didn't get an allowance nor things bought for me, because I was independently wealthy from working in my father's store and earning good money. I worked hard and was worth my salary.

My mother tried to hit me with a broom once, after drinking heavily, when I was 16. But, I ducked [[dodged) and her swing missed, and she wrenched her back. She never tried to strike me again. I didn't really do anything to warrant that. She claimed I "talked back to her". But I was just saying what needed to be said, and not rude or disrespectful, at all. She was too messed up to think straight. Thank goodness she never did that again.

My parents were pretty mild when it came to disciplining their children. Paddling the fanny of kids when they are little is nothing compared what the schools did. In elementary school, our principal [[a big, strong man) took off his belt, and whipped kids who were sent to him. He'd go to prison if he did that now. Teachers whacked you on the knuckles if you talked out of turn, laughed, chewed gum in class, or got up and walked in the room without permission. In junior high school we had an ex CFL lineman for the "swatman". He'd hit the boys in the rear end various numbers of "swats" for various offences, with a wood paddle-ball paddle. There were 4 holes drilled in it to avoid wind resistance, so he could swing it at you faster. You couldn't sit down for a week after getting swatted by him, unless you had a big, plush pillow strapped to your rear. I think I already told you all about my sister's kindergarten teacher, who used to put the transgressing boys under her grand piano, and bang down hard on the keys [[apparently trying to break their ear drums?). And after that, they had to sit in the girls' walk-in "doll house", and listen to the girls laugh at them for 10 minutes at a time. Needless to say she thought boys were "little devils". Another sadist who would have been fired and sued for millions in today's times, and perhaps serve a short prison term as well. Some things were tougher back when I was a kid. So, I one old geezer that wouldn't claim that "EVERYTHING" was better back in "The Good Old Days".

I think a lot of times we look back and remember things as being better then than now. Somethings were better then like Saturday morning cartoons [[they no longer produce and air cartoons on Saturdays in the U.S.). When it comes to physical discipline in the school, it was on the bad side back then but it taught you to be responsible or face the consequences. Today and maybe perhaps the last 25 years there has been a ban in place for paddling/spanking children in schools and results have been mostly disastrous overall. Kids do not respect authority today.