When I was growing up, my mother taught me to cover my mouth when I yawned or sneezed (it's "unlady-like" to open your mouth without covering it and "unhealthy and inconsiderate" to spread your germs when you sneeze);  to say "please", "thank you" and "you're welcome";  to respect your elders; and to express your gratitude for a gift, if possible both by the spoken word and the written "thank you note". 

All of the above seems to belong in a museum now.  If I happen to meet a young person that shows even one of the above "lost manners", I always try to tell them and/or their parents how wonderful it is that the young person is so polite.

I distinctly remember lessons I was taught very, very young.  I was still sleeping in a crib and would not stop crying, keep quiet and go to sleep. 

Finally, my father came in, slapped me once on the butt, laid me down and told me to go to sleep.  I did!

I remember my mom, much later, telling me that my dad didn't sleep the whole night because he was upset he had slapped his little girl.  (My diaper prevented any pain, but the shock worked and I followed directions!)

My next lesson was at age 10 or 11.  We lived five miles from town and a visit to town on a Saturday was a real treat.  One Saturday my dad took my friend along with us.  We were told to be back at the car at a certain time; my father gave me his watch.

We forgot the time and when we returned to where the car was supposed to be, it was gone!  I called my dad, crying and begging him to come get us.

He said, "No, I don't think so.  I told you when you were supposed to be at the car and you weren't there.  Now, get yourselves home."

More pleading and sobbing and promises to never, ever be late again, then he said, "Alright.  I'll come get you girls, but don't you ever forget your promise to never be late again."

To this day, I totally hate being late!  It's almost like my dad is reminding me of my solemn promise.

I grew older; 13 or 14.  I loved to chew gum and crack it, which annoyed my dad very much.  For some reason I always knew when to stop cracking my gum before he got completly angry.

Until one day when I wasn't really paying attention---just happily cracking away and ignoring the "stop that", repeated many times. Suddenly, my dad was towering over me as I sat, (he was 6'1" tall) cross-legged in my chair!

"I TOLD you to STOP that", he yelled; reached over and slapped me on the face!  (Not litely and no diaper in the way this time!)

I can't tell you how shocked I was!  I never even chewed gum around my dad after that.  As a matter of fact, I didn't start chewing gum again until I was in my 60's!

Who teaches their children lessons these days that they will remember, and act upon, for a lifetime?

My father's favorite motto in life was, "A good day's work for a good day's pay!"  I remember that being repeated to me ever since I could understand the words.

It's stood me in good stead my whole life; both by doing it and by letting my prospective employers know about how I felt and lived my life.

What lessons have you been taught or teach your children?  Will our country continue to be as callous, disrespectful and inconsiderate of other people, their feelings and their property as it seems so many people are today?  Why do people, especially young people, celebrate

their "team winning" a game by rioting, burning and destroying other people's property?

Do they ever think that what they are destroying could be their parents property, or how they would feel, someday, when someone else celebrates by burning their property that they worked hard for?  How would they feel if "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" were an actual fact?

Seldom do young people, sometimes older ones also, ever ty to "put themselves in the other people's shoes"---look at life through a different set of eyes!  What you might see and feel might amaze you and change the way you not only look at life, but live your life.

Then, when you get into your later years, you won't have to look at the world and say,

"What happened?"