IF ALL YOUR FRIENDS JUMPED OFF A CLIFF WOULD YOU?

O.K. HOW MANY OF YOU JUST HAD A FLASH BACK? I'M SURE WE HAVE ALL HEARD THIS EXPRESSION OR SOME PHRASE SIMILAR TO IT. MATTER OF FACT IT PROBABLY HAS BEEN UTTERED TO US AT SOME POINT DURING OUR YOUTH. FROM EITHER A PARENT, GRANDPARENT, TEACHER, COACH, YOUTH LEADER OR SOME ADULT IN OUR LIFE. IT IS ONE OF THOSE SAYINGS THAT MADE US GO NUTS WHEN WE HEARD IT, WE JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE THE STUPIDITY OF ADULTS, YET IT WAS THE PROOF WE NEEDED THAT WE WERE RIGHT, ADULTS ARE STUPID. WE VOWED RIGHT THEN AND THERE THAT WE WOULD NEVER SAY THAT TO OUR CHILDREN. O.K. FLASH FORWARD ABOUT FIFTEEN YEARS, YOUR CHILD IS RELENTLESSLY ASKING YOU FOR THE UMPTEEN TIME, WHY, WHY CAN'T I DO IT? ALL MY FRIENDS ARE. WAIT, THINK, NOPE TO LATE, IT COMES OUT "SO, IF ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS JUMPED OFF A CLIFF WOULD YOU? DOE.
THERE IT IS, YOU HAVE A FLASH BACK, YOU CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT, BLAME IT ON THE ADULT WHO BRAIN WASHED YOU, HOWEVER IT'S TOO LATE, YOU SAID IT, IT'S OUT THERE AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU WISH YOU COULD, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT BACK, YOUR ONLY HOPE IS MAYBE TRUE TO FORM YOU CHILD WASN'T REALLY LISTENING TO YOU. WAIT, NOPE, THERE IT IS THAT SAME ROLL OF THE EYES AND GLAZED LOOK ON THEIR FACE THAT YEP, IT'S OFFICIAL MY PARENT IS AN IDIOT LOOK, THAT WE REMEMBER ALL TO WELL FROM OUR YOUTH. USUALLY FOLLOWED BY A HAND ON A HIP, A FOOT STOMP AND A MARCH OFF. WOW, DEJAVUE.

NOW IF ONLY YOU COULD HAVE A DO OVER, TURN THE CLOCK BACK ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. FOR A FLEETING MOMENT YOU WRESTLE WITH THE IDEA, THAT NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU SAID IT IN YOUR YOUTH, "WHEN I GROW UP AND HAVE KIDS, I AM NEVER GOING TO DO OR SAY THAT", NOW AS AN ADULT YOU REALIZE MAYBE YOU ARE MORE LIKE YOUR PARENTS THEN YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADMIT, OR MAYBE YOU HAVE THAT FAINT FEELING OF A BOND WITH YOUR PARENT, THAT YOU KNOW, NOW I UNDERSTAND WHY THEY SAID OR DID THAT, MAYBE IT ISN'T SO STUPID AFTER ALL, MAYBE I SHOULD GIVE MY PARENT A LITTLE MORE CREDIT, OR AT LEAST SYMPATHY OR AT VERY LEAST PITTY.

THIS HAS HAPPENED OH SO MANY TIMES IN MY ADULT LIFE AS A PARENT. MORE TIMES THEY I CARE TO REMEMBER. I'M SURE IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TO MY CHILDREN, EVEN THOUGH I AM PRETTY SURE I NEVER SAID THE ABOVE PHRASE TO THEM. IT IS FRIGHTENING AND ENLIGHTENING ALL AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN WE SEE A LITTLE OF OUR PARENT OR AN "ADULT" IN OUR SELF. WE ARE WAY TO COOL, TO BE AN "ADULT" AND SAY SUCH CRAZY AND JUST PLAIN DUMB THINGS, THAT ONLY ADULTS SAY. I MEAN REALLY YOU WOULD NEVER CATCH ANY COOL YOUTH QUOTING SUCH CRAZINESS.

SO, NOW AS AN ADULT, IT IS MY TAKE ON IT, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, WAY BACK IN THE "OLDEN DAYS", I'M SURE THIS PHRASE AND MANY OTHERS, HAD SOME TYPE OF MERRIT TO THEM. HOWEVER, OVER THE YEARS THEY HAVE LOST SOMETHING, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN UPDATED IF YOU WILL. I BELIEVE THAT WITH EACH AND EVERY NEW GENERATION, THE YOUTH BECOME MORE COMPLEX, INTELLIGENT, WISE BEYOND THEIR YEARS, SO WE HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH THEM, CHANGE WITH THEM. SO I THINK IF THIS PHRASE IS GOING TO BE CARRIED ON TO A NEW GENERATION THAT WE NEED TO ALTER IT OR TREAK IT A BIT. IT SHOULD GO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

"IF ALL YOUR FRIENDS JUMPED OFF A CLIFF, I EXPECT YOU TO BE AT THE BOTTOM READY TO CATCH THEM".

BECAUSE I EXPECT YOU TO BE LOYAL TO YOUR VALUES AND MORALES, AND NOT BE PRESSURED INTO ANYTHING BY YOUR PEERS. I ALSO EXPECT YOU TO BE A PERSON AND A FRIEND THAT THEY CAN DEPEND ON, THAT IF AND WHEN THEY MAKE A BAD JUDGEMENT YOU WILL BE THERE TO CATCH THEM, OR HELP THEM UP. THIS IS ALSO A GREAT WAY TO GIVE A QUICK "LESSON" ON LOYALTIY AND DEPENDABILITY.

NOW HOW ABOUT SOME OF THOSE OTHER CRAZY PHRASES PARENTS AND OTHER ADULTS WOULD SAY, LIKE, I HAD TO WALK TO SCHOOL, BAREFOOT, IN THE SNOW, AND UP HILL BOTH WAYS. OR HOW ABOUT THESE; IN MY DAY ...., BECAUSE I SAID SO, BECAUSE I'M THE PARENT THAT'S WHY, WE'LL SEE, DON'T MAKE ME....., OR ELSE?, STOP THAT CRYING OR I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO REALLY CRY ABOUT, OH THAT COULDN'T HAVE HURT, IF YOU DON'T NARK OUT YOUR SIBLINGS WE ARE GOING TO PUNISH YOU ALL, HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE IT IF YOU NEVER TRIED IT, KIDS IN CHINA ARE STARVING, DO YOU THINK MONEY GROWS ON TREES, SHUT THE DOOR WERE YOU RAISED IN A BARN, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOUR FRIENDS ARE DOING I'M NOT THEIR PARENT.

I GUESS I HAVE LEARNED THAT BEING LIKE MY PARENTS ISN'T REALLY SUCH A BAD THING AFTER ALL. THEY WERE GREAT PARENTS DESPITE A FEW "DUMB" SAYINGS. IF I AM AS GOOD A PARENT AS MINE, DUMB SAYINGS AND ALL THEN MY KIDS WERE PRETTY LUCKY TOO.

SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CRAZY PHRASES YOU REMEMBER, THAT YOU WERE SURE YOU WOULD NEVER REPEAT? AND DID YOU? LET ME KNOW?