Friday, November 09, 2007

Don’t read this!

This morning after my son got out of the car at school, “Shake Your Booty” by K. C. and the Sunshine Band came on the radio. My first instinct was to turn it off quickly. When I was a kid, my mother didn’t allow me to listen to raunchy songs such as “Shake Your Booty.” And then I looked around the carpool line, remembered I can do whatever I want now, and CRANKED IT UP BABY (with the windows closed).

However, in general, as an adult I didn’t rush to experience everything that was forbidden when I was growing up. You will not find me watching back-to-back reruns of Three’s Company, The Love Boat, and Fantasy Island while scarfing Double-Stuff Oreos and wearing a T-shirt from Fudpucker’s Restaurant that says “You ain’t been pucked till you’ve been Fudpucked,” which I brought back from a high school trip to Florida and mysteriously disappeared from the laundry. (Mom, if you're reading this, do NOT try to deny you took it. I've got your number.)

But people are different, and sometimes I wonder whether my son will turn his back on everything I’ve taught him when he leaves the nest. I can imagine walking into his dorm room to find him watching marathons of Future Weapons, Spongebob Squarepants, and Angelina Ballerina while stuffing his face with Fruit Roll-Ups.

How about you? Do you listen to the lessons of your elders or just nod your head and wait for 18?

4 comments:

Kelly McClymer said...

First -- I never did what I didn't think made sense, no matter what my parents said. I still don't, even though I recognize my parents' wisdom more easily now that I have adult children.

Second -- about 30% of the time I understood after doing things my way why my parents were right. The rest of the time, I'd been right (for myself, not them, obviously).

Third -- no one I knew who was inclined to go their own way waited until 18 to do so, they just learned to hide/sneak/evade/leave.

Apropos of nothing (so I won't give it a number) -- fruit roll ups are addictive at any age, so that may be a losing battle.

Kelly

Wendy Toliver said...

I recall my friend and me standing in front of my house in Houston (so before I was in the 2nd grade, when my fam moved to CO)and singing, "If you want my body and you think I'm sex-y" and boogie-walking (swaying hips) whenever a car would drive by. Then again, people would argue that I didn't turn out okay. LOL.

Jennifer Echols said...

ROFL! *choking on coffee*

Micol Ostow said...

You know, I think I've actually gotten even more responsible, in accordance with the rules of being a boring grown up.

Obviously, because I was such a perfect teenager, I'm going to be rewarded with an unholy terror, when the time comes. Right? Thank goodness I've still got a little while to behave like an overgrown kid myself.