I was watching TV this morning and I (accidentally) put on The View. Honestly, I've never watched it before but the TV was on that channel and the topic made me pause. They (I can't define who 'they' are. I don't know who the heck those women were.. except Whoopie because Whoopie rocks it) were talking about Sororities and how AWFUL the idea is. One woman, in particular, said that Sororities should be banned because they are not inclusive and thus will hurt peoples feelings.
Your snowflake is showing.
College is one step away from the real adult world. One tiny step away from your parents not taking care of your butts, theoretically. You graduate, you enter the job market, you get turned down because other people are cuter, smarter, more qualified, have influential daddys, or better interview skills. That's life. The idea that Sororities will somehow damage the psyche of poor poor college students makes me twitch. By the time you are 19 years old you should understand that the world is not inclusive. You have to fight for what you want.
The idea that we can protect children from the harshness of reality is not a new one. Just google 'trophies for all kids' to find a huge list of stories about protecting children from the idea of losing. I find that idea disturbing. I want my child to strive for excellence. If he gets a pat on the head for just showing up then what am I really teaching him?
I watch the Little League World Series on ESPN every year. It is a huge guilty pleasure of mine to see those kids trying to kick butt and take names. They have a deep love of the game that adults have lost. Their little league is all about the sport instead of money and endorsements. It's a fantastic afternoon of TV. When teams lose you sometimes see the children cry. Then you see them pick their asses up and shake hands with the opposing team. You get to see them grow, just a tiny bit.
My son will always be my precious perfect darling. Even as he gets older and starts to find his own way he will always be my angel. That doesn't mean I expect the world to give him a pass. I hope that I can teach him to respect himself enough to work for what he wants. I hope I'm wise enough to pass on that lesson. I think it will help him become a man that I can be proud of.
Tonight, of course, none of that matters. Tonight my son is still tiny. Tonight my son has not been influenced by the outside world. Tonight my son just sleeps.. like the angel he is.
