Lessons that we learn as children

     I read someplace, most likely on the back of a bumper while sitting in traffic, that youth is wasted on the young.  O the little pearls of wisdom that people choose to plaster on the backsides of their automobiles!

     In our infancy most of us learn basic skills needed to forge through the rest of our lives and with some degree of fortuitousness, the majority of our appendages will still be attached.  Many times, in the microcosm of our childhood, we master small lessons that help to define the tiny world in which we live.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…and especially if there is a prize somewhere in the box.” 

“If you fall down, get back up as quickly as possible and get a band-aid.”

“Ask as many questions as annoyingly as possible until you get everything figured out.”

“Look twice before crossing the street and then call once you get where you’re going.”

And probably the most important lesson we learn as children is “When everything hurts, a kiss from your mother usually makes everything better.”

     All these rules and lessons however, seem to escape us once we become adolescents and much of  the wisdom gained is completely thrown out once the pubic hair grows in.  Our parents’ little angels, suddenly morph into monsters overnight while they sleep safely behind their bedroom door.  Play dates, T-ball, and make believe are replaced by tantrums, speeding tickets and a blatant disregard for any form of perceived authority.

     My folks were patient while I kicked and screamed my way through this phase with what I now see as the patience of Job and just like him, they suffered through while clinging to a small glimmer of hope that “this too shall pass.”

     Recently, my friend found out that he is HIV positive.  He is twenty years old.  Although this is no longer an immediate death sentence, his life will forever be changed in inconceivable ways.

     Each week, as you read this and get a peek into my life and social circles, please remember the lessons we learn as children that keep us out of harm’s way.

“Don’t run with scissors.”

“Never play with fire.”

“Don’t talk to strangers.”

And “Even if it taste good, too much of anything, will give you a stomach ache.”

     Sex is amazing and wonderful and...well, it's a lot like pizza, because even if it's bad, it is still kinda good.  However, too much of anything can leave you feeling sick.  So be careful and protect yourself.  You are your own best friend and besides your mom, no one will ever love you as much, so take care that the lessons learned in your youth are not wasted.