Mike Ramey
09-06-2002, 02:42 PM
FOR TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS
There are some who may consider the upcoming words a bit on the ‘harsh’ side.
Nevertheless, I consider them a very needed public service.
Brothers, for some reason, the teenagers and young adults of today are a bit ‘slower’ in the brainpan than WE were, when WE were coming up.
Maybe--it’s something in the water?
Maybe--it’s something in the home?
Maybe--it’s something in the streets?
One of the more ‘attention getting’ public service pieces I can recall from the past was the one where you say the frying pan on the stove, and saw an egg being scrambled. You know, the famous: ‘This IS your Brain on Drugs’ Public Service Ad.
Well, that’s what I’m trying to create here.
MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE CLASSROOM:
During my ‘glory’ days as a grade 6-12 Substitute Teacher, there were always some ‘classroom trinkets’ of wisdom the teachers managed to pass on to their students.
This one has always been my favorite, because I used it IN the classroom, and I continue to use it OUT of the classroom. An Anonymous work simply entitled:
“Ten Tips For Teenagers”.
TEN TIPS FOR TEENAGERS
(PROBABLY WRITTEN BY A TEACHER)
*Life is not fair. Get used to it!
*It's not your parents' fault, or your teacher's fault if you mess up. This is the flip side to: "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me."
*The real world will not care as much about your self-esteem as your school.
*If you think that your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.
*Some Schools give you as much time as you want to find the answer. Standards are set low enough so everyone can meet them. This is not the way the business world operates. If you can't or won't do it, they WILL fire you and hire someone else who can and will.
*Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it 'opportunity'.
*Sorry, but you won't make $40,000/year right out of high school and probably not even right out of college. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't come with a designer label.
*Work is NOT divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off (not even spring break). You are expected to show up for work every day for eight hours, and you don't get a new life every ten to fifteen weeks. When you DO get a vacation, you will probably have to do twice as much work the week before you leave, and twice as much work the week after you return.
*When your employer has to downsize, seniority USUALLY WILL prevail. After this, they will keep the workers who show up early, leave late, and work harder...even in government jobs.
*The Harder you work, the luckier you will get.
**Bonus: If this sounds harsh, just remember. It would be wrong for us to teach you than 1+1=3. In the same way, it would be wrong for us to teach you that life is, what it isn't. This is life. We tell you this because we care.
SO, WHY NOT SOMETHING FOR YOUNG ADULTS?
Brothers, teenagers eventually STILL become young adults.
The learning MUST continue, so I’ve added another list of ‘truisms’ to the first one: “Ramey’s Rules For Young Adults”.
RAMEY’S RULES FOR YOUNG ADULTS
*Get used to the following phrase: “We’d like a copy of your High School and College Transcript.”
*Guess What? Many employers STILL don’t care about your self-esteem!
*How YOU treat your parents is going to be how YOUR kids will treat YOU!
*The MORE you cuss, the LESS you will be taken seriously.
*The Bible is your friend, not your enemy!
*For Young Men: Prison records don’t impress future employers.
*For Young Women: See number Six.
*If you CAN’T remember where you spent the night before, DON’T DO IT AGAIN!
*The learning does NOT stop when you get your diploma/degree.
*Abstinence means you’ll never hear the words: “I’m pregnant” BEFORE you get married.
*Never buy anything from someone selling something out of the trunk of a car.
*There IS no such thing as ‘getting rich quick’.
*If you have a checkered past, change directions. Otherwise you will have a checkered past AND present.
*Give God HIS share, off the top of your pay. HE will make sure that your month ends before your pay does.
*The best thing to sleep with is a CLEAR conscience.
*Lottery tickets are NOT a wise tool for financial planning.
*In relationships, MORE does not mean BETTER unless they are FRIENDSHIPS.
*Get to places before time or on time. Consistent tardiness is NOT the hallmark of a young man or young woman on their way UP!
*Manners will take you far--the right way. Lack of manners will take you farther--the wrong way. YOU decide the distance.
When you START paying your own bills, taxes, and expenses, THEN YOU realize that you CAN’T have it ‘all’.
*The Voter Registration Card. Don’t leave home without it--especially during election years.
OTHER TIPS ARE OUT THERE:
I know that more than a few of these brought a smile to your lips, and caused more than a few heads to nod. Why not add a few of your own, and send it off to a young person--along with this column--whom YOU may know.
One cannot succeed in life without the right kind of information.
Especially from those of us who care.
MIKE RAMEY is the author of THE MANHOOD LINE. A syndicated, monthly column, written from a biblical, business, and common sense perspective. Emails welcome to manhood line@yahoo.com. ©2002. Mike Ramey/Barnstorm Communications International. (4)
There are some who may consider the upcoming words a bit on the ‘harsh’ side.
Nevertheless, I consider them a very needed public service.
Brothers, for some reason, the teenagers and young adults of today are a bit ‘slower’ in the brainpan than WE were, when WE were coming up.
Maybe--it’s something in the water?
Maybe--it’s something in the home?
Maybe--it’s something in the streets?
One of the more ‘attention getting’ public service pieces I can recall from the past was the one where you say the frying pan on the stove, and saw an egg being scrambled. You know, the famous: ‘This IS your Brain on Drugs’ Public Service Ad.
Well, that’s what I’m trying to create here.
MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE CLASSROOM:
During my ‘glory’ days as a grade 6-12 Substitute Teacher, there were always some ‘classroom trinkets’ of wisdom the teachers managed to pass on to their students.
This one has always been my favorite, because I used it IN the classroom, and I continue to use it OUT of the classroom. An Anonymous work simply entitled:
“Ten Tips For Teenagers”.
TEN TIPS FOR TEENAGERS
(PROBABLY WRITTEN BY A TEACHER)
*Life is not fair. Get used to it!
*It's not your parents' fault, or your teacher's fault if you mess up. This is the flip side to: "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me."
*The real world will not care as much about your self-esteem as your school.
*If you think that your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.
*Some Schools give you as much time as you want to find the answer. Standards are set low enough so everyone can meet them. This is not the way the business world operates. If you can't or won't do it, they WILL fire you and hire someone else who can and will.
*Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it 'opportunity'.
*Sorry, but you won't make $40,000/year right out of high school and probably not even right out of college. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't come with a designer label.
*Work is NOT divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off (not even spring break). You are expected to show up for work every day for eight hours, and you don't get a new life every ten to fifteen weeks. When you DO get a vacation, you will probably have to do twice as much work the week before you leave, and twice as much work the week after you return.
*When your employer has to downsize, seniority USUALLY WILL prevail. After this, they will keep the workers who show up early, leave late, and work harder...even in government jobs.
*The Harder you work, the luckier you will get.
**Bonus: If this sounds harsh, just remember. It would be wrong for us to teach you than 1+1=3. In the same way, it would be wrong for us to teach you that life is, what it isn't. This is life. We tell you this because we care.
SO, WHY NOT SOMETHING FOR YOUNG ADULTS?
Brothers, teenagers eventually STILL become young adults.
The learning MUST continue, so I’ve added another list of ‘truisms’ to the first one: “Ramey’s Rules For Young Adults”.
RAMEY’S RULES FOR YOUNG ADULTS
*Get used to the following phrase: “We’d like a copy of your High School and College Transcript.”
*Guess What? Many employers STILL don’t care about your self-esteem!
*How YOU treat your parents is going to be how YOUR kids will treat YOU!
*The MORE you cuss, the LESS you will be taken seriously.
*The Bible is your friend, not your enemy!
*For Young Men: Prison records don’t impress future employers.
*For Young Women: See number Six.
*If you CAN’T remember where you spent the night before, DON’T DO IT AGAIN!
*The learning does NOT stop when you get your diploma/degree.
*Abstinence means you’ll never hear the words: “I’m pregnant” BEFORE you get married.
*Never buy anything from someone selling something out of the trunk of a car.
*There IS no such thing as ‘getting rich quick’.
*If you have a checkered past, change directions. Otherwise you will have a checkered past AND present.
*Give God HIS share, off the top of your pay. HE will make sure that your month ends before your pay does.
*The best thing to sleep with is a CLEAR conscience.
*Lottery tickets are NOT a wise tool for financial planning.
*In relationships, MORE does not mean BETTER unless they are FRIENDSHIPS.
*Get to places before time or on time. Consistent tardiness is NOT the hallmark of a young man or young woman on their way UP!
*Manners will take you far--the right way. Lack of manners will take you farther--the wrong way. YOU decide the distance.
When you START paying your own bills, taxes, and expenses, THEN YOU realize that you CAN’T have it ‘all’.
*The Voter Registration Card. Don’t leave home without it--especially during election years.
OTHER TIPS ARE OUT THERE:
I know that more than a few of these brought a smile to your lips, and caused more than a few heads to nod. Why not add a few of your own, and send it off to a young person--along with this column--whom YOU may know.
One cannot succeed in life without the right kind of information.
Especially from those of us who care.
MIKE RAMEY is the author of THE MANHOOD LINE. A syndicated, monthly column, written from a biblical, business, and common sense perspective. Emails welcome to manhood line@yahoo.com. ©2002. Mike Ramey/Barnstorm Communications International. (4)