In today's world, everyone has a position or opinion on every subject imaginable. Whether you're conservative or liberal, eco-friendly or not, pro guns, or woman's rights, we seem to define ourselves by these so called stances. The problem is people change their positions on things more than they bathe. "Well, I was for big oil but now that political parties in power have changed, I'm all for the environment", please tell me you've never heard someone say that. And yes, people are allowed to learn from their mistakes but not every five minutes. I just happen to think that your philosophies in life shouldn't be tossed around like a tumbleweed in the wind.
While I could write an endless rant about politicians on this subject, I think I'll stick to one of my favorite topics, Parenting. I can't tell you how many of my buddies were so excited and pumped up for the birth of their child. They would come home from the hospital with a completely different look on life. They would make promises to be a Super Dad. They were going to be the Tee Ball coach, the Scout leader, Dance recital fanatic, and Cheerleader Dad of the decade. Then before little Johnny or Susie makes their fourth birthday, Dad has found something more interesting. Whether it's sports, leisure, or neglect, little Johnny is no longer the most important thing in their life. How can you be so passionate about something and just drift off to another thing? How do you explain to your kid that his "newness" has worn off? Bet that conversation does wonders for little Susie's self esteem. Sorry sweetie, maybe the wind will change direction and pouring my life into you will come back in style. Moms on the other hand take a little longer to fizzle out. In fact the problem is sometimes Mom doesn't ever fizzle out. When little Johnny was born the promise was to raise and nurture him until he's ready to be his own man. Some Moms don't stick to the plan. When it comes time to push little Johnny out of the nest, the winds of Motherhood blow and Johnny is babied until he's thirty. These Moms create what a friend of mine calls a "adult-child hybrid". Like the commercial when thirty year old little Johnny comes home and Mom has a "smothered burrito" waiting for him. Why would little Johnny ever want to get married and move out with that kind of treatment at home?
Sticking to your beliefs applies to more than just parenting. If you believe that donating your time to feed the homeless is a worthy cause, don't let some bitter conspiracy theorist turn you against that. If you believe in standing up for battered women is a just thing to do, then don't let the fact that one woman abused the system steer you away from your work. If you believe in God, would you stop because people are protesting outside your church? I personally donate a ridiculous amount of time to Scouting, and we are in the middle of a wind driven firestorm. But my belief is that boys need men to teach them skills in this life and no political incited controversy is going to stop me from doing what I'm dedicated to doing. Never let someone else's words, actions, or ugliness dictate what you believe in. In the end it's not how hard the winds blew, it's how well you stayed the course.
