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by GW Lehtinen   Time flies. Only when you are aging, in my opinion, does reflection begin to show in life. It could be in your twenties, thirties, or older. I was told that line, “Time flies,” for years as a youngster, but scoffed at people who mentioned that. It showed my youth, my uncaring attitude, but most of all, my total ignorance about life in general. I used to bump into guys in the gym periodically and saw them with sagging skin, salt-and-pepper hair and beards, or bald. I saw them pumping up, straining under the bar, sweating between [...]

by GW Lehtinen Growing up during the "Pre-Internet" timeline was something to behold.  My own children and their friends would ask me what I did to keep myself entertained and if I ever had any mishaps.  After laughing at the question, I would describe to them numerous accounts of mistakes made and periodic events of mayhem.  It seemed like the Wild West at times back then, and everyone that I knew in my neighborhood had some involvement.  We were "free range," if you will; for example, it was quite normal to ride in the bed of someone's truck without any [...]

by GW Lehtinen Oh, how summer brings back so many memories! One of the first memories I recently had came after watching high school students burst out of the parking lot just like I used to. There was one word that every student seemed to be feeling... FREEDOM! However, the reality of life settled on me like a ton of bricks. Let me explain. Once you have "free time," you quickly realize it isn't really free. You have a car? Great... but now you have responsibilities. A car means gas, maintenance, insurance, and repairs. Before long, you realize you need [...]

by George Lehtinen This will take you back! Remember when we were just plain old kids growing up, and what we usually did for entertainment? I certainly do, and those were magical times where we spent a vast majority of our days playing outside unsupervised until the "streetlight rule" came on. Remember riding our bicycles, roller skates, skateboards, or just walking to our friend's house? I can remember the banana seats, the made-up ramps, playing street baseball, football, or kickball, while some neighbors were seen briefly observing the kids from the front window. They could be seen periodically because the [...]

by GW Lehtinen If the grounding is rather lengthy, there is a chance that the young child will breed resentment toward the parent.  It might also limit their growth in society, which can be unhealthy.  In today's world, modern perspectives say that at times, instead of focusing on the punishment, parents or authority figures should focus on active teaching and sensible consequences.  There has been a shift in the last few decades in styles of discipline.  Traditionally, it was simply to restrict freedom, but grounding, if done frequently, might isolate children and could have them thinking about the parent instead [...]

by GW Lehtinen I distinctly remember two things in my earlier life that left a strong impression on me.  When I was in my first year in college and away from my parents, I was captivated by the freedom, doing what I pleased whenever I chose.  The results from being swept away by having no parents telling me what to do surfaced.  I was on academic probation and getting in trouble with the coaching staff because of my laziness and immaturity.  I certainly deserved it, I knew I royally screwed up, and I had to pay the price.  I did [...]