My hero / Mey heroi!

We live in a society where we want to be always right, to be on top, to be the best... ( yeah, pathetically, I am guilty as charged - although, in baby steps, I have been working on changing it).

Well, the story happened at a friend's house.

My kids were out, in different places, and we were keeping contact via phone. A friend saw me chatting with them and asked:

- where are the girls?

- out. the driver is just going to pick them up

- that's just wrong!

I bit my tongue and said: we just have different parenting styles ( helloooo, the person in question is not a parent).

But she was not ready to let it go:

- You know what? It is wrong. They should not be out this late. and the whole teenager community is in a bad shape at the moment. They don't have respect for authority, they do as they please, they have no values.

ok. Opinions aside, me and Fabio have the right to choose how to raise our children. And we do.

- Well, I disagree. I think we were as bad - but time helps us forget.

- No! We were good. We had values, we had respect.

Then another friend came to my rescue:

- I think Inaie is right.

And back she comes:

- No! These kids have no values, no respect ( here we go again...)

And my savior ( a very successful man)  interrupted the conversation:

- At their age I was in Europe, mixing and mingling with a bad crowd. I broke into homes, I stole stuff. So I can tell you for sure, this generation is no worse than mine.

That was the end of the conversation. And he got my admiration and my respect. Not only because he overcame adversity, but because he made no secret of it. He was proud of who he was - past, present and future. Ah, of course, and because he was on my side too.

Esses dias nos estavamos jantando na casa de amigos enquanto Anita e Lia estavam com amigos, em outras festas. Uma amiga minha me ouviu no telefone,c onversando com as duas e falou:

- Onde estao as meninas?

_ Cada uma numa festa diferente. Estamos combinando o horario delas voltarem pra casa.

- Errado isso.

Respirei fundo, contei ate dez e falei:

- Nos temos estilos diferentes de criar filhos ( pra nao dizer pra fofa que e facil falar quando a gente NAO TEM FILHOS).

Ela nao deixou barato:

- Suas filhas tem 12 e 14 anos, naod everiam estar na rua sozinhas. E essa geracao toda esta estragada. Eels nao tem respeito por autoridade, nao tem valores, nao tem nada de bom.

Nao vou entrar no merito, mas as filhas sao nossas e Fabio e eu exercemos o direito de educa-las como nos achamos correto. Sinto, lamento e choro se isso desagrada a minha colega de jantares.

- Acho que nos eramos tao " ruins" quanto essa geracao, mas o tempo ajuda a apagar a memoria!

- nao. Nao eramos nao. Nos tinhamos valores, tinhamos respeito ( ai, ai, meu saco)

Nisso, do nada, entra em cena um amigo comum ( cara super bem sucedido):

- Olha, aos 12 anos eu morava na Europa, andava com um bandod e delinquentes e meu passatempo favoritoe ra roubar casas enquanto as pessoas iam trabalhar. Naos ei como nao fui pego pela policia - meus pais ate se mudaram para me tirar daquele ambiente pesado!

Acabou com o assunto ali. e ganhou meu respeito e admiracao!