I was going along, minding my own business, and I read a post over at Interstellar Adventures that certainly made me stop and think.
No, I’m not like the guy in her post, but I do have a, shall we say, quick temper. This wasn’t always the case, but it is nowadays.
I get short tempered with the kids. I yell at cars that act like Idiots (or Maniacs, see Carlin, George). Sometimes I yell at the TV. I’m very quick to say “no” to a request, and also can be quick to judge a situation. And I wonder why my kids yell at each other?
One night (day?) recently, I heard my wife and kids around the kitchen table. I think they were working on homework, but they were also talking about something fun they wanted to do. I don’t remember exact details, but the gist of the conversation was that somebody had to go ask Dad about something, and they didn’t want to do it.
My. kids. Didn’t want to talk to me. They were afraid of what I might say. Or do.
Clearly, something’s gotta give. I can’t be perfect, but I can do better. I gotta have more patience, I gotta stop and think before I open my mouth. I gotta support my family more, instead of insisting on rigid compliance with how I expect things to go. Wish me luck.
