Life's little moments
• Apr. 26, 2007 - In the Lead
While driving through our small town today I witnessed something that irritated me. One of our policemen turned left going the wrong way and drove 1/2 of a block down the wrong side of the road, I was the car meeting him and had a few moments of quick escape route planning before he pulled into the parking area at the side of the road. He was just checking up on some kids there (truancy?), and there never was any real danger involved. Nontheless, I began to think about how it would have been handled if I had been him and he me. I'm pretty sure a reckless driving ticket would have been in order as well as a long speech about the example I was setting before those impressionable teens at the side of the road. He could just as easily have pulled into the parking area on the right side of the road and called the kids over, or even crossed the road himself on foot while the passenger policeman held down the fort. Whatever, it was wrong for him to take advantage of his position to do something that he would have ticketed someone else for.
This quickly brought to mind a few times when I have given a deep lecture to one of my children on how they should be more patient and calm when one of their siblings crossed thier personal boundary lines. There have been times (not often) when one of my children then cites me doing the same thing to a lesser degree. While I'm not displaying the same level of anger and physical correction the children are punished for, I can understand their frustration when I tell them to control theirselves, then I irritably snap in my own frustration. I expect the policemen to follow the law as diligently as they want me to, to be honest, even more diligently than they want me to. No doubt my children expect the same from me and are filled with the same anger and righteous indignation when I do what they are not allowed. I don't feel like I make this mistake much, but when I do I'm ashamed. I really want to incite my children to good works, not to indignation and anger. My example is a huge teaching tool, probably my biggest, and I don't want to be caught traveling the wrong way down the road with the excuse that I am Mom, and above the rules. |
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