Don’t Let The Door Hit You
I happened to catch an interview with a 30-year-old man who lost a court case, brought by his parents, who wanted him to get the hell out of their house.
“I want to leave,” the Rochester, NY man said. “I don’t want to live with those people anymore.”
“Why don’t you go then?” The interviewer asked him.
“I don’t yet have the means,” he said.
“Do you have a job?”
“Not right now.”
And a funny thing happened.
I felt badly for the guy.
I thought about my own children. I don’t see how I would ever serve them with papers to make them go. If they’re still here at 50 years old, I’ll be calling them to see what they want for dinner.
“Will you talk to your parents? Will that relationship be repaired?”
“Nope,” he said. “I’m all done with them.”
“You have six months before you have to go,” the interviewer said.
“After that, I won’t see them again.”
The man was easily confused by any question that required any thought.
I get it.
We want our children to succeed. We need them to be strong, independent and self-reliant...
...and a five-minute interview doesn’t give you the whole story.
Perhaps he moves from his bed, to the couch and back to his bed.
Maybe he needs a swift kick in the ass.
“I lost custody of my kid and it’s a full-time job as I work on my case to get him back.”
I didn’t get the impression that he was a lawyer, and from time to time I’ve come across people who have faced a problem by finding three more.
“I wish you all the luck in the world. I hope it works out for you and your parents, and try to remember, you only get one Mom and Dad.”
The guy didn’t want to hear it.
And there’s a lot of people talking about the story today. People wondering how the parents could do it. Others bashing the man who appears too lost to find his feet.
I was just sad for all of them.
Your parents saying, “Get the hell out!”
Simply brings sadness.
“I want to leave,” the Rochester, NY man said. “I don’t want to live with those people anymore.”
“Why don’t you go then?” The interviewer asked him.
“I don’t yet have the means,” he said.
“Do you have a job?”
“Not right now.”
And a funny thing happened.
I felt badly for the guy.
I thought about my own children. I don’t see how I would ever serve them with papers to make them go. If they’re still here at 50 years old, I’ll be calling them to see what they want for dinner.
“Will you talk to your parents? Will that relationship be repaired?”
“Nope,” he said. “I’m all done with them.”
“You have six months before you have to go,” the interviewer said.
“After that, I won’t see them again.”
The man was easily confused by any question that required any thought.
I get it.
We want our children to succeed. We need them to be strong, independent and self-reliant...
...and a five-minute interview doesn’t give you the whole story.
Perhaps he moves from his bed, to the couch and back to his bed.
Maybe he needs a swift kick in the ass.
“I lost custody of my kid and it’s a full-time job as I work on my case to get him back.”
I didn’t get the impression that he was a lawyer, and from time to time I’ve come across people who have faced a problem by finding three more.
“I wish you all the luck in the world. I hope it works out for you and your parents, and try to remember, you only get one Mom and Dad.”
The guy didn’t want to hear it.
And there’s a lot of people talking about the story today. People wondering how the parents could do it. Others bashing the man who appears too lost to find his feet.
I was just sad for all of them.
Your parents saying, “Get the hell out!”
Simply brings sadness.
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