Parents: Get With the Program

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Most of you are in your teens to twenties and probably live with strict parents. Especially if you’re an only child or a younger sibling, things tend to seem unfair. Some parents fall back relentlessly on ideals from the 50s (if not older) and never seem to let them go. Tonight, I’m going to dispel some of these ridiculous myths that you may have heard throughout your lifetime.

1.”If you hang out with nothing but men, you’re a whore.” – FALSE. Ladies, guess what? We can have nothing but guys as friends and it’s okay. Why? Because they’re human just like us and maybe you prefer to do things with them as opposed to women. It’s perfectly okay and by no means are you a whore. Rather, you just have awesome friends you like to do things with.

2.”Everyone is out to get you.” – FALSE. For starters, this is something you shouldn’t tell someone with anxiety or paranoia because it only makes it worse. Regardless, yes, the world is comprised of wonderful people and terrible people. Not everyone is out to get you because they are too focused on their lives to even care about you. However, it is still good to be cautious when venturing out in the world – just don’t overdo it.

3.”You need a man to do things and go places with.” – FALSE.  I’m pretty sure that most of us can handle ourselves in this world. Granted, there’s nothing wrong with the buddy system and hanging out with friends is fun. Yet there are some days when we want to have some ‘me’ time and do things we want to without anyone’s company. We don’t need an escort or a chaperone. We can do it all ourselves.

4. “You can’t drive alone at night because it’s dangerous.” – FALSE. Want to know the difference between day time driving and night time driving? Headlights. There’s also a fewer amount of cars on the road as well as people, but as long as you know where you’re going, stay awake, and keep your doors locked, you should be fine.

5. “You shouldn’t wear boys’ clothes because you’ll look like a lesbian.” – FALSE. Why not dress in boys’ clothes? For the record, I am incredibly girly – I will wear pink frilly dresses until I’m deceased, but I love wearing big shirts and men’s sweatpants because they are comfortable. Am I a lesbian? No, I am a heterosexual, but I do believe homosexuals have an equal right to marry, to wear whatever they want, and to be treated as a normal person.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to subscribe, share, comment, and critique.

So tell me, what are some things your parents say that drive you insane?

Cutting the Cord

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Most of my readers are adults if not young adolescents blooming into adulthood.  Adulthood is a wonderful time when you realize that the world is harsh, you must do everything you can to survive, take on responsibilities, and complete with a mountain of stress and surprisingly good times. In this new era of your life, you will still have your parents, but at some point you need to cut the umbilical cord. Here’s why.

5.  You’re No Longer a Child

Your parents will always think of you as their child and after a while, it will start to get annoying. You’re in your twenties, your maturity is still growing, your brain is caught between the dying child and the rapidly growing adult you’re trying to be. Some parents realize this, others not so much. You have to tell them where you are in life; inform them that you are not their princess or astronaut. You’re an adult now and you’re going to do what you please. This will be hard to execute especially if you still live at home and your parents cook for you, but regardless, you must make your stand.

4.It’s Your Life, Not Theirs

Since it’s your life you can do whatever you please. You can make pudding at 5 am for no reason, you can stay out late, you can even drink (if you so desire). You will do things they may detest (get a tattoo, go to a club, eat different ethnical food, etc.), but you are doing these things; not them. Yes you will make bad decisions, but bad decisions are all a part of learning, and yes, your parents will try to stray you from them. Take their advice, keep it in the back of your head, do your research before doing anything drastic, and decide what you want to do. It is your life after all.

3. Independence

From doing what you so desire, you will gain independence. Being independent is possibly the best feeling in the world because you can rely on yourself to do what you need to do. Also from independence your anxiety will gradually taper off, your confidence will escalate, your maturity will grow, and you will learn the nature of this world as well as the many kind hearted souls and bitter hearts that inhabit it.  

2. Your Parents Won’t Always Be There

You’ll eventually move out when you can afford a place or they will unfortunately pass on. Tying in with independence, you will also learn how to function when your parents aren’t around.  So must learn how to act on your own without your mother or father holding your hand. In life, the only ones who will hold your hand are your spouse, children, and best friend, but even then they won’t always be there for you. So you have to learn how to hold your hand and lead yourself into the world.

1. You Will Be Your Own Self

If not develop into your own self. Your personality will be different from everyone else’s. You will develop into that wonderful person you want to be and from it you will flourish greatly. Embrace that person and if you want to change that person, then don’t be afraid to do so. Change introduces us to new perspectives, new ideas, new methods, and new experiences. Also don’t worry if you don’t automatically become this new person you so desire to be. It takes time. Days, months, years, it will take time; but don’t worry about it. The more experiences you gain in your life, the more they will contribute into knowing  and becoming who you are.

Thanks for reading today’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, share, and critique.

So tell me, what’s your favorite experience in life so far?

A Table for the Modern Family

Welcome to yet another end of the week at The Magical Mystery Blog.

I can imagine that most of you enjoy going out on the weekends, possibly venturing out to a bar or a nice restaurant. In eateries everywhere, many customers come and go – teenagers who are on first dates, a group of friends, a parents’ night away from the kids, and families with children.  

Honestly, I love children. They’re new to the world and have clear slates for minds that can be filled with knowledge. Their imaginations are as vast as the ocean, especially at this tender age where they’re exploring everything. Their curiosity knows no bounds because they want to understand life and all its complexities and simplicities.

However, there are times when kids act inappropriately in public such as treating the location like a playground, screaming like they’re on a roller coaster, or overall, just being a pain in the nose. They misbehave and sometimes the parents let them do what they please with the philosophy of,”They’re just children. They don’t know any better.”

Yes, children do not know better. They were not born with instructions on how to act in a restaurant or how to not run around in a department store. But that’s where parents step in and teach them how to act, show them what’s wrong and right to do in public, and discipline them. Or so that’s how it should be.

On September 19^th, 2013 a family was kicked out of a Texas Applebee’s due to their children’s  (ages 1 and 3) disruptive behavior. Apparently their children were sprinting all over the establishment and screaming at guests. To make matters even worse, the parents proceeded to fight in front of the entire restaurant. The manager had received tons of complaints about this particular family and asked them to leave. No sooner they stepped outside Applebees, the county sheriff handed them a criminal trespass slip. The owner of the establishment did not want them in the restaurant anymore due to their behavior. However, he apologized afterwards and offered them a free meal to which they declined.

huffpost.com

The father, Gau, claims that his two boys “act like children. They’re not adults” which is all well and good but it’s a matter of controlling them.  It’s also an issue of handling yourself in public. If you know your children are running amok and causing a ruckus, there is no need to join them. Take them by the hand, instruct them that what they’re doing is wrong, and why. That’s what you’re there for; you’re a parent, a mentor, a teacher. Children look up to their mother and father for guidance on every level from dining out to school help.

While I’m not a parent myself, I hear stories and even see situations like this occur almost every day.  I often compare how my mother and father raised me to other parents' methods. When I was a child, I was taught how to behave in locations. Of course, I wasn't always obedient. I probably misbehaved some in my day. But even so, it’s also common sense; if you have a child it’s your responsibility to take care of them.  You brought them into this world, now you have to raise them.

I believe that what Applebee's did was right because the family was disruptive and ruining the night of other guests. I do not think the restaurant was racist because race has nothing to do with this situation. It was a matter of how they controlled their children and themselves – not the color of their skin. They failed to properly discipline their two sons and themselves and got what they deserved. At first I thought that alerting the police was a bit extreme but then I considered the situation. If you were a restaurant owner with a chaotic family, would you want them to return to your establishment?

What do you think? Was Applebee's right in what they did? Please leave your comments below and as always feedback and followers are welcomed.