Attitude Adjustment

We all have those sayings that are said to us when we are kids, that make us roll our eyes. For me one of those was when my parents (especially my mom) would say that I needed to have an attitude adjustment. I can remember her saying it to me a few times.

One of those times, was when my birthday fell on the same day as I was showing my hogs in the 4-H fair. It didn't go as well as I thought it should have. I remember I went in to the poultry house to 'get away' from it all. She walked in and I said "This sucks!" I got the glare that only moms can give so well, and quickly changed my statement to "This stinks!" I got lucky that time though, because as soon as she said, "You need an attitude adjustment", my grandpa walked in and all was right in the world in my eyes.

The majority for the time though, my attitude adjustment wasn't so quick in changing. I remember having that statement told to me many a spring/summer Saturday morning. These were the Saturdays that I was sure the grass hadn't grown enough for me to mow our family friend's yard. Of course I would be wrong. I would go there thinking that I would get the morning to relax, enjoy crackers and cheese and watch cable. We would show up and discover (my parents would discover, I never wanted to look) that the grass indeed needed a mowing.

I had different tactics to try and get out of it. It was too hot, I could come back later in the week, whining that my sisters got to take turns and I had to do it all by myself. I can even see why these were all bad tactics now but back then, I thought I would be golden and get away without doing it. Sometimes the tactic of coming back would work with my parents, but really it was just silly for me to do it in the afternoon and not the morning. Oh, well. At times parents would 'threaten' to let someone else do it and make the money. That usually worked on me and I would begrudgingly get the mower out.

I always knew that there was no getting out of it when I got the "You need to get an attitude adjustment" line. I don't know if my parents know it or not, but once I got the mower out and started, there were quite a few times my attitude adjusted in the wrong direction. Looking back, I'm surprised that the mower lasted as long as it did. I would never intentionally try to break it (and I don't think I ever did break it), but I also didn't treat it respectfully. I would pound my fists on the handle bar and I would many a time, push the handle bar down towards the ground lifting the front tires off the ground and then I would just let go. The front tires would slam to the ground. I would do that over and over. I'm guessing that's not the attitude adjustment my parents wanted from me.

There are times I catch myself thinking that one of my students/athletes needs an attitude adjustment. Or I hear in my head, my parents telling me that I need an attitude adjustment. Instead of rolling my eyes, I now nod my head in agreement. It's funny how your parents become 'smarter' the older you get. ;)