DeAnn and I have the privilege of keeping some grandkids this week at our house. It has been a while since we have had 3 little ones running, jumping, laughing, and otherwise noisily disrupting our house. There have been a couple of broken items this week as it has been a while since we had to child proof a house. There have been some bruises as grandpa tends to let kids play. There have also been fun times shared between cousins, hugs and tears as they lay in bed wishing to see mom or dad. And of course there have been the occasional fights over toys, as one exclaims “I had it, its mine!” Seems not matter how many balloons or what ever we have these kids want the one they can’t have, the one someone else has and as soon as their cousin loses interest they do to.
4 and 6 year old minds are fun at times, tell them that they can’t have something they want it, tell them that they need something and poof they turn their desire into disdain. We had that experience with Ice cream this week believe it our not, at supper nobody was hungry till Ice cream was mentioned. That of course I expected. The first two wanted chocolate till the last took vanilla. Then one wanted a cookie to top the ice cream. Soon we had three bowls of vanilla each properly topped with an M and M cookie. One of the grandkids finished quickly and went to play, the other two jumped down with cookie in hand to follow, fearing the first would find something fun and they would be left out. That is how Grandpa got two bowls of chocolate, and a bowl of vanilla, sure not going to waste good ice cream.
The last week or so the news media has focused on NSA contractor Ed Snowden, who fled this country after disclosing some classified information. Some claim him to be a hero, others a traitor. Me, I think the truth is in the middle, Mr Snowden has his reasons for disclosing secrets that we don’t fully understand yet, and I bet he doesn’t either. Sometimes our own motives are not as pure as we believe them to be. At the same time I am sure there is a lot about NSA that if citizens knew we would be rioting in the streets even though lives may have been saved by their efforts.
What we do know for certain is that Mr Snowden’s actions were enough to unite some people in Washington, with both sides of the isle declaring Snowden something between a criminal to a traitor. That alone makes him a miracle worker.
Anyhow, the U.S. government wants Snowden back, and hourly another administration official says “give him back, he is ours!”. I have helped raise 5 kids, now I am babysitting 3 grand kids the oldest is six. I was reminded this week how to get what I want and Obama if you want Snowden back, I know how, guaranteed. Fain interest, ignore him. The more you say you want him the more China will want him, the louder you protest the more Moscow will keep him. Make more demands, threaten, and Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador and even Iceland will join in saying” I want Snowden too!”. Want Snowden back pretend not to care, leave him be, children tire to toys quickly when no one else wants them.
Then it hit me, that is what all these politicians sound like to me, a bunch of 3 to 6 year olds. “Mine, give it back!” And to think we let these guys play with some serious spy tools and weapons, while they break some of our valuables like the constitution.
Think it’s time us parents did our job, discipline our children, and take away some of their toys.
David
