Monday, May 4, 2009

Curb Your Emotions


My neighborhood doesn’t have curbs. I’m not sure who decides whether or not to add curbs to the side of the road but regardless, it is pretty easy to tell when you have crossed the line; the feeling is completely different and it’s easy to lose control.

Curb. That is one of those words that sounds weird when you say it more than once. By definition, it means to “restrain, hold back, limit, control.”

If you’ve ever “accidentally” hit a curb, you are familiar with the jolt of the correction. Immediately, you are set back on course. No curb and it’s up to you to get back on course.

When I hear, “Curb your emotions,” I picture a little concrete wall that keeps me from getting out of line. Unfortunately, those little curbs are just that…little. Easy to jump and disregard.

So here’s a question, if your teen jumps the curb and hits a tree, do they blame the city for not installing curbs? Maybe they blame the tree. If your teen loses their temper and damages a relationship, do they blame their parents for not “curbing their emotions?” Or maybe they just blame the person they damaged. Perhaps it's time to call for some "concrete reinforcement." Ouch.

Thoughts?
Lisa j

1 comment:

Deacon Tom and Barb Avery said...

If we are not in control of our emotions then we are no better than the animals that roam the planet. As humans we are supposed to be thinking creatures, not controlled by our animal instincts. We as parents need to teach our children this long before they consider going with someone. If we haven't, we've failed our children terribly.
Tom