i had been told that the only bar in trieste where you can ask for a cappuccino and really get a cappuccino is the university cafeteria. they were right. they must be prepared not to confuse clients in such an international area.
i entertained myself in there while waiting for the scheduled appointment for x-rays in the private clinic nearby this morning. it's part of the tests i have to go through before the out-day treatment planned for mid-july. it's something that scares me, but i embraced the 'i-can-do-that' attitude and go on with courage.
i stood there finally sipping an italian cappuccino and reading my new book, people watching occasionally and remembering when i was at the students place, with a preoccupied look and only one mission for the day: pass the current exam.
i thought of the sobbing lindsay lohan i saw this morning on the net. she was sentenced to 90 days in jail for violating her probation in a DUI case by missing weekly alcohol-education classes. her tears and tissues and smeared mascara held no sway. she has to surrender to the superior court.
via people
it's easy to me: you break the law, you're punished. many people should need that simple action over here. i wonder how many of the students i saw lied to their parents about their failed exams. i never did. people ought to learn to take full responsibilities of their actions since a small age.
alice lied to me yesterday. it was an innocent lie, about an extra coke she had with her happy meal at mc donalds, where she went with daddy while i was away at the movies (i watched eclipse and didn't like it, by the way). she knows she's only allowed a coke a week and maybe more in the summer, but definitely not 2 in the same day. and she said she had taken water with her meal. i shouldn't take this personally. children lie. it's part of their development. still, i addressed this appropriately in order to prevent it from becoming a more serious concern.
being a parent sucks sometimes. sometimes it sucks a lot. like anything, the bad comes with the good. and there's WAY more good than bad. i'll just do my best not to let alice perform like lindsay in case she's caught violating. actually, the hardest part will be not even predisposing her to violate out there!
Elda,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about taking responsibility for our actions. It seems like society has gone backwards in not making people more accountability for their actions and when it does happen, we can all breathe a sigh of relief. I hear so many kids these days make excuses or blame others when they get caught (it is happening in my own household, which infuriates me at times). My dad always told us that if you make a mistake, you take ownership of it, apologize and then move on, being careful not to repeat it. It doesn't make the problem go away when you don't take ownership of it. Anyway, I am so glad you addressed the lie with Alice. You are right that it is a natural development with children, but we as parents need to let them know it's not appropriate. I do that with my nephews. I tell them not to lie to me or they will face consequences. They know that accidents are okay (if they break something), but not if something is done intentionally and then lying to cover it up. They know their auntie has a low tolerance for bad behavior.
Alice is lucky to have such wonderful parents. You realize that sometimes you have to make hard, unpopular decisions, but you also know they are the best. Kudos to you, Elda for leading an excellent example. :) You are an awesome mom!!!!! Much love to you, Alice and Al!
thanks albertha. your dad was so right, and i'm glad your boys have you as a fantastic role model to follow. i try to do my best daily with aliceand i hope one day all this work will pay off!
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