I’m SO over this trend! GROW UP AMERICA!

There’s a really dangerous trend going around with late teens and early 20 somethings that is driving me insane. That’s this trend of becoming rebel degenerates, protestors, and “advocates” for whichever cause they choose to wave their flag and declare injustices for on any given day. This trend of opposing authority, refusing to accept or respect others opinions, demanding tolerance but displaying none, and impeding the everyday lives of others with their actions, words, strife, and conflict. Guess what? You all need to GROW UP!

I’ll be the first to admit that I live in a bubble, a very happy one actually. I  choose to continue to live in this bubble because I am a firm believer in the fact that in part, one makes their own happiness in life. That doesn’t mean that we don’t all experience sadness, frustrations, or bad things that happen in our lives, it means that your life’s happiness is largely due to how you respond and react to those struggles. We all have bad things that life throws at us, and if you’ve followed me any time at all, you’re aware I have experienced my share of grief, and hurt.  Still, I choose to rise each day and find happiness around me and that does not mean that my “bubble” doesn’t include bad things, it means that I refuse to be held down by the chaos and strife of life. I choose to serve God, choose love, and be happy with the life that I live.  I could instead stomp my feet, scream and cry about things that don’t go “my way” in life, but for what purpose would I inflict that on myself daily? I CHOOSE to be happy.

My point is this. For those of you who feel like you have to rebel in the streets and become “ungovernable”, know this, you’re part of the PROBLEM, not the SOLUTION! Notice, I’m not going into my political views in this post, because it doesn’t matter. What does matter, is that some of you come to terms with reality and carry yourselves like adults and not children. All of this degenerate uprising, stirring the pot and fueling hate on social media, taking to the streets to gain fame, attention, “justice” as you say, know that this behavior is inhibiting society NOT propelling it forward. Believe it or not, you’re not advocates for justice. There are people who ACTUALLY lost their lives, or fought their entire life for the justices and privileges that we have as Americans today, and your actions only discredit their bravery and sacrifices. So do this, educate yourself, take a stance, take a side if you choose, believe in something, but choose to act as a responsible citizen while doing so. Stop impeding traffic, disrespecting authority, and screaming and crying in the streets. Stop throwing your temper tantrums and act like adults. Believe it or not, there are people who are actually trying to get to work, live their lives, support their families, and prefer to do so without your drama and spreading of negativity. No one cares about your flag waving and your vulgar signs, because most of us have families that we are busy pouring into, jobs that we are working, and real struggles in our life to be throwing toddler tantrums in the streets. Basically, we’re over your BS!

For the record, those cops that you’re disrespecting, cursing, and spewing hate at, they’re still there to protect you. Yes, even you, with your vulgar signs and vulgar speech. With your spewing of intolerance while ironically demanding just that, with your refusal to believe that ANYONE who feels differently than you do at that moment is not racist, homophobic, islamophobic, you name it (fill in the blank with whatever you choose). Believe it or not, society is not out to get you, you are your own demise currently. You are not the only ones who experience struggles in life, you just magnify them with your antics. This is a dangerous trend, because you are all very impressionable.  I know it may seem like you have everything figured out, I know you’re cursing me right now as you read this, BUT in a decade, you’ll look back and realize how LITTLE you actually knew. You’ll realize what you thought was worth fighting tooth and nail for in the past, could have been achieved without so much hate.  You will realize the power of conversation, the power of education, the power of civility, the power of respect, the power of perseverance, and the power of peace.

There’s something I tell my husband often, it appears to be a secret society has forgotten. Two people can feel very differently about the same thing, and that’s OKAY. It’s good actually, for there to be tolerance, for their to be differences, for there to be room to be who you want to be and feel how you want to feel. It’s healthy. It’s invigorating, it’s magnificent, it’s what makes America, America. I can choose X and you can choose Y, and I promise I will respect you and treat you with the same kindness that I do everyone else. So how about we all choose to truly coexist with one another, instead of burning down the streets to create a peaceful existence. Think about it for a minute, what exactly do you want? You most likely don’t know because you’re too busy checking out what the rest of the public is in fury over, you’re waiting to see where social unrest lies and waiting to take up your baseball bats and banners and make someone “pay”. You’re chasing justice, you want to be heard, but your voice will NOT be heard in the manner you’re approaching it. Guess what? Someone already “paid” the price for our sins, and His name is Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe in that, that’s fine, and you can acknowledge that other members of history have “paid” for the advancement of freedoms that we have currently. Travel outside of the U.S., find out how some women, men, and children live their lives. Discover what true despair and injustice looks like on the faces of those who have nothing, or no real advocates for them, and you will most likely put down your sharpie and be thankful you’re not in their shoes. So in my opinion, you should be arrested for blocking the streets and making people late for work or disrupting their days. You should be arrested for preventing cops from being able to do their jobs and help keep the peace or be at home with their families because they’re out trying to control and still protect you while you spit in their faces and curse their names. You should be ashamed of yourself for creating civil unrest and dissention. You should choose to be better for yourself, and better for others. You should choose to love and to respect. Nobody has time for your futile dramatics.

My advice: educate yourself, stop being a hypocrite, love people. Cause yourself less stress, less anger, less hurt, by accepting the fact that society won’t be kind to you, but you can still be kind to others. Are you owed whatever you think you are? Probably. But no one will take you seriously until you learn to effectively and appropriately interact in society. That’s the goal of society. When my toddler wants something, and chooses to scream and cry and stomp her feet to achieve her desire, she gets nothing. It’s only when I calm her down and have her use her words that I can listen to and accommodate her needs.

After a particularly long rant on the following subject last night, my husband posed the question to me, “Why do you care so much?” So here’s why I care. Because I’m raising my children to live in this world that you too live in. I’m trying to teach them how to be socially acceptable, lovable, loving people. I’m trying to ensure that they don’t see color, gender, orientation, religious differences or whatever else you wrote about on your cardboard sign you probably left littered in the street. I’m trying to ensure that they do one thing above all LOVE. I need to make sure they still love God and even love you when you’re out there acting a fool. I’m spending my days pouring into these little lives to make them socially aware and acceptable people who are tolerant and know how to peacefully coexist while loving God and loving others.  I’m raising little people who have a right to experience the same freedoms that you have without dealing with your crying, nagging, and whining.  I’m raising little people to have a backbone, but also be tender, kind, and loving.  By all means, stand up for your rights, but also stand behind your country, behind your leader, and beside your peers. Choose love, and give the rest of us a break from your drama. Bye Felicia!