Authority

It always concerns me to see people riding push bikes through red lights.  It is even more concerning, seeing them riding without lights after dark or without helmets.

I can’t help but feel these people are deliberately rebelling against authority.  They know they’re breaking the law. They don’t seem to care or show respect for the authority that in reality, is trying to protect them from harm.

I wonder, as parents, whether we are providing adequate guidance and example for our youngsters.

When parents get complacent about issues such as these, then kids will feel they can get away with breaking the law.  This only encourages them to reject authority within other areas of their lives which, in some circumstances, could well put their lives at risk.

As parents, we need to look closely at our own actions and attitudes towards authority.

From their youngest days, our kids will be influenced by the way we do things.  If we show we don’t care or we think it’s smart to break the law, so will our kids.

Maybe we should think more about how our actions affect our kids attitudes, particularly the way in which WE show respect for authority.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s life.

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Aspirations

AspirationsOur social media, magazines and TV often present us with stories about the lives of famous people and how they achieved their fame.  It’s good for us to relate our efforts to others who have reached ‘the top’ in what they have done.

Their stories often follow a familiar pattern, with the achiever commencing from humble beginnings.  The constant dedication, training and the overcoming of personal hardships, culminating in them finally reaching the pinnacle of their ambition.

We can’t all be the captain of the netball team, president of the local organisation, or chairman of the board.

While many aspire to reach the top within a particular field, there will always be a need for those whose talents and abilities are more suited to accepting a supporting role.

Let us hope there will continue to be leaders among us whose first thoughts are for those they lead.  When we find such people we must ensure we provide them with the service and support they deserve, rather than follow the Aussie tendency to knock anyone in a leadership position.

On the other side of the coin, it will almost certainly be lonely at the top if the achiever’s success has been obtained purely for personal greed and power.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s life.

Artists

Watching artists paint pictures is always an interesting pastime for me.  I muse at their ability and compare it mentally to my own efforts with the paint brush.

Their mountains seem real, their people alive, whereas my attempt at a similar subject would produce wavy green hills, stick people and a sun with a face and a spikey haircut.

While artisans endeavour to recreate what they see and feel for a subject, we shouldn’t be discouraged because we don’t appear to be talented in similar ways.

If we attempt to perform our best at whatever we do, we too can obtain the same inner feelings of satisfaction the artist has, following the completion of a successful project.

Our individual personalities allow us to project who we are onto the canvas of our lives.

Let’s ensure the images we present to others are of ourselves and not someone else we’re trying to imitate.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s life.

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Adolescence

 Sometimes it would be so easy to give up on some of our adolescent kids.  They can often be self-centred, anti social, ungrateful and downright rude – to name but a few of the more mentionable words expressed by some parents.

It’s difficult to compare adolescent periods over different generations, as the numerous pressures placed on children of this age by society are constantly varying.

Along with all the physical and mental changes our adolescents undergo, they are also under considerable pressure from their own peer groups.

Our responsibility as parents doesn’t cease when our children become old enough to make their own decisions.  We must always remember, the heart that beats within the rebel adolescent also contains the moral and social values, we as parents, have given them over the years.

While their adolescent period might well be as frustrating for parents as it is for them, we must continue to love and support them through the good times and the hard times.  It’s during this time of turmoil in their lives kids are learning from us, not their peers, what the real meaning of life and unconditional love is all about. 

I’m Peter Mack and that’s life.

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A friend

Sometimes life deals us some tough blows which can cause us considerable pain.

 Often, we feel we have to face the music alone, as no one around would be really interested in our problems, simply, because most people have got problems of their own.

We all need at least one good friend. 

Someone we trust.

Someone who will listen, while we unload our worries off our chest.

Someone who won’t blab our innermost secrets around the internet or the neighbourhood.

Someone who probably can’t solve our problems, but who cares enough to share our concerns.

Someone who perhaps just gives us a hug when we are feeling low.

If we’ve got that type of friend, we are fortunate indeed.  If we don’t, then maybe it’s time we did something about developing the type of relationship that will enable us to have a real friend.

This may be a difficult suggestion for some people, who might find it hard to relate to others, or who might be reticent to expose their innermost thoughts and feelings. But as many will testify, there’s no doubt it can be tough if we try and go it alone in this life.

It’s been said, ‘To have a friend, we first need to be a friend’.  So, that could be a good starting point for us.

Let’s resolve to try and do something about it.

I’m Peter Mack and that’s life.

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