{"id":413,"date":"2019-01-10T22:59:44","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T22:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.booksbytesajones.com\/?p=413"},"modified":"2019-02-12T21:16:38","modified_gmt":"2019-02-12T21:16:38","slug":"learn-from-other-peoples-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booksbytesajones.com\/?p=413","title":{"rendered":"Learn From Other People’s Mistakes"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I thought about the topic of my first blog post of 2019, I initially had a totally different subject to address.\u00a0 However, this morning as I sipped on my second cup of coffee and flipped through an old family album, I discovered a Dear Abby entry from The Washington Post.<\/em>\u00a0 I am not sure of the exact date; however, because of its placement in the album, I believe it was in the summer months\u00a0 of 1991\"\".<\/p>\n

At the time of this Dear Abby article, my children were approaching their teens and the D.A.R.E. program was in full swing.\u00a0 For those of you who may not remember this program . . . The letters stand for Drug Abuse Resistance Education.\u00a0 Police officers were trained to address 5th<\/sup>, 6th<\/sup> and 7th<\/sup> graders to help them avoid drug temptation and peer pressure.\u00a0 Often, high school students who had avoided the downward spiral from drug use came to the classrooms to help the younger students find ways to stay away from drugs and still be \u201ccool.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being a mother of two children in the \u201cvulnerable\u201d age, I found the program to be a fantastic ally in the war against drugs.\u00a0 But the more I heard on the news and read in the paper, the more apprehensive I became for the safety and success of my children and their friends.\u00a0 I kept my eyes, ears and the lines of communication open.\u00a0 Not only did I talk with my children at a very early age, I also used more subtle tactics including the insertion of this Dear Abby article in our family photo album.\u00a0 I was very aware of the fact that my kids loved looking at those pictures, and I hoped they would read the article \u2013 and learn from this young man\u2019s mistakes.<\/p>\n

More than two and one half decades have passed. I am saddened to write that the drug problems in America are not getting better.\u00a0 In fact, they are much worse and spiraling rapidly out of control.\u00a0 We — as parents — are our children\u2019s first line of defense.\u00a0 We must not overlook our responsibility to educate our children \u2013 instill in them the confidence<\/strong> to avoid drugs and to stay away from those peers who will tempt them.\u00a0 This is not a problem to start addressing when they are teenagers.\u00a0 We must start earlier \u2013 before they are double digits and drifting away \u2013 becoming more independent and resourceful \u2013 and less likely to hear or retain any of our sagacious advice.<\/p>\n

I do not pretend to have the answers \u2013 I wish I did<\/strong>.\u00a0 However, maybe \u2013 if you so desire \u2013 you can print this tattered, yellowed Dear Abby article and place it somewhere conspicuous in your home.\u00a0 Talk to your child about it!<\/strong>\u00a0 With a little luck, this young man\u2019s poor choices may inspire your child not to make his mistakes.<\/p>\n

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