The world is getting soft and lazy and overloaded with pussyfooters who have no hustle. The way most men act these days, I wonder if they were neutered or if they spent too much time nursing on mommy. The sickening whine I hear usually comes from my younger friends and nephews, who think of hardship as having to wait two minutes for a microwave to finish.
However it happened, these guys have lost what took centuries to become part of man's DNA. Along with having no patience, they're indecisive. They stopped seeing things in black and white and because of it have paralyzed their ability to move on. Sure, some men were like this back in the day too, but they didn't get far.
Today, being a sensitive wimp doesn't hold you back, although it definitely slows down everyone else when feelings are protected. Everyone wants to be happy all of the time, but feelings have to be hurt. If they are protected, then you get a bunch of sensitive, welfare-sucking whiners whose skin is as thin as their wallets. The best lessons learned in life stem from old school values, and they usually only take root in a person through personal knockouts. It takes an attitude adjustment brought on by taking an ass-kicking from time to time. The first time doesn't feel so good, but getting taught the hard way is the quickest way to becoming the teacher of lessons.
Tough love
They say: To forgive is divine, but unless you're a priest, forget about it. Mistakes need to be unforgiven so that others don't look at leniency as a green light for doing whatever they want. What good is a rule if it can be broken without the threat of punishment? The whole purpose of making rules is to keep people in line and bust the chops of anyone who steps out of it. In my world of old-school values, there is no temporary insanity or parole. If you made a mess, adios babbo, you ain't coming back into the fold with a simple apology. And no plea from your friends or brothers will change my mind, because forgiveness softens you up for the next time. It sets a precedent that says: "Go ahead, screw up -- it's OK."
Social flexibility
A lot of people these days want to do their own thing, go at their own pace, live life to the fullest. I see my nephew playing video games all day, locked in a fantasy world. When the idiot sits down at the dinner table, he doesn't even know how to talk. He's off in la-la land and doesn't have the first clue about how to fit in to a group. With my old-school values you go to the bar, a ball game or the golf course for leisure and socializing. You don't lock yourself in the house and play games alone. I have no place in my crew for mutes who can only hit out of the sand on the computer.
Accountability
I stopped over at a friend's place one day thinking that he'd be at work. He was at home, drinking coffee in his pajamas. I asked him if he was feeling sick and he said: "No, I'm on flex-time." He works when he wants to, as long as he gets his job done -- when he's feeling "inspired," he said. I wanted to inspire him right then and there with my foot, but I'm not his boss. As for my schedule, it's hardwired into my brain. I don't use an alarm clock and don't wait for inspiration. I go after what I want with a hammer.
An eye for an eye
Not granting forgiveness is important, but nothing is as important as evening the score. It's about payback, taking a stand and showing the consequences of being double-crossed. Ever watch hockey? When the star gets jacked into the glass by a goon, you can bet your ass that the star's defenseman will be head-hunting the goon all night long. This is a basic principle of gaining power -- that you cannot turn the other cheek, but instead you have to take an equal pound of flesh. Here it's easy to get greedy and try to take a little more, but payback has to be proportional. That's why the Bible says "an eye for an eye" and not "two eyes for an eye." Payback is honorable, but anything more is likely to start a war. Don't bite off more than you can chew or you can expect another cheap shot.
Just desserts
Don't worry about those who can't keep up. Slowing down is just a way of rewarding the untalented. I took my kid to a bike race one weekend and he didn't finish in the top three. I said: "Good try, kid, maybe next year." It seemed like a good chance for him to get motivated, to make him want to work harder. But everyone got an award. They gave him a medal. I've been to enough horse races to know that only the top three get payouts. Even though he lost, he seemed somewhat pleased that he "won" something. I had to explain to him that the medal meant nothing and I made him throw it in the trash, because that's what it was a reward for losing, not that different from a pacifier for a baby. Losing should make you want to win; it should not satisfy you, because in the adult world you will have to go after what you want with every day. If you don't get yours, someone else will.
School of hard knocks
This is not the age of moderation, but I'll tell you that keeping things in perspective will help you get where you want to be. If you watch enough TV, you'll think that everyone is partying all the time and everyone is getting laid twice a day. The same rules apply. You work, play, sleep. That's life. Grandpa might seem like a crotchety old nag, but he's lived through the Depression and war and 40 years of marriage. He's old-school.
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