Closed Doors

When you close your door behind you at night, are you the same person that you were at work or school? I would venture a guess that you are not. When I worked in retail, I acted every single day. I was not nearly who I was behind closed doors. I was much more outgoing. I was a leader. People liked me. I didn't second-guess myself. When I closed that door, I was much more shy. I didn't want to be around people. I wanted to be by myself. I am much better one on one than with a group of people. It is kind of a paradox, in that I have this talent for acting and public speaking. I guess I do, or at least people say I do. People who really know me say how surprised they are that I turn on, when I get on stage. But, behind closed doors I am a little different. Behind closed doors, some people are abusive of others. I don't think I am there, but I saw a little of that growing up. I don't want to say anything bad about my parents, but let us just say that my father was very conservative, and my mother wasn't as much, so there was a little conflict in our household. When you live in a home, where there is a preacher, things can get a little testy. If you are lucky enough to have a mother and a father, that is a good thing. But, if you don't, you make the best of your life and adapt. My parents, especially my father, believed in spanking. Today, it would be considered child abuse. Personally, I believe that spanking is a good thing, as long as it is not extreme. Children need to understand that they can't get away with stuff. Sometimes it is cute, but other times they need to understand that their actions can result in bad things. I am not big on spanking children in public. That can get a little too violent. There is a story in the news here about a preacher who disciplined a child in a school. The preacher got permission from the mother by phone to spank the child, and he did. Now, the preacher has been arrested for child abuse. Come on, people. This is another example of our legal system gone amuck. I haven't seen the bruises, but have we become so politically correct that we can't do anything without a lawsuit? I don't condone abuse, if it is done as abuse. But, if it is done from a corrective standpoint, that is another thing. Should my 8th grade physical education teacher been brought up on charges of abuse, because he used a paddle with those magic words--"Bend over and grab your ankles"? Should my father been brought up on charges of abuse, because he paddled me or used a belt or his hand? What about the time he slapped me across the face, when I was 15, for talking back to him? I would hope not. It was behind closed doors. I would like to think I am a better person today.