On a Friday night about eight years ago, I got myself into an argument with one of my college age children (“the college student”). The argument centered around a certain movie that I thought was morally objectionable. At one point, the college student blurted out: “Dad, most Catholics would not agree with you about this movie. You’re too extreme when comes to things like this. I can only think of two other people who would agree with you: grandmother (my mom) and Aunt Patty.”
In last week’s article, A Prowler In The House, I threw down the gauntlet and challenged fathers to start conducting surprise inspections of their son’s iPods, cell phones, computers, and other devices.*
About 10 years ago I stopped by another attorney’s office to talk to him about a case we were working on together. After we were finished discussing the case, I asked him how his two sons were doing. He responded by telling me that he had recently caught his 18 year old son viewing pornography on the internet. I asked him how he handled the situation and he said he told his son it was “silly” for him to be looking at pornographic pictures and videos on the internet.
Earlier this year in an article I wrote entitled Ambushed By My Cousin, I told you I was going to write 3 articles about how to raise boys into responsible Catholic men. The articles were going to be entitled: (1) Hammerheads, Bricks & Challengers; (2) A Prowler In The House; and (3) Religion On A Sleeve.
When I was a junior in college, I got into a discussion with my dad about the role of large companies in America. I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. We were standing in the kitchen at my parents’ home and I told him I believed that one of the primary responsibilities of large companies was to provide employment for individuals. He looked at me like I was a two headed creature from outer space and said, “You’re not going to get anywhere in life with that attitude.”
Any discussion about what it takes to transform boys into men should always include a consideration of the lessons used by great coaches to train boys and young men on how to be winners. Although I am not an avid fan of professional sports, I am a fan of the late Vince Lombardi who some claim was the greatest football coach of all time. Before I talk about what Lombardi himself called “Lombardi Time,” I want to give you a brief summary of his life as a coach.
Do you know the name of the first grocery store in Peoria that had scanners at checkout lanes, instead of cash registers where everything had to be rung up one at a time by hand? I know the name of the store because I worked there when I was in high school. The store was Randall’s Foods and it was located in the Westlake Shopping Center, across the street from Northwoods’ Mall.