IT TAKES A VILLAGE

She may be, in my book, a phony-baloney, and I  disagree with almost everything she has said since 1984, but there is truth to her quote, and the title of this book..."It takes a village"  I don't buy into the governmental definition of "We know how to raise your children better than you do." but I do firmly believe that there are more people involved in raising children than their parents.  Of course we turn them over to school teachers readily where they get "our culture's lessons" for 12 or more years.  Then there's the church of your choice. The list is endless.  Somewhere in that mix, particularly when you study cultures where longevity is significantly better than average, the siblings, uncles and aunts, grandparents and even the great grandparents play a significant role in teaching and caring for the young, unless we stifle the natural order of things in the interest of some social science experiment, like Dr. Spock.

In  21st Century America, we "elders" of the tribe are relegated to the trash heap pretty early.  Fortunately, among the benefits of immigration from Latin America, along with "they do work our own people wont do", the delicious cuisine and great music, and Sofia Vergara, are the family traditions that they bring with them. Very similar to the old traditions of the Italians and Irish who have come here before them, they believe that "it takes a village" in the real sense. I know people who are so thankful to their grandmothers for helping them in life, that they honor them by naming their children after them.  

I recently wrote a blog post entitled "I resign as General manager of the Universe."  Perhaps I should clarify that in light of several comments I have received in response to that post, more comments in fact, than I usually receive.  They range from "I refuse to accept your resignation." to ""You are the patriarch, and you don't have the option of not giving your opinions to your family, it is your duty." I asked "What if my near and dear don't agree with me?"  The reply was "Just because they don't want to hear what you have to say on a particular issue, or disagree, is no reason not to say what you believe, and say it with the force of parental and seasoned wisdom."

As for resigning as GM of the U, perhaps that resignation would be best confined to matters of politics and religion.  But then again, in those things, my opinions are as good as anyone else's.  If it's a career for Ariana Huffington why must I defer to her or anyone else when I feel strongly about an issue?  Come to think of it, "I withdraw my resignation." Phew! I guess I can keep expressing my opinions in this blog now without feeling guilty.