The Things We Hated...

As children are the same things which benefit us the most as adults.
My step-dad would wear us out by beating us down while trying to teach us how to fight.
I'm sure he held back (a little bit) but after taking punches from him the blows delivered on the school yard felt like soft caresses.

 I've always hated school (What kid doesn't?) but I had to do my homework.
If I would have had things my way the school day would have gone; recess, snack, recess, P.E., lunch and then recess.
But parents used to insist that we actually learned something while at school.

 Temple, Mosque, Church, whichever...
Apparently having a relationship with ones interpretation of God seemed important as well.

 Man... I hate Veg-All - I still gag just thinking about that mess.

But back in the day... parents would not consider fast food or microwaved pizza a suitable meal for their children.

Back in the day kids had to eat whatever was prepared or eat nothing at all.

Clean the pool, mow the yard, vacuum the carpet, clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom, prepare meals for my younger brothers, whatever... - I felt like a male Cinderella.

But I did learn to work.

A Spanking?
A spanking...?
Pa-lease...!
We got 'Whooped'!
No soft, simple, spanking would resonate with the same degree of severity as did our slavery-type ass-whoopins.
(We were some bad-assed little niglets.)

The thing is, I treat my young cousins with the same rigidity practiced by my step-father (Only, adapted for modern times.)
Am I their friend?
Sure, but friendship is not paramount - teaching another generation to prosper without me is.
So to all y'all out there who are (or who act as) fathers - Happy Father's Day.