She sees it everyday…

“These parents expect their kids to grow up to be lawyers, doctors, firefighters…But when they don’t they’re surprised… So what I say is how can you expect them to have dreams when you’re snoozing and boozing…Yes we all live on the Southside and a lot of us receive WorkFirst…But do we use it the same? When I say do we use it the same I mean are we using it for a stepping stone or do we use it to get weed, beer, hair, nails and forget about the important things like rent, insurance or what have you… I’m one of the few that stays to myself, teach my kids with hard work you get anything that they desire…But do they get up in the morning and go to school, work or look for work? No!…Everyday when I leave for work they’re sitting in the same spot they were when their kid’s school bus arrived to pick them up…Doing the usual cussing and fussing, living in their own misery…

The only time I ever see them do anything different is when the first of the month gets here…standing and waiting at the mail boxes for those checks…Yeah I’m about to get to the point… They like to talk real loud and let the whole neighborhood hear that if their child’s teacher or someone of authority calls them and interrupts them, how they’re going to call them everything accept the child of God…Even when they know their child is wrong; skipping class, stealing, smoking, and drinking…The first thing they want to holler is ‘I didn’t raise you that way’…But they’re living lies and telling lies…What I’m getting at is how can we as parents expect our children to be honor roll students if we never even got past the ninth grade ourselves…

Never really had a job…And when we get one we think we can come and go whenever we please… Telling your girlfriend on your cell phone, ‘I don’t care if they fire me, girl, I can go back and get my check…’ And the check they’re getting from WorkFirst they spend on their sorry behind baby’s daddy who don’t even take care of their own children that he got with them…Then turn around the rent’s due and they don’t even have all of that…start calling that same girlfriend they were talking to, ’girl, you think I can get a couple dollars on the rent ’cause I can’t cover it all right now’…

Her girlfriend’s reply is ‘girl, I don’t even have enough to cover my entire light bill…’ But then she says ‘I going to Social Services first thing in the morning, you can ride with me if you want to…’ They get up early, be the first one in line for a hand out, but be late as ever for a job that could have covered their rent and their light bill…You all messed up…you want to get up to get to the hand outs, but you can’t get up to be at work on time so you can teach your kids good working ethics…But when your daughter comes home and say ‘momma I’m pregnant,’ at the age of twelve, then what? Here you go again, ‘you know better than that…’ But how is she to know when you had her at the age of thirteen yourself?…when she turns 18 she’s living in public housing just like you, snoozing and boozing…You should be ashamed of yourself!…Cussing out teachers and people of authority, telling you about your child…

So this is the thing: Shut up! Don’t say a word about your child’s life ’cause you made it for them…If you want the best for your kids show them by striving to do better…Get a job, go to school, use what you learn along the way for a new move…And your children will follow in your footsteps…I will strive for the best and my children will too because that’s the kind of education I’ll give them and they will never be ill-educated because I won’t allow them to…Be mindful of how you live because somebody’s always watching you!”