PORCH PONDERINGS

Lessons

PROMPT January 9th

Write about some important life skills that are rarely taught but extremely useful?

So, for my 2 cents, I throw into the ring these ideas: how to do laundry, how to cook a simple meal, how to manage your money and pay your bills on time, how to be polite and why you should be kind, how to clean your house, how to check the oil in your car, how to change a tire, how to make your bed, how to sew on a button.

These are things most everyone should know before they leave home. I would like for everyone to be a functioning member of society. Now I know some people, for whatever reason, cannot carry their load. That is why you need to be kind and help those that can't help themselves. You never know when you might be stuck on a back road and need to change a flat tire. And you should always know how to check the vehicle's fluids. No matter where you live, you shouldn't live in a dirty place and that bed should be made neat every day. Even if you only have two pairs of pants and two shirts, you keep one clean and wash one. I have been in that situation before. Take care of your clothes. Sew on that missing button. And even if you only have a few dollars, make sure you take care of those dollars the best way you can. Don't overspend. A good way to overspend is to do take-out food all the time. Learn to cook a few things. Get a cookbook and some pots at the thrift store, or use the internet for recipes. Cooking is not that hard.

And a most important lesson - why you should call your mother! Lecture over. Class dismissed. Seriously, call your mother. She's been wondering about how you are.