The Way The World Works

On Saturday, as I drove, I listened to NPR.

As usual, they were discussing President Obama - specifically his war speech at the peace prize meeting.

(Don't worry, I'm not REALLY getting into politics... I have NO DESIRE.)

Anyway, they were interviewing a professor who studied war and peace (not the novel) and they asked him a really intelligent question. It went something like this:

"Why can't the world ever move past war? Why can't we ever solve this problem and just all be nice to each other?"

Luckily, the professor was a good sport and didn't laugh hysterically. He said something like this:

"Well, because there are always those people in the world who want what someone else has and want to be in charge. They want it at no cost, and it's our responsibility to stop them."

I must say I agree with the dear fellow.

And I even have my own personal example to share. An example from my very own home!

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Flashback to this morning
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E: (Yelling from the top of the stairs... right next to the room her brother is sleeping in) "Mom, I NEED you. Mom, I NEED you. MOOOOOMMMMMM, I NEEEEEEED you.

At this time I was going to the bathroom.

Pretty soon, she came to the door. Since she was no longer right next to her sleeping brother's room, she decided she would now whisper.

E: mom, i need you.....

Mom: What? (Okay, I was snippy. But honestly, do I really want the baby to wake up?)

E: M has a dress I want. And I want it.

Mom: I am not going to get if for you.

E: But I want it.

Mom: I am not going to get if for you. (Then came the lecture on yelling from the top of the stairs, blah, blah, blah..... Mom's are soooo fun to listen to.)

E's reply????

E: Fine, I'll get it for myself.

A few moment later I hear M screaming.

I walked upstairs to investigate and found that E had backed M into a corner and was deliberately removing dress from M so she could have it.

I immediately gave a cease and desist order.

And since I am bigger, it worked.

Eventually, however, I had to put E in the ultimate time-out: she had to sit in the crib.... so humililating. At the door, I put on my meanest face.

Mom: And if you scream when I leave this room and wake up your brother you will be in "BIG" trouble.

(This is kind of like threatening Iran... what is "BIG" trouble? Especially when you've already hit the apex of time-out in our home???)

Luckily, she didn't sense my lack of further punishment, and she did not scream.

So... why do we still have war in the world?

Maybe we just need a bigger time-out crib?