Before Eighteen

Bloggy pal Los Angelista has tagged me for a meme.  This one is called "Before Eighteen"

Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules before presenting your list.
2. List 6 actions or achievements you think every person should accomplish before turning 18.
3. There are no conditions on what can be included on the list.
4. At the end of your blog, choose 6 people to get tagged and list their names.
5. People who are tagged write their own blog entry with their 6 suggestions.
6. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged.

Wow... 6 things that people should do before turning eighteen, eh?  Here goes:

1.  Learn ALL of your options before listening to military recruiters.

I'm not suggesting that my recruiter lied to me at age 17... not at all.  What I am saying is this:  If you are planning to go to college, make sure that you explore all of your options before buying into the whole "well, the insert branch of service here will pay for it, if I enlist"  Here's why:  in most military endeavors, you won't be working nine to five.  You'll be in the field, or at sea or deployed, or on temporary duty away from your classes.  If you have some notion of going to college after high-school, work it out, and be informed.

2.  Read.

Read alot.  Never go ANYwhere without a book.  Literacy means more than being able to write "see spot run"  True literacy Will give you broad horizons and show you the world, even if you live in a tiny place that is light-years from anywhere.

3.  Learn and live your faith. 

Your religious studies (if you have a religious background) are important.  Being firm in your faith will keep you on the straight path, give you discipline and keep you out of trouble.  Learning about your faith more deeply will give you historical insights on today's world that you might not find from other sources.  Living your faith will keep you grounded, and will make you an example for others to emulate.

4.  Install Your Moral Compass.

This goes along with number three, but works even if you don't come from a specific religious or spiritual background.  Learn what is right and what is wrong.  Learn about good, decent, and honorable behavior.  Your parents are usually a good place to start looking for this, but if you can't get the right direction about right and wrong from them, find a mentor... an older person who can be your example of right behavior.  Believe me, you'll need it.  Especially if your family is as dysfunctional as mine was.  Your mentor can even be a character from literature. 

5.  Have a goal.

When I was a teenager, I had a goal... but it wasn't a life-goal.  When I was seventeen, all I wanted out of life was to shake the dust off my feet, and leave Union, New Jersey for good.  Well, when I graduated from high-school, that's what I did... I probably should have planned better, because I was rather aimless for a long time after that.  I am not suggesting that a teenager needs to know the plan for their entire life by age eighteen, but by then you should be adult enough to have some notion of a long-range plan.

6. Become Tough

I have news for you.  The world can be a tough place.  You'd better get tough, too.  I don't mean callous.  I don't mean insensitive.  I mean tough.  You need to have the mental toughness to not fall apart if you fail.  You need to be strong enough to take a few personal blows and stay on your feet.  You need to be strong enough to face the world like an adult.  It wouldn't hurt if you learned how to fight, either.  Today, we live in a violent society... we always have, really, we're Americans.  However, these days, we see more and more kids (especially boys) who reach age eighteen who have never had a fistfight... most of these young men can't be expected to be able to defend themselves.  A man that can't defend himself, can't defend a family.  Figure it out.