It was wonderful to see a fifteen-year-old Georgia girl say why she took the picture of the crowded hallway in her school. She said "She felt it was the right thing to do." Her parents must be very proud. The girl knew she would probably be suspended and she was. The suspension was later removed because of public outcry. I predict a bright future for this teenager and hope many others will follow in her footsteps. I see far too many teens in the affluent town where I now live whose only concern is their clothes, having a boyfriend, and social media. I asked one teenager at the beginning of the summer if she was going to look for a summer job. She said she had one for a few days, but the hours were not right. When you have a car, a boyfriend and a credit card, no job is going to seem right.
I knew I needed summer and other jobs to buy my clothes for college. My friends were mostly professors' daughters, as I was, but money was tight for all of us. We did not have cars and certainly not credit cards. I learned a lot by waiting table in high school and in college. Many people who have always had money have no idea how the real world works. I feel sad for them as I did for my many Stanford wealthy classmates. Good parenting means teaching children about real life and making a difference. I was asked at a book reception what I felt my greatest accomplishment was. They thought I would probably say my M.D. or my ten successfully published non-fiction books. They were surprised and pleased when I said "My two children."
Lets hope more teenagers follow Hannah Watters and her bravely speaking out and doing what she felt was right.
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