I wasn't a very good kid growing up, I liked trouble, not the kind that would put you into jail kind of trouble, but the kind that would make you feel as though you have gotten away with something you shouldn't have.
Whenever I did something and got away with it, I would get what some people might call a rush, or an adrenaline boost, It felt good, and I wanted more of it. I did things that most people frowned upon, I went into places I was not allowed, stole a dirty magazine, snuck out at night with some friends, drinking booze and roamed the streets, and I'm sure my parents thought I was going to be a jailbird for my adult career.
When I was "bad", I was usually having the most fun, I laughed a lot and didn't have a care for the consequences of my actions because I was still a kid and I did what I wanted. Of course, I wasn't all bad, I had a good side too. I helped a child who was lost in a mall to find her parents, she was on my shoulders as I walked around asking if she saw them yet. I ran out onto a busy highway to save a puppy from being run over.
Being bad did help me in a way that nobody could ever teach another person, it showed me who and what a real friend means, it showed me how to spot lies and suspicious behavior, and yes, I also know what certain drugs do to a person when they take them, by being a guinea pig myself. It also taught me what might be going through a child's mind in this day and age, as I can relate to lashing out against those who love us and are trying to help.
I had to change the way I did things in order to survive in this world, I had to start following the regime of the rest of society and fall into line. It wasn't as bad as I often thought it would be, on the contrary, it actually turned out pretty good as I started to learn the system, and how to make money to get what I wanted, I'm not a millionaire by any means but I am comfortable in life.
As an adult, do your due diligence as a parent, and worry about your child as you should, but keep in mind that the bad things they are doing is a phase of life they are on, and eventually it will pass. The morals and beliefs that you set down will be building blocks for them to stand upon in the future. I had good parents that did this for me, I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for them. I'm sure there are a lot of bad seeds out there that turned into strong trees.
Scott Goerz
