Many of you have had the pleasure (or occasional displeasure) of meeting my older son, 14-year-old Brad. I only say displeasure because, as much as I love him, Brad has an obnoxious streak that can sometimes run 24/7. He will take a mildly funny joke and run it straight into the ground... and then some. And then some MORE. It's exhausting. In his defense, I must admit that ol' Brad doesn't fall far from the tree. I look at him and see myself when I was his age, and it gives me a whole new appreciation for the power of teenage hormones. It's almost enough to make me want to apologize to my family for putting up with me!
It's amazing as a parent to watch your children grow, and to see how much they emulate you whether you want them to or not. Shortly after I began this blog, Brad decided to start a journal of his own, called, fittingly enough, The Obnoxious Report. The blog is a sometimes-fascinating look at the world through teenage eyes. I have had to go back a couple of times and require Brad to remove some objectionable material, but for the most part, I think he's doing a fine job.
This proud Dad sees a young man who is developing his own thoughts and finding his own strong voice. It's easy - sometimes too easy - to disregard what young people have to say. But Brad has opinions - real, self-vetted opinions - and he's using his blog to share some of them. I find his latest entry to be particularly timely - it's about the election. Not the presidential one - the Sherwood High School variety. Enjoy! (And Brad - good job!)
