Re-Framing

A weekend of the great outdoors brought a little good energy into this weekend. Saturday and Sunday involved rock climbing, braving windy and panoramic vistas, and study of wildlife and dinosaur-sized rocks. The only living, breathing wildlife I noticed were birds, a chipmunk and a delicate, large spider (do spiders breathe?). I spent most of last week and this weekend worried about the dangers of the Internet and how it can negatively affect our children. I talked to some parents about it, and not all of that went well. Some parents take a hard-line approach, not tolerating any exposure with the big, wide, world, and other parents think that their children's privacy should be respected, not permitting themselves to question who their children are talking to and passing judgment onto those who do question.
I read a book this week with a chapter that gave advice about dealing with difficult people. The book suggested imagining that all people are our teachers. When someone is difficult, rude, aggressive, or mean, instead of taking it personally or getting angry about it, think about what that difficult person has to teach you. I see this as the ultimate re-framing.
Are parents dealing with Internet issues and my thoughts about dealing with difficult people connected? Yes. The big, wide world is saturated with difficult people. There is much to learn.