Evening star., 1937-06-25
Wanna Buy Duc Mind When Planning SUNDAY Dim
"A Ghost
Will Rise
And Walk
Avoid Mistakes That
Go Deep and Scar
for a Lifetime.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

* ANULLO FAlhl.
IT'S PETTING as bad as my mother
makes it out to be? I go with
nice group of boys and girls. and
most Of them do 1t. Mother has begun
to say that if have to pet when I 60
out with boy I will stay home in
stead. Now what is a girl to do? She
can't stay home all the time and ex-
pect to have good time. Isn't there
some way out7"
To pet or not to pet is the topic Of
many discussions these days. Parents
are fearful about the whole business,
and rightly So They know the dangers
the young people are counting, and
nothing is more difficult than to pic
ture them impressively to these same
young people Everybody does it."
seems to be blanket reason covering
any and all debatable behavior.
Everybody is not doing it. There
are some young people who know
that the best way to stay out Of trouble
Is not to get in. There is danger in
petting, especially for the girl. Aside
from that extremely important phase
of the question is another. If human
beings were on the same level as the
beasts of the field there would be no
question about this matter of sex 1t
would take its course and all would be
well.
Human beings are not like the
beasts of the field. They have one
great difference. They have reflective
memories.
A reflective memory stores up eX-
periences. The keener the experience,
that is the deeper the emotions that
accompany it, the sharper its imprint
on the memory, and the longer it lasts,
Now memories have powerful effect
on behavior, on happiness and con-
sequently on our success in life. If
one puts curse on his memories, these
memories of youth that are so keen
and which ought to be so lovely, he
puts blight on his future. There
is no keener suffering than that caused
by the stirring of painful memory.
Girls and boys grow to be men and
women with all the responsibilities
and hopes and idealism that 60 with
maturity. All that they are, all they
hope to be, they offer to their children.
The loyalties. the love that grows be-
tween a man and his wife, between a
father and mother, are based on some
thing that the fleeting associations of
youth can scarcely glimpse. They are
deep and lasting rooted in mutual
faith, suffering and understanding,
and they last beyond the years. The
fungers of youth, the sufferlng-and
there is suffering-are sharp and
fleeting save when they are based on
q mistaken Interpretation. Then they
20 deep and make scars that ache for
q lifetime.
Petting threatens the happiness of
maturity. the peace Of home, the
perfect understanding between hus-
band and wife. 1t may not ruin those
who indulge In it, but 1t certainly will
not add strength to their souls, some
thing most desirable. 1t Is something
that is going to be regretted in days to
come, a ghost that will rise and walk
Why create such q threat to ones
happiness in the first place?
1t is so with all these minor vices.
They may not destroy one, but they
are likely to bind one with fet>.rs that
are mighty troublesome. The smoker
is bound to his cigarette, the one who
sWears with every breath finds he can
not do otherwise. Yielding to every
wind that blows becomes a mental
attitude ill-beftting a human being.
1t is better to avoid regrets than to
store them in one's mind and body
where they can be nothing but wounds. |
Play some other game, one that BELTS
your standing among the Creators
works.
Mr.. Patri has prepared a leafet |
entitled, Bedtime Troubles" in which |
he tells parents how to overcome ir-
ritability in children. Send for it,
addressing your request to Mr.. Angelo |
Patri, Child Psychology Department |
OF this paper. Inclose a addressed,
stamped (3-cent) envelope.
Copyright. 1879