This past week has allowed me to do a lot of thinking. Not about life necessarily or my job or my future. I've been thinking more about myself, my personality, my ethics and trying to see if I could remember how or why I've managed to grow up to be who I am today. And of course that leads me to think about how I was raised and my parents.

Let me just say that my parents aren't really a talking people. We talk, don't get me wrong. But if you ask me if I've ever had the 'sex talk' with my parents I can say no. Have they ever sat me down and lectured me about life? No. So talking about things was never the way I learned how to function in this world as an adult.

What they did was model it for me. Taught me more by doing than lofty lectures and speeches. My mother made sure we were early or on-time everywhere. Sometimes we were so early to school we beat the teachers there. My dad went into work every day. Even when he acted like he hated it. He hardly took sick days, and neither did we. We rarely missed school for being sick. I can remember my parents saying "if you well enough to be in your room laughing I can take you to school right now". Sometimes they did. I frequently got perfect attendance.

We always had to explain ourselves and be responsible for our actions. The worst punishment ever was having to go downstairs to talk to my Dad and explain to him why I did something wrong. We would burst into tears! There was no such answer as 'I don't know'. And the worst thing to hear was how disappointed in us they were.

We did homework in the summer before we could go outside to play. Sharing was always a requirement. Family first. Be smart, in school and in the 'street'. You did great but you can always do better. Keep trying.

There are so many things I watch people do today that just don't make any sense. People do things that are so self destructive, unnecessarily rude, and just plain stupid. At the end of the day I'm happy I was raised the way I was. I don't think I would have been able to make it as far as I have if I wasn't.

I guess I should say 'thank you'.