Wiregrass Seniors Magazine November 2016 November 2016 | Page 21

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Page 21

THE PASSING AWAY OF COMMON SENSE
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend,
Common Sense, who has been with us for many
years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since
his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic
red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain, Why the
early bird gets the worm, Life isn’t always fair, And,
maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies; Don’t spend more than you can earn,
and reliable strategies; adults, not children, are in
charge.
His health began to deteriorate when well-intentioned
but overbearing regulations were set in place.
Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with
sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens
suspended from school for using mouthwash after
lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly
student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they
themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were
required to get parental consent to administer sun
lotion or an aspirin to a student, but could not inform
parents when a student became pregnant and
wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the religious organizations became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you
couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own
home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live
after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of
coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was
promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by
his parents, Truth and Trust, by his spouse,
Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his
son, Reason.
Common Sense is survived by his 2 step
brothers; I Know My Rights and Why Should I Work.
Not many attended his funeral because so few
realized he was gone.