Mamob's Journal

        The Gift of A Truck

      After watching a video of a young teenage boy’s reaction to getting surprise gift for his birthday, I was ask what I thought.  This is the video

  http://video.aol.com/video-detail/wow-meltdown-kid-birthday-surprise/1992940586

      I do not think I would have surprised my son this way I think it takes a lot more insight by parents as to know how a teenager  or anyone will react in this situation. I do not think it was so much that it was a used truck but it looked like apiece of junk even to me and I am not that picky. If it had a nice paint job it might have been accepted. I think these parents ask for this reaction. They were blinded by what they wanted his reaction to be to a gift they provided, rather than how the gift would be accepted.    I think the boy should have had some input as to what he would want as a gift and if it was a truck, and then a great deal of discussion should have been done before this type of gift would even be considered. . The parent should have looked into his expectations and talked to him about the realistic possibilities and the responsibility of driving any vehicle before one should be purchased. We all know we have big dreams and most of us can handle not getting a shinny new car or truck. I think most kids can be made to understand the limits of the parent income. If parents would only explain the reality to the kids, it would help a lot.  If these parents had talked to this young man about what they were willing and able to provide for him and talked to him in realistic terms and let him see the truck and talk about how it could be improved and how much it would cost before they bought it then the out come might have been very different.  Notice the parents cars in the drive way I wonderd if  Dad  would drive the old beat up truck to work .Would mom drive it. What makes them think their son would want a to drive aold beat up truck .They dont

              In my 64 years of life, being a teenager my self one time of poor parents with 5 teenagers, two boys and three girls and also having two teenage sons and two teenage grandsons of my own.  I know how teenagers feel and think I know how big their dreams and expectations can be. I know how disappointed they can be when, what they view as a simple dream, dose not come true. The reality that hits them can be devastating as we saw in this video.  In this generation of kids today in 2009 with every commercial showing teens driving a new car and in every movie we see kids driving a fast sports car, Is it any wonder they have unrealistic dreams and desires. My grandson thinks I am made out of money. I am far from it.  I think the parents in this situation did not handle this well at all .I wonder how the mother would have acted if her husband surprised her with this same truck as a gift fofr her birthday. 

          Most people saw a selfish spoiled teenager throwing a fit of anger.  I saw a kid who had parents who did not give their sons dream a second thought. I saw two parents who did not take the time to really know their son. I saw two selfish parents who in reality only wanted their own selfish ego boosted. And I saw a boy dreams crushed and then he was laughed at.  I saw a kid that leaned to react just as his parents act when they do not get their way. We all need to be very thoughtful in the gifts we give. The old saying it true,” It is the thought that counts the most.” The way a gift is given is as important and maybe more important than value of the gift.  Do a little research first and then find a gift to fit the person and give it in a loving kind manner. Put a lot of thought in to the gift you give and how you give it and when and who is present when you give it.  I have been given many gifts that I have no idea what the person was thinking about, they were not thinking of me or thinking of how I would react. I remember getting a bra from my sister for Christmas I was a young teenager. I opened that bra in front of her boy friend.  I was so embarrassed. I was in tears.  I threw the gift down and ran upstairs. It was not that I did not like the bra it was the time and place where I was to open it that was the problem.  People just do not think. 

          This young mans incident may be funny to him year from now or it may have a long lasting negative affects on him. We all need to be more thoughtful and caring.