Fool Me Once… (Ambush Part 2)
Same story different verse. I arrived home after work on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. I would have expected at least some of my kids outside. Then out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my son’s face with a sly grin obscured by the clouded privacy glass of the front door. I knew where this was going. As I continued to unpack my bag and lunchbox from the bike, I heard the service door that led into the house crack open with an eye peering through before abruptly closing. There was a battle that was being planned and once again, I was the enemy. Much to their vexation I closed the overhead garage door and snuck up the back hill to the patio door.
I quietly slid inside behind enemy lines and set my bag and lunchbox down. Like a mouse scurrying through an old house in the dead of night, I crept over to the front closet where I was hoping to find a Nerf gun for myself, as I heard my kids snicker downstairs in confusion. “Papa should be coming in any minute.” “Just be patient!” “Shhhhhh, don’t talk!” Each of these statements made me smile with delight. Unfortunately, all I could find was a single dart shooter, 2 ten dart clips, and 2 dozen darts. I started loading the clips knowing that eventually I would find the right gun!
Quizzically, my son started up the stairs to interrogate my bride for more information on their enemy location. With a smile, she shrugged her shoulders and said you’ll have to look. As my son walked out the patio door to investigate, I spotted a three-dart Elite Nerf gun lying in the open on the living room floor. I was about to make my move, when I heard my son walk back inside - confused. As he walked towards the laundry room, I knew that time to move was now.
I quickly shot out from behind the pie cooling cabinet towards the Nerf gun on the floor. As I did, I stumbled over the chair. Immediately, my son called out to the girls downstairs that I was in the living room. Just as quickly, he ran into the living room as I let a dart fly from the single shooter, catching him in the forehead. As I reached for the three-dart Elite Nerf gun, my son dropped one of the larger guns – for which I had a loaded clip in my back pocket, while the girls raced upstairs. Fully loaded, I released three more darts, on at each of the kids as I dove for the larger gun. The battle was on with agonizing laughter as each one of us were pelted with the foam projectiles flying in the air!
Questions to Ponder
Can I assume you have heard the following saying?
Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me.
There is nothing magical about this truism, but it does reflect a simple truth – you shouldn’t fall prey to somebody or something that tries to take advantage of your lack of understanding twice.
As it applies to your relationships…
I again must ask, what boundaries do you need to put in place to put an end to the emotional or physical manipulation As it applies to your finances…
As it applies to your finances…
If you’ve been carrying the battle scars of debt, how will you stop the cycle of letting your emotions dictate what you want?
What tools or support do you require to encourage your emotions to follow the budget, which will allow you and your family to focus on what you need?
What tools or support do you need to create margin to beat the nation’s inflationary pressures?
To removing the fool!
P.S. I’ve got your six and will not leave you in the lurch! As you consider the questions above and feel like you could benefit from tools that work, a guide, or encouragement to beat back the fool that resides in all of us, please use my contact information below.