Sometimes you come across something so smart and simple, you can't believe you didn't think of it first. This is one of those times...and it's BRILLIANT. A mom gave her son a phone for Christmas, but she had a few rules that he would have to adhere to. Turns out, all of us would be better off if WE enforced these rules on ourselves.

Here's an excerpt:

Dear Gregory

Merry Christmas!  You are now the proud owner of an iPhone.  Hot Damn!  You are a good & responsible 13 year old boy and you deserve this gift.  But with the acceptance of this present comes rules and regulations.  Please read through the following contract.  I hope that you understand it is my job to raise you into a well rounded, healthy young man that can function in the world and coexist with technology, not be ruled by it.  Failure to comply with the following list will result in termination of your iPhone ownership.

 I love you madly & look forward to sharing several million text messages with you in the days to come.

1. It is my phone.  I bought it.  I pay for it.  I am loaning it to you.  Aren’t I the greatest?

 2.  I will always know the password.

 3.   If it rings, answer it.  It is a phone.  Say hello, use your manners.  Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”.  Not ever.

There are actually 15 more and you can read those here.

One of the things that struck me most was #15 which stated:

Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.

That's a WONDERFUL rule...and one we can ALL take to heart!

A 13 year-old kid is mainly listening to Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Britney Spears, ect. To be honest, there's nothing wrong with that. It's the hit music of their day.

But, wouldn't they benefit from knowing why their parents and grandparents are such big fans of the Beatles, ZZ Top or even Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye? How about a little Creedence Clearwater Revival? We all benefit from the music of CCR!

This goes the other way too. The older generations should listen to some of the new stuff. I can tell you, some of it is REALLY good. Adele for example. Coldplay has some good stuff as does Bruno Mars. The Lumineers have a hit song song right now called 'Ho, Hey' that is about as catchy as anything I've heard in a while. I'm also a big fan of Arcade Fire and the Foo Fighters.

And all of this music is available to us through the phone in our pocket. We couldn't have DREAMED of such a thing when we were kids!

Now hop on YouTube or iTunes and find something out of your comfort zone to listen to! Except for Justin Bieber. I'm still not sure about that kid...

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