Sometime during my college years I started watching Star Trek the Next Generation - great show if you've never seen it , I'd say one of my favorites of all time. There is just something about Jean Luke Picard.*Sigh* I was totally in love with him, despite him to be a balding man twice my age (hhmmm foreshadowing?) My roommate actually bought me an action figure of Jean Luke I used to keep next to my bed....I still have it somewhere.
Among the numerous species in the Star Trek world there is an alien race called "The Borg". Half synthetic, Half Organic, the Borg is a collective of machines that need organic life forms to survive. They "assimilate" their victims into the collective. Physically he/she would still be alive, but their mind would be part of the Borg as a whole - pretty cool alien species, even if they are evil. One of the coolest things about the Borg is their ability to adapt to technology almost instantly. The crew of the Enterprise could shoot their laser guns at a few Borg and would kill them - but the collective would soon adapt to the technology and they would have to "turn up" their lasers to a stronger level. There is a scene in the movie where Jean Luke is shooting at the Borg and manages to take a few down before you see their heads twitch as if they are processing new data and then the ray guns that were working two seconds earlier become useless. This is the scene that came to my mind the other night as we were disciplining the boys. I remember when the punishments were so simple, time-out in the corner or a swift swat on the hand. But kids adapt, and become immune to punishments, just like the Borg. Our time-outs have gotten longer, the "swats" have turned into full-out spankings, and I'm constantly watching out for what they hold dearest to them - because that is what will get taken away. I have smart little boys, they quickly adapt to my punishments - something that worked yesterday may not work today. TJ told me several times last night that I was mean. Thank goodness - I was afraid I wasn't doing my job. There are times when I can look into Chris' eyes and swear he is about to say " Mom....Resistance is futile". But, just like my hero Jean-Luke, I will adapt and ultimately I will win because I'm working for the greater good of developing these little boys into kind, polite, thoughtful men.
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