Remember Who You Are in spite of the the Media

I have been updating my Life History see the blogs "I POaST about my life", what an interesting enlightening experience to write your own life history!  With the children gone and so much silence in the house I have also been getting to know myself - You have time to do that when nobody is around!!!  One of the reasons this is more clear to me just today is how the media knows me, like or better than a friend (which is ridiculously scary) for instance it's suggestion for me to watch on You Tube are; Pearl Jam and Elder Holland, Laugh-In and President Monson!

My thought here is a quick one.  It's media related as I have posted these blogs and even as I look back on my annual christmas letter I have included TV SHOWS, MOVIES and MUSIC that were "Popular" that influenced my life that year.  
Looking at this information I just want to comment on how I didn't recognize as a child under 6 the things that were influencing me, like The Rolling Stones, the sad sad Country Western songs that I loved to listen too or the Nancy Sinatra song "These boots".  I can go to all the words to these songs in my head without any effort or searching.  
That the mere mention of Mayberry, Oil, wiggling of the nose or these boots are made for walkin' - well, it just all makes me smile and floods my mind with memories.  These being good memories we won't go to what conjures up the not so good ones, and I can rationalize and make excuses for that because I was home alone or my Mother watched soaps too or my dad wasn't around much!  Yes! I am who I am today, I am happy with that, but if I could do anything over I guess it would be to be more cautious about media (WOW! I know, my leaders are gasping - they told me so way back when! yada yada yada!) so simply as the music in the car when I was driving with my kids!  

Yesterday I was kayaking and my ipod played "Christian" tunes, what a different feeling vs the usual playlist when I walk with the attempt to motivate and metablulate!!! Is that a word??? I don't think so!  But I was motivated and my heart was beating (and today my arms are sore!) we are and do what we feed ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually.  As a parent we are also feeding our kids, it could be related to second hand smoke right - that has proven to be bad for us too.

Thus my point is of course to my children, nieces and and nephews, to my seminary students and anyone else that might read this ... who have children and or will have children some day.  Be cautious in what you listen to, watch or let your children listen to, watch, or even read.  We think they are little they don't even understand, which might be the problem - it is in their heads,  and they don't even understand, how will they remember it or who they are?  

I like this Quote:
"Oh, what impact advertising, television programs, the internet and other media are having on our family units!" -L.Tom Perry

and I like this Scripture:
Mosiah 4:30 But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not ^awatchyourselves, and your ^bthoughts, and your ^cwords, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and ^dcontinue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.