Excuses*
                                                    Lynn Gordon

    "But Mom, you promised!"
    "I know dear, but things don't always work out the way we planned."*  
     After an extremely exhausting* day at the office, the last thing I wanted to do* right now was go swimming.
    "But Mom, you promised!"
    "I know, but I'm just too tired.Maybe we can go tomorrow instead."
    "You never keep your promises." *  
    "Yes I do.Sometimes it takes me awhile to keep them, * but you know we will eventually go swimming."
    "But you said we could go today."
    "And when tomorrow is today, we will."
    "Oh alright, but don't forget you promised."
    "Don't worry dear, I won't"
    As I settled down to relax for a while, I marveled at the general stupidity* of mothers.Why we insist on teaching our children things like "you should never tell a lie, "and "you should always keep your promises"is a mystery.We all know it will come back to haunt* us eventually.
    Perhaps we are all somewhat masochistic*, and need to have the occasional guilt trip laid on us* by our children when we don't live up to our own expectations.* Whatever the eason,* I would welcome a course in creatively "skirting the issue and confusing your children."Just think, when my children are grown and gone, I could quit my office job and run for politics.Maybe I could start an advice column for families*, or write books on creative parenting*, or...
    I sighed as I suddenly realized, visions of grandeur aside, * I still have ten years of excuses to go!  

注：
*父母总是教孩子不要说谎，但自己却经常寻找借口，回避自己的诺言。
本文以“我”的内心自省为基础，阐述了一种普遍的社会现象。本文
语言较为平实易懂。

*事情不是总像我们计划的一样发生。

*疲劳

*最不想做的事情

*你总是不守承诺。

*有时候承诺必须过一段时间才能实现。

*共有的愚蠢。

*让人心神不宁。

*受虐狂。

*偶尔遭受良心的谴责。

*实现我们自己的期望。

*不管是什么原因。

*撰写家庭建议专栏。

*子女养育。

*先不管宏伟的前景。