Stories to tell your children Or welcome distractions caused by tax day by Raymond Lira The Ranger Opinions Editor

Today's topic of choice: Waiting until the last moment to file your taxes.

How many people were like me this year and waited 'til the last day to file your taxes?

OK, I admit I could have filed my income tax return as early as February, but it's not like I put it off on purpose.

Life happened.

And considering how easily distracted I am nowadays, well, for some people there are priorities, and then there are priorities.

I guess it all comes down to a person's state of mind.

How many people believe that procrastination should be a way of life?

It's just a question that I am not afraid to ask out loud.

How many people believe that no one should be in any hurry?

You know, if we followed that state of mind, then maybe we never would have left the '60s.

Now, that was the time, from what I've been told.

Groovy music, sit-ins, love-ins and how about the fashion?

All together now: "Memories, like the corner of my mind..." Come on; you know the words.

Sorry, got distracted there for a moment.

When was the last time you saw a tie-dyed T-shirt that wasn't in the back of your parents' closet?

I guess it could be worse. You could have lived through that time.

And right now, you would be -- old.

Which would mean that you would be the one with all the stories about having to walk five miles in the snow, uphill, just to get to school.

Now those are stories. Nothing like kids nowadays.

What stories can you tell about living in Amarillo?

Hey, a few years ago, Oprah came to town.

Wow, now that definitely is something.

Or better yet -- I can see it now -- 50 years from now, when it's your turn to tell the next generation, you can tell them about how rough it was with only 70 cable channels.

How Friends was so popular. And you can try explaining the plot twists on Dawson's Creek.

Or how slow the Internet was.

Or you could even describe this little flat disk called a CD.

And can you picture the faces on the kids when you tell them about how you used to go to the mall?

And it wasn't even to go shopping?

They probably will think you were a rebel.

Or they will smile and say, "There goes Grandpa, telling one of his stories."

But then again, who wants to live to be old, anyway, just so you can have the option of being a crotchety old man or woman.

Now that is something to look forward to -- unless you have the kind of kids who end up sticking you in a nursing home.

For those of you who have kids, how have you been treating them lately?

Ever wonder if that smile they have on their faces is because, in the back of their minds, they already have the perfect retirement home picked out for you?

You know, the kind where the residents play bingo on Mondays, have movie night on Tuesdays, go to the over-60 swingers dance party on Wednesdays and so on.

Have I made anyone second- guess their decision about growing old yet?

If I haven't, then maybe you have too good of an outlook on life.

Lira is a mass comm major and is also a student at West Texas A & M University, he can be reached at opinionranger@hotmail.com