When Johnny was 6 years old he was with his father when they were stopped
for speeding. His father handed the officer a twenty dollar bill along with his
drivers license, turned to his son and said “It’s okay son, everybody does it.”
When he was 8 he was present at a family counsel lead by his uncle George where
they discussed the cleverest means to shave money off their income tax returns.
He was told that “Everybody does it.” When he was 9 his mother took him to his
first theater production. The box office attendant could not find any extra seats
until his mother found an extra ten dollar bill in her purse. She told him that that
is the way everybody does it. When he was 12 he broke his glasses on the way to
school. His aunt Francene turned them in to the insurance company as being lost
and they were reimbursed. She said “It’s okay. Everybody does it.” When he was
15 he made right guard on the football team. His coach showed him how to block
and at the same time grab the jersey of the opponent in a way that the ref could not
see it. The coach said “It’s okay. Everybody does it.” When he was 16 he took his
first summer job at the supermarket. His assignment was to put the overripe straw- berries on the bottom and the good ones on the top. He was told, “It’s alright kid.
Everybody does it.” When he was 18 Johnny and his neighbor applied for college
scholarships. Johnny was a marginal student while his neighbor was in the upper
three percent of his class, but he could not play right guard, so Johnny got the
scholarship. That is okay his parents told him, that is the way everyone does it.
When he was 19 he was approached by an upper classman who offered him the
test answers for $50. “It’s okay kid. We all do it.” Johnny was caught and sent
home in disgrace. “How could you do this to your mother and me his father
demanded. You never did anything like this at home.” His aunts and uncles were
also shocked and told him that if there was one thing that the adult world could
not stand it was a kid who cheats.”