Grounded

Argued by Elizabeth regarding her most recent grounding that was to have ended at midnight on New Year's Eve:


"Mom? Can I shorten my grounding by five hours? I want to go out on New Year's Eve."

"No. Grounding means not getting to do the things you really want to do."

"But it's only five hours!"

"Yes, but if I give in, you will not have been grounded when you should have been. And the whole thing will have been pointless."

"Oh, no it won't. I learned a lot while being grounded. So five hours shouldn't matter."

"Uh, no."

"I don't like it."

"You're not supposed to like it. THAT'S the point of being grounded."

- pause -

"By the way, Liz... what exactly did you learn while being grounded?"

"Not to do it again."

"Do what, again?"

"Whatever I did. I can't remember what I did."

"You shall remain grounded. You need five more hours to figure it all out."