Thursday, October 06, 2005
old ideas young minds
When I was in my teens I always thought that I had all the answers, but I think my feelings were a bit different from other teens.
I matured early I guess. I dont' remember thinking aobut only me and my wants and my needs. I was always wondering how to fit my mother and sister into my success.
Yet I read blogs of young people today, and they are almost all "poor pity me" about what they dont' have and what they can't do. They don't have enough money, they don't have the freedom to do what they want to do. They dont' have the time for the tings they think are important, like entertaining themselves.
They are bored, they are tired of working at age 30, they are annoyed that they have responsibilities. Poor them.
Well what did they expect?
My generation grew up thinking that June and Ward Clever actually existed. That a perfect family with respectful children were what real America was about. We never realized that dysfunction was the norm and the kind of tv sitcom family was the exception. There was no Andy Griffith and Opey and Aunt Bea kind of life. Ozzie and Harriet's perfect street with perfect kids and a perfect house on a perfect suburban street, was only a story not reality. By the time we found out it was too late for us to adjust our thinking and we never measured up to the image of perfection we'd been fed.
What the 50's shows did teach us was that if we wanted success like those shows we could get it because we had the opportunity to get it if we were studious, diligent and focused.
Now this generation didn't grow up on those 50's t.v. shows. But they did grow up being told they could have anything they wanted. It seems to me that they were not told that to get anything you want you have to work and sacrifice and compromise for it. Somehow it's going to be gotten for them. When they find out they actually have to do it on their own they get upset and vent.
They seem to think that whining is the primary way to get what you want out of life.
Complain, and make people feel guilty for not giving you your way and the world will take care of you.
What has happened? It is just me? Am I imagining it? Or I am too old fashioned to understand that the world owes these young folks a living?
I matured early I guess. I dont' remember thinking aobut only me and my wants and my needs. I was always wondering how to fit my mother and sister into my success.
Yet I read blogs of young people today, and they are almost all "poor pity me" about what they dont' have and what they can't do. They don't have enough money, they don't have the freedom to do what they want to do. They dont' have the time for the tings they think are important, like entertaining themselves.
They are bored, they are tired of working at age 30, they are annoyed that they have responsibilities. Poor them.
Well what did they expect?
My generation grew up thinking that June and Ward Clever actually existed. That a perfect family with respectful children were what real America was about. We never realized that dysfunction was the norm and the kind of tv sitcom family was the exception. There was no Andy Griffith and Opey and Aunt Bea kind of life. Ozzie and Harriet's perfect street with perfect kids and a perfect house on a perfect suburban street, was only a story not reality. By the time we found out it was too late for us to adjust our thinking and we never measured up to the image of perfection we'd been fed.
What the 50's shows did teach us was that if we wanted success like those shows we could get it because we had the opportunity to get it if we were studious, diligent and focused.
Now this generation didn't grow up on those 50's t.v. shows. But they did grow up being told they could have anything they wanted. It seems to me that they were not told that to get anything you want you have to work and sacrifice and compromise for it. Somehow it's going to be gotten for them. When they find out they actually have to do it on their own they get upset and vent.
They seem to think that whining is the primary way to get what you want out of life.
Complain, and make people feel guilty for not giving you your way and the world will take care of you.
What has happened? It is just me? Am I imagining it? Or I am too old fashioned to understand that the world owes these young folks a living?
