When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to discover they are not it.
-Bernard Bailer
What a strange way of thinking. To be so conceited that no one is better than you. What a dreadful doom. No icons, no role models, no idols, and virtually no inspiration. I watched a program on E yesterday that made me think of America’s fame and fortune. Today so many young people are famous and are in the light for our even younger youth. Paris Hilton or Brittany Spears for instance. Could you imagine your daughter acting like these girls? I would be so ashamed. America’s children thinking it is necessary to be slutty to be cool, now that's gratuitous.
What happened to the Dick Van Dykes’ and Lucille Balls’ of the world? Just happy, good humored, well mannered men and woman that entertained the masses. Problems existed then as they always will, but people handled themselves in a more professional, mature manner. I did not live during this time, so I am not an expert by any means. Just watching the shows that existed and knowing these people were the models of America, I can only imagine what life was like. Family values and a classy image. Men wore suits and hats. They would lay their coat in the puddle for a lady crossing the street. Woman smiled at you crossing paths on the sidewalk because they didn’t think the man was hitting on them. Girls, let me tell you, it is ok to smile back. Just keep walking.
The parents of the fifties were right. Rock and Roll was the devil. It has tainted our pop culture to trash. There is no longer any discretion or discreetness. People will curse you in the drop of a hat. Most children do not find appreciation for the things children back then were forced to. Again, I am not a doctor or an expert. I am just trying to describe what has transpired to me. It only makes sense. The world is too fast. I enjoy some of the things that have come out of the information age, but I would hate to miss that 12 hour drive as a family through the Smoky Mountains and seeing the herds of deer on the side of the roads because I had a DVD player in the car and wanted to watch that movie I have seen 13 times. Singing road songs or playing “I spy” or the license plate game. Those are the times you remember. Those are things that matter when you are old. Can you imagine in forty years telling the story of that road trip you went on. Will you remember the movie you watched or would you remember coming close to death on a 7 thousand foot mountain without any guard rails and your uncle driving like a maniac trying to scare us kids. Do you remember that Sara? Do you remember vomiting way up there? I do. I am sorry you did, but I will never forget it.
All I am saying is, we the people need to give a long look at where we are headed. There is nothing wrong with progress, but let’s not lose our values that made us the greatest, strongest country in the world. We can not just drug our youth into a haze either. Children are children. Let little boys act the way little boys do. We know girls learn in a school environment better than boys. We are a different kind of being. So why not adapt the system to the best way they are able to learn? Naaah, nevermind, just give him a pill and he will be fine.
