Posted by 3Dee on February 4, 2020, 11:19 pm, in reply to "Re: A Message"
It's a great story, Opinionated...and you should be proud of what you have accomplished.
You may have 20 or so years on me...the first president i was able to vote for was Dole....so you have a little math there that I am clearly not a boomer and clearly not with the 18-20 year olds either.
I grew up in Granite City, I don't think any of us were particularly spoiled. I don't like to talk about me or make it about me too much.
I had to work for many of the things you had to work for, but in some areas may have had it a little better too. No doubt, my parents sacrificed plenty and I have my own memories of all they had to do to raise us. I do keep those thoughts a little more private, though I am still proud of them. In that regard, I am just proud that with the expectations they placed on me coupled with their efforts, they have raised an adult who has not been in need of a single thing since I finished undergrad free of debt at SIUE. I had to live at home so as to avoid the room and board costs....but the same deal with driving junkers and gassing, repairing and insuring them,.
All I can say is somewhere between 23-27 years out of GCHS, I too am happy to be in a really good place where I do not need for anything and am not even left wanting often. All I really want for is more time...
I no longer identify with the 20 and 30 somes. MY world was so much different. I really feel like what I have to say to 18 and 20 years olds is 'not a damn thing' unless they ask me.
They really are stronger than we think they are. We may know a world with gadgetry and social media...but imagine being kids and being unable to be a kid because of what may be recorded, screenshot, and posted.
I said a lot of dumb things - things I am very not proud of. These kids do the same juvenile things....but the eye of the camera does not lie and it does not forget.
Things that the teacher said 'knock it off' for in my day....now gets kids expelled.
No doubt, some of them will be weaker because of helicopter parenting. My fellow gen-x ers were going to show you baby boomers what's up and raise these kids right.....without hitting them, etc.
Some of them I worry about as well as you do....but then there are just many more who blow me away and really will take society to new heights...whenever we give them the chance to do so.
I really just believe it's the same cycle...and 30 years ago, WWII vets would be bagging on the hippies.... Now the old hippies are the ones 'responsible' and it's this new breed messing it up. It's all cyclical... and I'll be well on my way to doing the same thing, probably.
on February 4, 2020, 11:19 pm, in reply to "