Overheard conversation!!!!

[widefat]

I am a bit more optimistic. My kids circle of friends are all squared away - all of them are working, trying to build a life, and
living like that have a bit of sense. I see more of that type than the aforementioned.
The other day, I had to go into a major metropolitan area for the day. One of the things I noticed was the huge number of 20 and 30 somethings on the streets dressed for business and obviously on a career path. Inside the building I visited, the HQ for the organization I spent my entire career working for, I noticed the majority of the staff were in there 30's.

I don't agree with some of their world views, but the point is I see a lot of hard working young people.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Simmer down you old timers...

Food for thought (a few quotes from days-gone-by):

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint".
(Hesiod, 8th century BC)

'The children now love luxury; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are tyrants, not servants of the households. They no longer rise when their elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize over their teachers.'
(Socrates)

"The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behavior and dress."
(From a sermon preached by Peter the Hermit in A.D. 1274)

They [Young People] have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things -- and that means having exalted notions. They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones: Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning -- all their mistakes are in the direction of doing things excessively and vehemently. They overdo everything -- they love too much, hate too much, and the same with everything else.
(Aristotle)


So this is nothing new, or special. Older generations have been complaining about younger since we first learned how to talk (and complain). I'm pretty sure each of your own parent's generations had the same complaints overall about YOUR generation.

Such is the way of things.

 

[check]

Simmer down you old timers... Food for thought (a few quotes from days-gone-by): "I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint". (Hesiod, 8th century BC) 'The children now love luxury; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are tyrants, not servants of the households. They no longer rise when their elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize over their teachers.' (Socrates) "The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behavior and dress." (From a sermon preached by Peter the Hermit in A.D. 1274) They [Young People] have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things -- and that means having exalted notions. They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones: Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning -- all their mistakes are in the direction of doing things excessively and vehemently. They overdo everything -- they love too much, hate too much, and the same with everything else. (Aristotle) So this is nothing new, or special. Older generations have been complaining about younger since we first learned how to talk (and complain). I'm pretty sure each of your own parent's generations had the same complaints overall about YOUR generation. Such is the way of things.

Great post, Slim. And remember how horrified our parents were with our "Hippie" generation? Isn't that when the phrase "Sex, Drugs and Rock'n Roll" was first used?

Let's hear it for "Alice's Restaurant", "Up in Smoke", and Tiny Tim!

 

[oosik]

Oh, Man - if I have to "tiptoe thru the tulips" with Tiny Tim one more time - I'm 'a gonna puke.........

 

[GregbkH]

Oh, Man - if I have to "tiptoe thru the tulips" with Tiny Tim one more time - I'm 'a gonna puke.........

Good one! Coffee in the nose on that one!

 

[CobyRupert]

 

[EddieWalker]

My wife has four kids. She push the first three to get their 4 year degrees. The girls are the oldest and both work as waitresses in North Carolina. Neither have worked a day in their life in the field they earned their degrees. Once they graduated, they wanted to sit around and party, so they where kicked out and they moved to be close to their dad who allowed them to do nothing. One son has his degree, but works as a helper installing phone lines in Ohio and is barely getting by. Her youngest is the one still lives here in Tyler, but he wont go back to school, even though it's free to him since my wife is a professor there. He is 24 and he has never gotten his drivers license. He works at the hospital doing maintenance. All of the kids will tell you what's wrong with the world, how they need more money, that it's unfair how the rich keep all the money and the internet should be free. They are all gamers. The boys are the worse, their lives pretty much revolve around playing online games. They feel that they are very good at it because at some sort of ranking, they are in the top 1,000

It's become an addiction that removes them from reality, or actual achievement. Karen says that kids are over rated. I never had kids, and never wanted to. We spend more time with our pets and hope for the best with the kids, but really don't have any expectations that anything will change. None of them are in our will.

 

[newbury]

Great post, Slim. And remember how horrified our parents were with our "Hippie" generation? Isn't that when the phrase "Sex, Drugs and Rock'n Roll" was first used?
<snip>

Well I'm definitely getting the drugs, it's a standing joke I have with the mailman. I go out, he hands me the mail which has our big white pouches from Kaiser Pharmacy.
And I've a very nice Laz-Boy for the rock'roll.
So I guess 2 out of 3 is not too bad.

 

[Oaktree]

So this is nothing new, or special. Older generations have been complaining about younger since we first learned how to talk (and complain). I'm pretty sure each of your own parent's generations had the same complaints overall about YOUR generation.

For that matter, plenty of fiscal irresponsibility among older generations, some no longer with us. When I was growing up in the 50s & 60s we had any number of neighbors who lived in shacks I wouldn't use for a tool shed, yet had a color tv and a new car every couple years as well as expensive toys for the kids (that were generally not taken care of). Nothing new, or specific to "kids these days".

I look around at the fancy 4x4 trucks people are driving. Jacked up, big tires, black seems to be the color of choice lately. Big hat no cattle. Those trucks have never been off road. All for ego and looks.

Again nothing new. In fact, I don't see it much anymore, but in the 80s they were all over the place. Mostly Japanese trucks. Big tires, lift kits so high you needed a stepladder to change the oil, light bars...lots and lots of light bars. And not a scratch in the paint.

This behavior is in the same camp with people on government assistance with a boat and snowmobiles in the driveway. Or a shopping cart at the register full of junk food and pop, and out comes the government SNAP/EBT card.

Ticks me off every time I see my pay stub and how I am funding others.

Anyhow....I am going to go get another cup of coffee and let the blood pressure go back down.

Get ready for it to go back up again. I saw a news story on tv last night that some are petitioning to allow EBT cards to be used for pet food. Supporters say that Fido is "part of the family". Give me a break. If you can't afford to feed a pet, don't get one.
Bad enough they let you buy chips, soda, etc.

Makes me think of XM Radio. I asked if I could cancel if I sold my car. They said the only way out was to total your car. Man, that's a lot to ask just to get out of a radio contract.

??? My wife has Sirius/XM in her car and it's month-to-month. No contract.

 

[RSKY]

With one or two exceptions all of the friends of my two daughters are doing well. And in our area the economy is not good. Some of them are doing VERY well. Then I go to Wal-Mart in town and half the 20-30 year olds there are walking around in their pajama bottoms showing off their new tattoos.

It mostly depends on the example shown by the parents.

A couple came to our church Sunday asking for money. They run a group home in the local area. They had 12-15 kids with them. The kids were all colors and races. They were clean, well dressed, polite, and had a good time. I was an usher and so stayed out by the front doors but I could hear the man talking and it was very sad. Nearly all those kids came from homes destroyed by drugs. The home refuses state money and depends on donations to continue operations. Refusing state money allows them to do things like offer prayers before meals and have Bible readings in the home. Taking state money would mean they would have to stop those activities. I was sitting in the foyer when church ended and my two youngest granddaughters were each sitting on a knee laughing and chattering. I looked up and the group home kids were standing about ten feet away staring at us. The thought ran thru my mind that probably none of them had the experience of a parent much less a grandparent paying attention to them.

Children are taught by example. The kid skipping payments so he could buy another toy was probably following the example set by his parents.

Pay attention to your children and grandchildren and teach them well. And keep your fingers crossed that the lessons sink in.

RSKY