Could a lot of the problems in this country today be related to a disconnect ? Are we encouraging our children to disconnect from the past ? The attitude of grow up and move out was certainly a part of my generation. The expectation being to obtain your education and then establish a household of your own. The fulfillment of the American dream. Those that remained in the ancestral home beyond their school years where looked upon with suspect. I find this true even in today. Economic necessity is forcing this to occur more frequently than in my younger years, and is being met with resentment. The new generation feeling somehow cheated.
The disconnect I speak of however, has to do with communication between generations. When a generation is asked or expected to just move out at an early age, " to grow up " as it where, their natural reaction is going to be, I'm grown up now and need not listen to my parents. Everyone matures at a different rate. Age, in years or education, has little bearing on that. Did my fathers generation just throw us to the wolves ? Did they, unknowingly precipitate the growing mess society has become ? A society acting like children ? I want what I want and I want it now ! The " you're not the boss of me " syndrome ? I can do as I please.
It is much easier to justify and practice bad behaviors when not under the watchful eye of your parents. I use parents as a general term for the sake of convenience. I am referring to whomever raised you, those that you had to answer to as a child. You probably don't cuss in front of the preacher ! That's what I'm talking about. I'm thinking we are disconnected from those values and not being held accountable.
This disconnect was done with the best of intentions. We all want our children to function in society, to be successful. It is the measurement of success that begins to blur the line. Must we be independent land owners and separated from our parents to be successful ? The sharing of the ancestral home and property is not generally accepted anymore. Why ? Why, at least in American society, must we operate as individual units ? Other societies do not, yet prosper. In some cases, the perception is even that certain social groups or classes work for the common good. Not being a member of any of those groups I must admit that is speculation on my part. Just something I have heard.
The question that nags at me is this, do we owe our children ? Should we just raise them to a certain age or educational level and turn them loose ? Do we have the right to sell their heritage ? Do they have a birthright beyond their name ? I am not proposing we should restrict them in their ambitions but instead perhaps we should offer them a choice ? The choice to remain at home and share as an equal partner, being held accountable. Allow them the freedom to choose.
In the larger picture I see society in general not being held accountable for their actions anymore. The lawyers and politicians have made many behaviors " acceptable " that once were considered wrong or immoral. The general concept of having to answer to a higher power is losing favor. Given enough money or celebrity one can behave in just about any fashion one chooses. We have begun to function according to the letter of the law, not our moral obligations. And the letter of the law is subject to interpretation and change. Our obligation to our children however has not changed, nor should it change. Our moral obligations remain as well. The connection to the past is the path to the future. We should not allow that connection to be broken or lost.
The disconnect I speak of however, has to do with communication between generations. When a generation is asked or expected to just move out at an early age, " to grow up " as it where, their natural reaction is going to be, I'm grown up now and need not listen to my parents. Everyone matures at a different rate. Age, in years or education, has little bearing on that. Did my fathers generation just throw us to the wolves ? Did they, unknowingly precipitate the growing mess society has become ? A society acting like children ? I want what I want and I want it now ! The " you're not the boss of me " syndrome ? I can do as I please.
It is much easier to justify and practice bad behaviors when not under the watchful eye of your parents. I use parents as a general term for the sake of convenience. I am referring to whomever raised you, those that you had to answer to as a child. You probably don't cuss in front of the preacher ! That's what I'm talking about. I'm thinking we are disconnected from those values and not being held accountable.
This disconnect was done with the best of intentions. We all want our children to function in society, to be successful. It is the measurement of success that begins to blur the line. Must we be independent land owners and separated from our parents to be successful ? The sharing of the ancestral home and property is not generally accepted anymore. Why ? Why, at least in American society, must we operate as individual units ? Other societies do not, yet prosper. In some cases, the perception is even that certain social groups or classes work for the common good. Not being a member of any of those groups I must admit that is speculation on my part. Just something I have heard.
The question that nags at me is this, do we owe our children ? Should we just raise them to a certain age or educational level and turn them loose ? Do we have the right to sell their heritage ? Do they have a birthright beyond their name ? I am not proposing we should restrict them in their ambitions but instead perhaps we should offer them a choice ? The choice to remain at home and share as an equal partner, being held accountable. Allow them the freedom to choose.
In the larger picture I see society in general not being held accountable for their actions anymore. The lawyers and politicians have made many behaviors " acceptable " that once were considered wrong or immoral. The general concept of having to answer to a higher power is losing favor. Given enough money or celebrity one can behave in just about any fashion one chooses. We have begun to function according to the letter of the law, not our moral obligations. And the letter of the law is subject to interpretation and change. Our obligation to our children however has not changed, nor should it change. Our moral obligations remain as well. The connection to the past is the path to the future. We should not allow that connection to be broken or lost.
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