| I
received some email from a friend who had spent the previous afternoon-evening at a high
school career day and awards event. He was totally disgusted with the aptitude
and attitudes of today's young people. He told me he hadn’t talked to one
senior who seemed to have any type of clue about how the business world worked… had
any future plans for their life or how to achieve them… Other than…
“well… I wanna like, go to college and an apartment off campus and then after
that, like, get a good job”.
It
struck a chord with me and showed me that I was not the only one who felt that today's
youth is wasting a wonderful opportunity and had they the energy and desire that their
parents and especially grandparents possessed, there would be no limit to what they could
achieve. That line of thinking prompted this response to his mail…
Please
don't apologize for your frustration... I sometimes enjoy a table in the Galleria by
Barney's, while Peggy shops… I sit sipping a nice cup of Irish Creme Decaf and
watching the parade of over-funded undereducated, under-worked and overdressed young'ns (
15-25). When "we" were young, while education was not a primary concern,
you did appreciate the fact that you needed enough to get a job to buy some wheels,
thereby increasing considerably your chances of scoring. (It was hard to charm a
pretty young lady with her sitting on the handlebars of your bike… not suave at all
!) And, burger joints, service stations or in today's terms "lawn
maintenance" was something we took on with enthusiasm. We did the
math as follows .......Work = $$$....... $$$ = car..... car = girls…. Girls =
..well, you know…fun
But
today's "next generationers" are only interested in having enough to keep
batteries in their ipods and smart phones (you just GOT to be connected), purchasing the
proper Abercrombie/Finch, or what ever the latest must have lable is… t-shirts
(bloused correctly) and cargo pants with exactly 3.75 inches of extra length to pile up
properly over your Tommy Gear sneakers and of course with ample pockets on which to hang
your electronic gear. And, the hat...GOD don't forget the hat. With the proper
logo, the subtle but adequate fraying of the material of the bill, (hopefully with one or
two single threads dangling just to the right of your field of view) It is rolled into the
perfect hyperbolic curve (something they never learned in geometry or trig
class).......and strategically placed on their perfectly cropped/bleached hair…..
Backwards.
Of
course revenue generation for this group is never a problem. No greasy gas station
jobs or burger flipping for them. Mom and Dad gave them a platinum Visa for their
16th birthday or graduation (Mom says "they might need something from the
"G" (the Galleria Mall) and can't get to me for the money !")......they're
covered. If one of the "nexters" does fall on hard times (over his $2500
limit) and has to find a job, the worst thing they can deal with is a kiosk at the
"G" (note… the "G" is my term for the Galleria shopping mall)
selling hair beads, eingravables or cell phone accessories. But hey, that's
cool... all his posse can come and chill with him at the mall while he ignores his
customers talking to his honey on the phone or surfing the net on the cash
register/computer.
I
think we were born too soon... we missed living the good life.... but we're paying
for it.
Here’s
an example … a good friends University of Alabama son wrecked his car... he's had
several wrecks and they only afford to carry liability on his 2 year old car. Dad
worked every afternoon, after work as a plumber for nearly two weeks removing the damaged
front end parts (yes it was his fault.....again) and replacing with new
metal/plastic. When he finished (primed and ready to paint) he told his son he could
start driving it again. To which his son replied " No way !! It's two
different colors !!! I'm not gonna be seen in a car that's not painted. People at
school will think I'm a redneck". Dad just smiled and delivered him to
Tuscaloosa campus that Sunday evening and left him on foot. He also purposely
delayed the painting for another 10 days.
Mom
finally raised enough hell (her baby had to walk to class) that Dad got it painted this
week. And poor son is again on the road. I should add that this is his 5th
car. He has totaled 4 vehicles..(including a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Mitsubishi
something, a Mazda 929 and a Camry..) three of them brand new or less than a year
old. But thankfully he wasn't hurt and his hat didn't get dirty in a single
wreck.
He is
like so many... Mom and Dad struggle to pay for his education, his clothes, his car, it's
insurance, living expenses, dates... giving him the things they never had or struggled
for... what a disservice they are doing him. Dad did tell him this week that
when he graduates, the fountain of cash is dry... he finds a job, pays his rent, car
note/insurance and everything else. The boy has no idea what faces him or how to
handle it, and he will probably fail. As hard as Mom/Dad worked, it's going be their
fault. It's really sad...to try so hard to do something right and fail so badly...
and they are duplicating their efforts with a daughter two years younger at
Auburn (she's on her third car.... she's 20). It makes you wonder what the
world will be like in 5/10 years when these fine young people are shaping the
future.. scares the hell out of me.
The
world right now is a very scary place… economies in ruin, entire countries defaulting
on debt that has been piling up for years. Jobs are hard to find and with mom and
dad looking at retirement the money tree will be pruned very soon… I wish someone in
the educational system would metaphorically slap these young people upside the head and
tell them to look around.. their lives are going to change very soon and very
drastically. They need to pay attention and use the resources their parents are
paying for to be able to survive. Wasting my time aren’t I ??? Oh well,
it was a good idea anyway. It’s maddening and it’s sad at the same
time. I’m glad my youngest is 40. But I fear for what my 10 year old
grandson will see.
But,
on a more positive note, while I sit there... the coffee's good…and these sweet
young things lazily walking by, shopping bags in tow…with their perky firm breasts
haltered in the "GAP" tops...tend to take my mind off of it. They didn't grow
breasts like that when I was 18... I remember... I was paying attention... |