COUNTRY RAMBLINS

by Tamara Hillman
2012

My, oh my, how time flies! Here it is August already, and it seems summer should be just starting out—not drawing to a close.

My hubby and I recently returned from a three-week vacation starting in mid-June thru’ the first week of July visiting the grandkids in Washington State where we hail from—every summer it seems we have another graduation from high school to attend. Eight down, one to go, as it stands right now. The grandkids are growing up, and making us great-grandparents now that they are marrying also. (Makes me feel old!)

Anyway, it is difficult for us to observe what kids do today for entertainment. I swear they’d rather sit in the house in pajamas, (they also wear for outdoor attire to stores, movies, etc.) texting their friends than get out of earshot of their parents, and do fun things like gathering a bunch of friends together, hopping in cars, and going to the lake, or movies, or anything off the couch.

What happened to the American kid’s sense of adventure, daring, and most of all, freedom? In my day, wild horses couldn’t have kept us indoors, and on the couch. Of course, laziness was not allowed back then, or molly-coddling the youth. If we looked like we were idle for even a few minutes, our folks found something for us to do real quick! Guess that’s why we didn’t hang around the house much once we had wheels to flee on.

But these days, the little darlings have everything provided, and handed to them on a silver platter with NOTHING expected in return—and they absolutely take no shame in the world continuing to turn just for them in this manner.

While I am appalled at their behavior, it does no good to question why my own children have provided this luxurious lifestyle by even working overtime, and on weekends to continue giving all to these precious, little dears. Talk about giving their kids no work ethic whatsoever, and a sense of entitlement we sure didn’t give them! It makes kids so dependent, and totally immature these days. I’m sure, I must stand with mouth agape most of the time while in their midst.

Kids grow up with zero goals today. I can’t remember any of my peers not having a plan in place, at least by their high school years, of what they would seek as adults at age eighteen, let alone twenty-five, like kids of today who are still floundering around trying to “find themselves.” GIVE ME A BREAK! I could sure tell them where to look in seeking who they are if I had my say.

This is why extended stays are more painful than fun on our treks to our kids homes each summer. I love them all dearly, but whew—keeping my big mouth shut is NOT EASY!

I look upon my teen years as such fun even though we had responsibilities, and most of the time, harsh rules to follow. But it all prepared us for the REAL WORLD that would not be easy on us just because Mom and Dad may have spoiled us rotten. Spoiled brats were rare in my time, and those who were didn’t fare well in society when Mom and Dad weren’t around to protect them. Instead, it was a rude awakening when they ventured away from the home fires.

Sadly today, I see the world softening the rules to accommodate these pampered, tattooed, pierced, and mostly lazy ingrates. I know, As my grandkids tell me “I’m living in the Dark Ages,” but somehow I know those “Dark Ages” were better times, with better results for all of society back in the “GOOD OL’ DAYS!

Below is a poem I wrote about my frustration with today’s kids, (it keeps my blood pressure down to just put my feelings on paper, and get it off my chest…)