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Peace Out   by Julie Plancarte

I have a lot of pet peeves. Most of them are silly, but I’ve got one that I have to talk about this month.

I was recently at the park with my kids and struck up a conversation with an older gentleman from the Baby Boomer generation. After the standard chitchat about the state of the world in general, he commented to me with a shake of his head how tough it was to raise kids today. “I’m glad I’m not raising kids in society today, it’s terrible,” was his observation.

It always amazes me that my parents’ generation is quick to be critical of mine, and wonders where it all went wrong. I can only say to them, look at what we have been left with!

While I get it was life and death in the sixties and early seventies to protest the Vietnam War, burn your bras, scoff at the “1950s” way of doing things, experiment with drugs, have sex when you pleased, and generally go out and “find” yourself, I’ve got to wonder what was gained by all of it. At least my parents’ generation grew up in families with a mom and a dad. You could go outside and play for hours with your friends and no one worried about your whereabouts. There were inequalities, but there also was a structure that was in place. There was a chance to grow up with a feeling of security.

Now, I’m not saying there wasn’t some change that was needed in society. But was it really necessary to dynamite the foundation to get what we wanted? And now that the foundation is gone, where is a replacement so we can stay stable?

Today I have to walk my kids to the bus stop and make sure they get on the bus. I can’t let my little girl go outside and play in the neighborhood with her friends without some adult knowing what they’re doing and where they’re doing it. I lock my car and doors at night. I watch my back at night when I leave work and walk outside alone. As a woman, I’m lucky if a guy even WANTS to get married. and many of my friends who do get pregnant end up parenting alone. Divorce is up, drugs are rampant and more potent, and in general people abandon you at the drop of a hat if they feel you don’t condone or emulate their values.

Think this is the worst? Try a conversation. When everything is acceptable, then people tend to become a miss mash of conflicting beliefs. You never know where someone stands. Try getting someone to talk about family values when their parents have played around and made a mess of home life. They haven’t a clue how to hold things together.

My message to the older generation is this. You had your fun. Now the rest of us are bearing the consequences. We live with the poor quality family life, the selfish “me” attitude, the instant gratification, and the unsafe streets. We live with it because that’s all you left us. So go ahead, the next time you see an aging hippy, and give them a hug. Thank them for the “revolution” they helped bring about.

As for me, I’ll think I’ll pass on that. Speaking as a parent, I’ve got to convince my own kids that this world is a great place to live in. That’s going to be a hard sell when they can’t go outside and play, and inside the television set and Internet are sending too many wrong messages to kids today.

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Copyright  2008     Leland Pulley