So was the 70's like this? Did my parents have to wonder and worry about the same things I do? Was the world a better place back then? Was the news just as negative and make you say hmmmmmm everyday? I don't think so, I guess I will have to call my parents today.
I seen on the news the other day about a man killing his wife and 4 children here in Mason. What the hell is wrong with people? Why did he snap? How could someone do this to their family? Yes this happens everyday, all over this country. We seem to be blind to it until hit hits close to home. Then we wonder, we think, we feel remorse for everyone involved, including the crazy dad. I am pretty sure back in the 70's, the only thing you had to worry about was a serial killer or two. Not your own family
I see on the news everyday how there is a killing here and there all over this city. Even on streets I walked so many times as a kid. Places I would hang out all of the time. How have we allowed our neighborhoods to become such a joke? Who is to blame for this madness? Doesn't anyone respect anything anymore? NO. Does anyone remember the movie Escape from New York back in the 80's with Kurt Russell playing the lovable Snake Plisskin? I can remembering watching that when I was young thinking how crazy it would be to live that way. Guess what? We do.
Does money have everything or anything to do with it? Do we all live too far beyond our means? Yes and Yes. Surely if everyone had plenty of cash or if money wasn't as important as it is today, we would have none of these problems. So blame the Apple's, Nike's, and the Microsoft's of the world for creating amazingly new and creative ways for use to spend our money. Or better yet, for us to blow our money. Do we really need all of these extra's? How did our parent(s) get by without it? They did just fine. There was no need for any of these lavish toys. Kids these days have no idea how it once was.
If it was 1972 (the year I was born) today, would we have to worry about every step our kids make? Yeah, we wouldn't be able to get a hold of them (no cell phone on their hip) very easily but we would know where they were. At least my parents did. Kids were not very chunky back then either. We played outside all day, everyday. Didn't eat the junk we have now. How did I manage? How was I happy? I am pretty sure I was a happy kid. We didn't have computers and video games that we would spend hours in front of. Instead we were playing baseball in the street or hunting for tadpoles in the creek or making a fort in the trees. The next time you drive in your neighborhood look around, see if you see a group of kids doing anything. There is no tossing football, no playing baseball, you hardly even see them outside. We as parents are to blame for this. My child is spoiled rotten. I try not to but it is not easy always being the bad guy. I have come to realize that kids and grandparents are natural born allies.
Time as a kid needs to be spent as a kid. My son plays baseball, football and basketball. He loves each and every sport and it is great for him to compete as well as work on his social networking with his friends. Sports is about so many other things than sports. He learns about discipline, teamwork, respect and leadership. This is a wonderful thing, but here is the problem. The coaches are taking things way too far now a days. Yes all kids need to practice to get better but here is what I am facing. My son is 8 mind you. Basketball has not even started and the baseball coach is already setting up monthly indoor practices. Not to mention that football off season practice started a week after the 4 month season ended. Football is also indoors working with a trainer. Yeah the same ones you get at the gym when you are fat and out of shape and need someone to push you. Did I mention that he was 8? Also, the prices of the sports have gotten way out of hand but I don't want to begin to go there. I know this is almost a direct contradiction to my last paragraph, but I think kids need to be kids and not coached 24/7.
So I guess the question is, would it be so bad to be back in 1972 now?
