My parents were teens during The Great Depression.
My father fought in World War 2 while my mother worked as a welder in a shipyard.
Money was never, and I mean never, something we had an abundance of while I was growing up. The term “scraped by” is a perfect description of our lower-middle class existence. My parents could have taught a class about robbing Peter to pay Paul. They may have had their own version of the American Dream, but they paid dearly for it.
All of that is presented to you, dear readers, as reasons why my parents often said to me “we want you to have a better life than we had, Bill.” It seems like such a throwaway line, something parents just say to their kids without assigning much meaning, or gravitas to, but I found myself thinking about it last week as I helped Bev at a survival camp she was running. I was amazed and yes, that is the perfect word, how very little those 8–12-year-olds knew, how very little practical knowledge they had. Which led me to wonder, have we done a disservice to our kids by trying to give them an easier life than we had? Have we reached the point, several generations down the Road of Life, where we have raised children sorely lacking in self-sufficiency? Is Generation Alpha totally clueless when it comes to providing for themselves?
I am writing this on the morning of a massive global tech outage, a serious disruption to businesses and services around the globe, which reminds me of something I have suspected for a long time. We really need to quit worrying about a nuclear war and start being concerned about a cyber war which would cripple our economy and quickly plunge the Generation Alphas into a state of panic.
I’m not sure where I’m going with this. I have no concerns about myself. I am fully capable of providing for myself no matter what comes down the pike, but I do wonder about the new generation, how we’ve provided a simpler life for them, but one which is also filled with the potential to leave them helpless should catastrophe strike.
If I had a soapbox to stand upon, I would scream to new parents STOP MAKING IT SO DAMNED EASY FOR YOUR KIDS! Teach them life skills. Teach them self-sufficiency. Teach them to cook and sew and repair and diagnose. Teach them how to provide and improvise. Teach them critical thinking. The new world we have created needs plumbers and electricians and welders, not more lawyers and mid-level business executives, and it needs people who can think independently and not be swayed by the latest fabrications on social media.
But I don’t have a soapbox, so all of this is simply random thoughts from an old man with far too much free time on his hands.
I trust you completely, Sis. I have found old age to be a great excuse. I use it often to my advantage.
A word of advice from your Big (older) sis….If you truly think you’re losing it,… do NOT do it slowly. Suddenly and permanently is the least painful and cheapest way. Trust me, That method worked great for me!!!….and I’d never steer you wrong, Bro! Love ya Big Sis
I did receive this, Sis, planned on responding, promptly forgot and then, the ultimate, managed to toss the notification in the trash. A comedy of errors which seems to happen with increasing regularity.
I may be slowly losing it, Sis, but that will remain our secret.
Love the way you raised your youngins. My son, poor boy, had a no nonsense father, figure it out, Kid, and let me know when it’s working again. And he did figure it out, and he is alive and well and self-sufficient, and damn if you and I weren’t right all along. Which we would have gladly told anyone who had asked. 🙂
Love you, Sis! Sending a big old hug.
Oops…there it is. I panicked needlessly……then again, I’m good at that!!
Hey!!! I wrote a semi-lengthy comment to THIS!! What could have happened? I’m disappointed. I’ll write it again…..when I’m not ready to walk out the door for the pharmacy! Hmmmm…this is a mystery. Big Sis.
Ohhhh Bro! Right up my “self-sufficient” alley!! Hear…Hear and Amen! I could (but will not) write an entire article on this topic, right back at ya, my friend! I am quite satisfied that despite adoring my sons to pieces at all times, I did not “spoil” them!! Of course, that’s because I simply COULD not! That’ll fix any devoted Mom’s butt in a hurry! LOL….However, I DID TEACH them, by example, gentle reminders (with-the-wooden-spoon in-hand—gentle!.)….they had and will have, throughout life, a thing called “RESPONSIBILITIES.” Not only to themselves but to those around them, the community…the world. For all my anxiety…I wanted most to be able to set them free into the world, wipe my hands on my tattered apron and be 98% certain, I did the best I could, they would be ready for anything….and if they didn’t learn…..Well, Oops…..it’s all on them now!! Praise all and everything that is Holy……at this point, looks like we’re doing very well…. A +++ and Oh brother, what a relief!! Phew!! No wonder I have arthritis in my fingers!! They’ve been CROSSED for 50+ years!! Take Care my buddy and give my best to your loved ones! Big Sis (and THANK GOD for OUR Great Depression/World War II Parents!!)
Thank you, Dan! I appreciate it.
Hey, Lil Sis! Bev and I make a great pair when it comes to getting things done. I can build tings; they may not be perfect, but they are passable, which pretty much describes the builder as well. Bev is great at putting things together and following instructions, something I am horrible at. Together we pretty much have everything covered with the exception of wiring; neither of us will touch wiring.
You’re not that old. And I agree that we really need to instill more skills of resourcefulness in today’s kiddos. I remember maybe…ten years ago, my little niece had a broken doll – the head was falling off. She made for the trash can and said, “welp, I need a new one.” Her mom indulged her with a new one. My first instinct would have been to try to fix and make do with the existing toy, appreciating what I had and not worrying that the thing now had more “character.” I once had a friend say, “we live in a bull-shit disposable society.” I think this drive to have the next generation be “better off” is what has contributed to so many issues: climate change (because “we need McMansions everywhere”), shortages of resources, inequality, the haves and have nots. I probably spend too much time thinking about such things, and I’m in my 40s! Ah well. I have been told more than once that I’m quite resourceful. I will find a way to make things work when I need to. My hubby is even more industrious than I am. While I’m good with technical things, he’s good with mechanical and construction-type things. Together, we make quite the team. Sometimes I fantasize about living off grid. But as soon as I think that, I think about my time “living in the forest” with our last house and let me tell you, homesteading takes up ALL your time. I definitely appreciate modern conveniences, but I think it’s wise to appreciate it while learning to exist without it. It makes you more creative and resourceful for sure. 🙂
Excellent