The way we live
Call me old fashioned, but I think we have lost something. When I was younger, families were well, families. The mother stayed at home and the father went out to work. We all sat around the table for dinner and talked about our days. My sisters and I shared the chores and worked in the school holidays to earn extra money to buy the things we wanted.
We talked to each other. We spent a lot of time with the extended family. We played outside, had vivid imaginations, and had family pets that we loved to spend time with. We respected our elders. Nobody had computers or iPhones. Texting hadn’t been invented. We had one TV in the house and one car per family. A microwave? What’s that? Eating out at a restaurant was a special treat, and we dressed up for everything, even going to the movies.
OMG, I hear you say. How archaic! You must have been miserable and so bored! Er, no, not really. I mean, how good is life today? Nobody cares any more. There is no love in the world – it’s all about greed and want and violence and power and instant gratification. It’s so sad.
These days there are more divorces than marriages. People live together instead of making a commitment. Nobody sits at the table for a meal together any more – we eat out a lot. We don’t talk – we are most likely to be found on the computer or staring at the TV instead. Everybody has a mobile phone.
Most young couples will never be able to afford a home of their own because mortgages rates are so high and the average house price is way out of reach.
We all work long hours. Technology was supposed to give us more leisure time, wasn’t it? Instead we are constantly stretched trying to fit everything into our days.
And our kids. They’ll sneer at me for saying this, but our young people are just so world weary and cynical these days. What on earth do they have to look forward to, I ask? They whine about how bored they are because they have a stunted imagination due to constant exposure to television or gaming. They text, play Xbox, spend hours online, go out with their mates drinking and hooning around in fast cars. The teenage suicide rate is sky high. Oh what a surprise – I wonder why? They think they know everything (sorry, but they have no idea – only life experience enables you to gain wisdom). A lot of young people today are foul mouthed. It’s not amusing or attractive - it’s disgusting to hear what comes out of their mouths. They have no work ethic. They have no morals. (Please note, this is a generalization and does not apply to them all – there are some fabulous young people out there but sadly, they are the exception, not the norm).
We neglect our elders – how many lonely elderly people are out there, living alone or dumped in a rest home and visited once a week if they are lucky? That’s appalling. This is your mother or father for goodness sake! They sacrificed for you to give you a good life.
So, are we having fun everyone? Personally, I’d rather there was a return to good old fashioned family values. Bring back basic good manners, respect for others and good neighbours and the world would be a better place.
But that’s just my humble opinion. What do you think?