I used to think during all of these bye-gone years that I
was part of the ‘Greater Generation’ but after doing some research I found out
I was really part of the ‘Silent Generation.’ A lot of the people of the silent
generation were born during the great depression. Although my parents did
experience it, I did not, but I still grew up expecting and getting a hard
life. I was born during World War II and although I remember only bits of the
end of it, I do remember the pride that existed in this country afterwards. Our
country had fought and won a huge battle against tyranny. In the aftermath the
rest of the world looked us up to and we enjoyed our hard fought victory,
wearing it proudly on our sleeve. Then generation-by-generation, we let it all
the glory slip away.
No one really
remembers those times anymore that fondly because the generations of today seem
to march to their own drummer. Our country has changed immensely and that’s not
a criticism, it’s a fact. This isn’t a condemnation of today’s younger
generation-- its just an effort to explain how vastly different we were. We
lived in a country back then where love of country was high on the list. We
started class in school each day by reciting the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’. Our
small town had thirteen churches and my own parents brought us up with a love
of God and Country and that often translated into respect for our friends and
family.
We had no cell phones or video games and in most case no
televisions. The words “go outside and play” came right after your own words,
complaining of being bored. There were no health clubs, yet people had far less
problems with weight control. There also were no fast food places, and you ate
together as a family. Then you burned a lot of calories with that “Going
outside and playing” thing. Oh, they hadn’t yet proclaimed the evils of smoking
and a lot of people did it and I don’t know whom to call more stupid-- the
people back then who smoked or the people today who smoke, after seeing first
hand what it did to their friends and family in the past.
Our cars had lead in the gas and that was bad but then we
had mainly one auto to a family. For the most part we repaired them ourselves.
We ate a lot of fat in our diets back then because that was before we knew
words like cholesterol but most people worked hard at their jobs and today that
is still a good remedy for that. Kids all carried knives to school but no one
stabbed anyone. Our school therapist or counselor was called,” Mom and Dad.”
Our historian was called “Grandpa and Grandma.” The town cop was everyone’s
friend and the lawyers in town hadn’t learned yet how to be ambulance chasers.
The politicians were more in tune with their constituents and not the lobbyists
who today finance their campaigns.
I could go on but I won’t. For every action there is a
reaction and that is as true today as it was then. So why the big difference?
My theory is it has to do not so much with how we live today-- but with the
death of common sense. It has to do also with our loss of personal responsibility
and our tendencies now-- to blame others, and always have an excuse for our own
stupid mistakes.
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