My Generation

Growing up at the right time.

I was thinking the other day that my growing up years were probably the best of both worlds. We had more available to us than my parents' generation did, but we didn't have as much available to us as the generations that have come after mine.

When I was a kid my world was safe. I could freely commute on foot back and forth to the neighbor's house, sometimes after dark, without my parents or I feel concerned for my safety. When the weather was good, us kids in the neighborhood amused ourselves by playing outdoor games. Usually whatever was in season; soccer, baseball, football, pickle. Heck we even used our imaginations and made up games when nothing else seemed appealing.

By the time I came along, woman's rights were pretty well established so I didn't ever have to live in a largely unequal world (one reason why I won't ever get the full impact of the movie Mona Lisa Smile). And I also came into a time where prejudice toward minorities was no longer common place. We didn't have a lot, but we had enough and although at the time it seemed like the worst thing, we were also taught a good work ethic and respect for self and others.

It seems that now, more and more, kids are completely over stimulated between school, sports, extracurricular activities, computers, video games and television. Which therefore leaves less time for learning self worth and other valuable character building lessons. Perhaps it is the thinking that people always want their kids to have more than they had but when does more become too much? And what is the cost for more? Loss of imagination, loss of being a family, loss of enjoying childhood?

I just wonder when kids have time to be kids.

(Disclaimer - The writer of this piece works for a crisis intervention program and has seen the up close ill effects of children having "more". This writer is also aware that there are parents out there who go against what is becoming a societal norm and are able to find a happy medium which gives their kids a solid foundation and to them I say KUDOS!)