Welcome to Paradise

Well this ought to be interesting, being that I've never blogged before!  Let's give it a go!


I have a pretty basic question I'd like to ask almost everyone I see anywhere:

What happened to personal responsibility?  Where did it go?  I mean am I the only one who notices that we live in a society of whiny, needy children (no offense actual children, I'm referring to adults as well)?  I work in a school and let's just say I've seen enough garbage to last a lifetime from students,  parents, co-workers, and I'll admit, even myself.  I see parents claiming to be struggling financially.  They're unable to pay for little Jimmy's school supplies at the beginning of the year because they're living on disability or whatever other reason they might come up with.  That's all fine and understandable.  I really sympathize (and empathize with being broke....that much is for sure), but if you're broke and living on welfare or disability, WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE THE LATEST SMARTPHONE????  Of course they're always fully equipped with Bluetooth and any other possible accessory money can buy (our tax money, that is).  Then I see little Jimmy come to school with HIS OWN smartphone AND a brand new Nintendo 3DS!

Maybe I'm coming off as heartless.  You know, maybe Jimmy and his mom really needed those smartphones so they could look for work while on the go....and since both have their own, they can apply at twice the rate of any one person...and maybe that video game console was to build up Jimmy's self esteem...you know the other kids all have one and we don't want him to be an outsider to the public norm...that's how serial killers are born after all.

Yes, I get that sometimes these luxuries are given as gifts from other family members and sometimes they're remnants of life when money was abundant and life itself was good.  I get it.  The problem is, more often than not, this isn't the case.  I'm dealing with parents who have kids pretty much for the tax write offs and the welfare checks.  These are parents who WON'T answer their phones, pick their puking kids up from the office, or sign medical information papers.  These are parents who think it's MY job to feed, teach, wash, wipe, and dress their child...of course without being too hard on them and without actually giving them real creative freedoms.  Discipline and "NO" are words of the past.  Now we must "nurture" and coddle and hope.  I kid you not when I tell you I had a 7 year old screaming bloody murder in the bathroom because I would NOT wipe his butt.  We had to call mom in to do it for him and as I was explaining that he needs to be able to do this himself, she was picking his nose.  Reread that, I beg.  She was picking HIS nose while telling him that he needs to start doing things for himself.  Mind you, he is perfectly capable of the task, just didn't want to.

We're raising a whole generation of lazy children who are better acquainted with the latest TV show characters than their own families.  TVs are the new babysitters, multi-player online role playing games have replaced playing outside with your friends, and leftover animal protein sludge, GMO vegetable and fruit-like products, and artificial colorings and flavorings have replaced nutritionally sound food.

So not only do we have a generation of infants who are unwanting of doing for themselves, but a generation of obese, socially deficient, nutrient lacking, closed minded, overly sensitive, unappreciative, and unmotivated slugs who have no pride in their work or themselves.



Of course this does not go for allllll of them.  And it definitely doesn't refer to all the parents I've dealt with over the years.  There are MANY who are taking measures in their own way to correct these problems and I absolutely applaud the effort.  It does not take a village to raise a child, it takes loving parents (this title goes for legal guardians of any kind.  Note: I never said BIOLOGICAL parents) who will nurture AND discipline as needed.  Parents make all the difference in the world.  Mine never had to beat me or my siblings, never had to be overly aggressive...  They taught us empathy.  They taught us pride.  And most of all they taught us respect.  If you can empathize, you'll feel bad for those you hurt and take responsibility.  If you have pride, you'll work hard and enjoy the outcome of your labor even more knowing that it was YOU who made it happen.  And if you have respect...well you get what you give as the old saying goes and if you give respect, you're bound to receive it as well.

I could literally write on this topic for hours, becoming distracted, going further off topic, and delving into all sorts of fun political topics, but since it's late and my eyes are starting to blur over.  Time for a cup of tea and a trip to snoozeville.

Keep it real, y'all, and remember:

Those who would trade liberty for security will gain and deserves neither.