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Even though I am getting old, life is good!
(by Luigi Luciano - September 27, 2007)
The years seem to go by so fastThis time year gets me thinking. Fall is here and the holidays are just around the corner. Once again I ask myself where did the time go?
When I was young I could recall my dad telling me to wait and see, time will go by faster and faster as you get older.
Being a young kid I wasn’t worried about that. Heck I couldn’t wait to be 13 so I could say I am a teenager. Then 17 to drive. 18 (back then) to drink and 21 to be considered an adult.
Then 30 came. Not so bad I thought things were good. Married, children and a pretty good life.
But it didn’t stop there. Now as I approach 50 I can see what my father meant. He turned 80 last May and although he can’t do what he used to do I still see him as he was in his 40’s; young strong and able to do just about anything he wanted to. My mom was always doing something and unlike today would even get out more. She has had a couple of bouts with Cancer and is still going through some treatments today.
But over all I am lucky. I have parents that are still here to see and talk with. I wish I would get out to see them more but life is so busy we all take things for granted like our parents will always be here for us to visit anytime we want.
It seems life has a way of sneaking up on us. The one thing I noticed as I get older is that I like to think about the past. Not that I don’t plan for the future or look forward to things ahead but that I like to look back on things in my life and how it was then. So many good memories that I can recall. The friends, places I’ve been and things I have done (good and bad) that all bring me back to being young.
I never thought that I would miss being young. Not because of just feeling better but life seemed less complicated than now.
The world changes and every generation says the same thing that it was a better quality of life when they grew up. Why does that happen? Maybe we try to do too much to give our families a better life that things become expected.
It’s funny how I always say how I spoiled my kids. I thought that by buying them the things they wanted they would be happy. The opposite happens. The more they get the less they appreciate what they have.
If life is so much better today why do we have so many children on medications? Why are there so many kids killing themselves? Why are so many kids killing other people?
We need to take a hard look at things. In years back children were raised by parents. Today they seem to be raised by society and the Government. If I wanted to give my child a smack on the butt it was OK to do to teach them a lesson. Today I have to worry about getting arrested for child abuse.
If I wanted to punish my child I could yell at them and send them to their room that didn’t have every electronic devise on the planet. Today I am supposed to tell them to take a time out.
Years ago I grew up on a street with houses that were no more than 5 feet between them. Every neighbor knew me, and I knew them. When there was a problem the neighbors were there. Today many live in homes where we want our privacy so we don’t get to know all the neighbors. Our homes that once were small and cozy we all had to sit in one room to watch TV together are now super sized and each kids needs their own rooms. Families being together seems to be a bygone thing.
When I was a kid having a family dinner together was expected. Now kids are playing so many sports, dance or hobbies that there is no time for a real family dinner.
Once families grew up together with relatives close by. Now they move to other states separating families by thousands of miles.
Technology has been an important item in how it changed families as well. The internet has allowed a tool for kids to get information on any topic good or bad.
As with any technology it is created for a good purpose but the human evil side finds a way to use it for not so nice things, like the internet. Child predators have found a way to lure children into their webs.
Pornography is a business that does billions online with no real way of monitoring it.
What makes living in 2007 better than in 1907? There are a lot of good things. For one there is no horse manure all over the streets contaminating the water and air. People can bathe on a regular basis. There are advantages to being here today and living in today’s world. The only thing that is not so good today is our youth. Many are good young kids and do well. But today many have no respect for elders. They talk back to parents without concern for punishment. They dress like they are homeless with their underwear hanging out. In fact I saw one kid, no exaggeration, with his jeans almost to his knees trying to walk a certain way to keep them at that level. It looked stupid, ugly and just idiotic.
Getting older has a way of putting life in perspective. I can’t stop myself from getting old and certainly don’t want to go back to being a teenager in today’s society. But a combination of memories from years gone by as well as watching my kids grow up and watching the relatives get married and start families of their own makes getting older a little bit easier. Plus the fact that soon I will have the right to complain because I will be a senior. See there are some benefits to getting older.
Results from last weeks poll: Do you think Michael Vic should be banned from football forever? Yes 75%: No25% : Not Sure 0%
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