My state of mind these days...

[Guppy]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Agreed.

And in my opinion, most of this isn't the kid's fault, it's mostly the parents' fault. People are getting more selfish and lazy. It's a lot easier to always say yes to your kids, than to dig in your heels and say "no" and stick to it. It's a heck of a lot easier to plop them in front of the tv all day, than it is to read to them and make sure they did all their homework and play board games with them. Proper parenting takes almost everything you've got, and many people don't care enough to dedicate that much.

There's a bus stop for the public high school near my neighborhood, and when I drive past those kids, they are half dead to the world, eyes half closed, blank expressions, every single one of them glued to their phones.

About the only places where I see kids that make me optimistic, are catholic school, boy scout meetings, and the karate school, where the teenagers hold the door for my wife and cheer on the little kids. Those are the places where I really like what I see. But you have to look hard for it these days.

Bingo