can someone cheer me up?

[RIJIMMY]

I guess this is not politcal but I figuered id bring up here.
I have to admit Im a pretty depressed american. I just dont see the things I want to see for my children in this country. My kids both have holiday parties at school today. We received a multi-paragraphed email detailing the procedures for us to come into the class, all kinds of security I need to go through just to go to my kids party. Part of me is glad they are doing this, it helps ensure my kids safety, but mostly I cant believe this is the world I live in. I feel the same way when I am at the airport. Watching my kids remove their shoes and go through the detectors. We are not Isreal, France, Lebanon, etc. I feel less free than ever. Cameras at every stop light, security at schools. This really sucks. I cant stand when people say "vote, people died for your right". Thats horsechit. people died for our right to live safely and freely. And we've lost that. Its gone. We've lost. People think this is political BS and none of this stuff matters, but it truly bothers me that Mansfield MA schools banned cupcakes, banned the holiday concert. More and more is taken away from us. My dad grew up in the 40s-50s. If you compared my childhood in the 70-80s. we pretty much did the same things with the exception of telvision. We played outside, rode bikes, built forts, football, etc. Now its all prearranged, play dates, activitites. All freedom lost. Most of my life I didnt give a crap, never followed politics, now i feel my view of american is under constant assault. Its rapidly going. Can someone cheer me up? Am I wrong here? How is this not going to get worse?

[fishbones]

I find that drinking and watching funny movies cheer me up. And porn. That cheers me up, too.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Go hang out with your kids....it always cheers me up. Watch a movie, get goofy with them.....build a fort with them.

Why do you think I do scouts....I get to go hang out in the woods and get goofy with a bunch of kids. Unplug myself from the BS in the world and talk stupid crap with them

[Jim in CT]

You're certainly not wrong, and it's likely to get worse.

That being said, there's an awful lot of good out there. Don't be blind to it. Go outside this afternoon, horse around with your kids, then bring them in and have hot cocoa by the tree.

[BigFish]

Jimmy what can I tell you? I agree with everything you say....its a shame! I think how things have changed in the 40+ years since I was in elementary school and sadly I think of what it will be like in another 40 years from now if we keep heading in this direction??? Sad indeed!

[Mr. Sandman]

Stop watching TV news and reading political crap and go fishing. You will feel better in a week.

Really! try it.

[BigFish]

I also figure if I am lucky enough to see 80 years old.......I am guessing by the time I die I will be more than ready and willing to go! Hows that for cheery?

[Sea Dangles]

There is a good chance your Dad said the same thing 40 years ago.
The world is a work in progress, embrace it and move forward.
Living in the past is poison.

[The Dad Fisherman]

I can tell you one thing, hanging around in this God Foresaken forum isn't going to cheer anybody up.....

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

There is a good chance your Dad said the same thing 40 years ago.
The world is a work in progress, embrace it and move forward.
Living in the past is poison.

i dont think so. he would cite the great advances in race relations. he had mostly african american friends grwoing up and expercienced racism first hand, he loved the advances in technology in his lifetime.
he went to school same as i did, played outside same as I did. Im pretty sure he would say that things have improved from his childhood.
Can I say the same for my kids? Are things better now?
Im not willing to embrace police at schools, security everywhere, less and less freedom. its not how I want my kids to live.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Nebe

I can cheer you up Jim.

here you go!!

all i see is a little red x

[Nebe]

see. I cheered you up with a little red X.

[Nebe]

[RIJIMMY]

crap thats funny

[Nebe]

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

There is a good chance your Dad said the same thing 40 years ago.
The world is a work in progress, embrace it and move forward.
Living in the past is poison.

"There is a good chance your Dad said the same thing 40 years ago."

I doubt it. I don't think too many of today's seniors think that our current culture is superior to what their children grew up within.

RIJIMMY was exactly right when he talked about things as simle as going out to ride bikes with friends and play in the woods.

Today, the average American teenager reads over one hundred texts a day. They are bombarded with sex and violence. The economy presents challenges (finding a good job, buying a nice house, paying for healthcare, saving for retirement, paying for kids' college) that are significantly harder today.

Our culture is not a healthy one.

I grew up in RIJIMMY's childhood. I had two parents of different sex, who loved us and watched us like hawks. We had supper together every single day, all of us around the dinner table talking to each other. The TV was off. My grandparents were often with us. We went to church every single week, and we discussed what was said, and how we should incorporate the lesson into our lives and relationships. My parents knew every single thing that we all did. When we came home at night, no matter how late it was, my mother (who could smell trouble a mile away) checked us out before we went to bed. We didn't drink or do drugs, because the chances of getting away with it were exactly zero. When my girlfriend was over, if we watched TV in my room, the door was to remain wide open at all times. Today, I know parents that let their teenage kids have unsupervised sleepovers with their girlfriends, let them sleep in the same bed for Chrissakes.

Our values and morality are eroded. We have far less empathy for our neighbors.

"Living in the past is poison"

Tell that to 20 sets of parents in Newtown CT. Because in the not-so-distant past in this country, there was no such thing as school shootings.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

all i see is a little red x

I'm pretty sure the guy in the picture is looking at a little brown Asterisk....

[RIJIMMY]

and Im not living in the past, I dont like the present and fear the future

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

I'm pretty sure the guy in the picture is looking at a little brown Asterisk....

[Sea Dangles]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

and Im not living in the past, I dont like the present and fear the future

That doesn't leave many options or much hope
Good Luck and Merry Christmas
Texas has changed you
glass half full

Don't forget,raise your children the way YOU want to,I don't think Norway went to pieces and they had a far more tragic incident. Any steps to keep our children safer is a worthwhile endeavor.There simply is no option.

[The Dad Fisherman]

The only real big difference/problem is a 24/7 news cycle...

There have been Drug Addicts, Perverts, Murderers and even School shootings in this country for centuries......we just never were exposed to it like we are today. Can't log into the internet, turn on the TV, or listen to the radio without seeing it or hearing about. The sensationalizing of it is off the hook nowadays.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

That doesn't leave many options or much hope
Good Luck and Merry Christmas
Texas has changed you
glass half full

Don't forget,raise your children the way YOU want to,I don't think Norway went to pieces and they had a far more tragic incident. Any steps to keep our children safer is a worthwhile endeavor.There simply is no option.

im not changing the world is. Im off in 5 mins to go to my sons holiday party. I have to leave 30 mins early as the principal warned us the line to go through security will be long. Im not making this up. Merry Christmas to you

[JohnnyD]

Jimmy, I'm right there with you. It's amazing how much things have changed for the worse even in the short span of my life and memory. While the misses and I are 4-5 years away from kids, we both question how much worse things will be in another 10 years and if we really want to bring kids up in that insanity.

I sometimes joke with the grey hairs I'm friends with that I was born 30 years too late or 30 years too early. 30 years earlier and I'd likely be dead by the time the S really hits the fan. At least many of the kids born today don't know that society is spiraling down the drain.

[Jim in CT]

TDF - yes, druggies have been around forever. Until the 1960's, people who did drugs (and who slept around, things like that) were stygmatized by society. Today, that behavior is at least accepted, if not considered 'cool' in certain places. I think the data shows that the frequency/severity of school shootings is on the rise.

JohnnyD - I'm with you, I wish I was born in my Dad's generation. His generation had it easier, by any measurable statistic.

RIJIMMY. hope this cheers you up. This is 'Murphy", he is our flat-coated retriever pup. Just got him from Boise, Idaho. We've had him for 2 months, he's doing awesome, should be a great fishing partner.

[The Dad Fisherman]

All Generations have had there challenges....no such thing as easier.

My Dad's Generation had people dieing from Tuberculosis, he lost a sister at 16 to Polio. Those diseases are virtually unheard of nowadays. There's always been challenges.

You had the issues of segregation down south. Black men couldn't vote at 1 time, women couldn't vote either.....things change.

There have been wars consistently every 20-30 years since the Revolutionary war. This country is constantly changing....always will be.

There will always be challenges as long as humans roam the earth.....human nature.

[Sea Dangles]

I am under the guise that those of us brought up in these parts are in possession of an inherent quality which separates us from other regions. A certain element which enables us to endure hardships and persevere in spite of great odds and obstacles. With big shoulders and the ability to move forward regardless of the setbacks. Wake up all ye dreamers;yesterday will never come again and tomorrows challenges need your attention. My hope is my children will embrace the obstacles and help make the world better for their children. They will hopefully make me proud and have fun doing it.

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

All Generations have had there challenges....no such thing as easier.

My Dad's Generation had people dieing from Tuberculosis, he lost a sister at 16 to Polio. Those diseases are virtually unheard of nowadays. There's always been challenges.

You had the issues of segregation down south. Black men couldn't vote at 1 time, women couldn't vote either.....things change.

There have been wars consistently every 20-30 years since the Revolutionary war. This country is constantly changing....always will be.

There will always be challenges as long as humans roam the earth.....human nature.

"All Generations have had there challenges....no such thing as easier."

Please. Compared to my father's generation, my generation pays astronomically more for housing, healthcare, retirement, and kids' college. In my dad's generation, you could skip college and have a middle class income. In his generation, it was common for moms to not have to work. In his generation, white collar workers commonly got raises of 5% - 10%. In his generation, workers had guaranteed pensions.

That would show that my dad's generation (he is 75) had it "easier". No worries about terrorism, no worries about banks wiping out your retirement or college savings with fishy derivitives.

In my Dad's generation, huge companies did not have massive layoffs or downsizing, it didn't happen.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Ever ask your Dad if he thought he had it easy....

When the construction business went stagnant in the 70's my dad was out of work for 2 1/2 years....he was an iron worker. Ended up working as a fry cook in the summer and drove a cab at one point....collected as well in the winter.

I didn't go to college yet l have a middle class income. It can still be done. A person can be a tradesman and have a middle class income.....no college needed.

They didn't worry about terrorists but they were still attacked on our own soil during Pearl Harbor......they were paranoid about the red threat and nuclear war in the 50's.

Was life easy during the depression? There's always a challenge.....then and now
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Ever ask your Dad if he thought he had it easy....

When the construction business went stagnant in the 70's my dad was out of work for 2 1/2 years....he was an iron worker. Ended up working as a fry cook in the summer and drove a cab at one point....collected as well in the winter.

I didn't go to college yet l have a middle class income. It can still be done. A person can be a tradesman and have a middle class income.....no college needed.

They didn't worry about terrorists but they were still attacked on our own soil during Pearl Harbor......they were paranoid about the red threat and nuclear war in the 50's.

Was life easy during the depression? There's always a challenge.....then and now
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

"Ever ask your Dad if he thought he had it easy...."

I never said he had it easy. I said he had it easier. Big difference.

"I didn't go to college yet l have a middle class income. It can still be done"

TDF, you're making it sound like I said everyone before had it made, and no one now can get by. In my experience, that's what people do who don't want to admit when they are wrong.

Please don't put radical jibberish words in my mouth. Many people in my Dad's generation had it tough. many people in my generation strike it rich. I'm talkiung averages.

I said my generation pays WAY more for housing, healthcare, retirement, and kids' college (relative to average income) than the previous generation. Do you disagree?

"they were still attacked on our own soil during Pearl Harbor."

Wrong. That was 2 generations ago, not one generation ago. And the fact that the US emerged from WWII as the leading manufacturer in the planet, is PRECISELY one of the things that led to so much wealth for the generation of which I am speaking.

Look at the growth in the US economy from 1945 to today. TDF, you tell me with a straight face, you think we'll see that kind of growth in the next 60 years? No one thinks we'll see that.

Kids today can certainly achieve some comfort if they are smart. But it's HARDER to do that than it was 50 years ago. If you want to deny that, that's you're right. I just don't see what you have to gain by denying what everyone else concedes is the truth.

"Was life easy during the depression?"

Again, I'm talking about my Dad's generation (he is 74), not talking baout my grandfather. And after the depression ended, as I said, the US economy absolutely GREW LIKE CRAZY. THANKS TO A MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY THAT BASICALLY CREATED THE MIDDLE CLASS. That industry no longer exists. Take a look at Flint, Michigan, and tell me that times aren't harder now than 30 years ago.

I currently have a white collar job that's low-level management. Like just about every other white collar job, the guy who had that job 30 years ago had it a lot easier. His wife didn't have to work to make ends meet. He didn't work as many hours as I do. He expected raises of ast least 5%. He got a pension, social security, and medicare benefits which I will never see. And once again, he paid WAY, WAY less for his housing, healthcare, and kids' college (relative to his income) than I will have to.

Sorry you don't seem to like that fact. Believe me, I don't like it either. It's still a fact.

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

I guess this is not politcal but I figuered id bring up here.
I have to admit Im a pretty depressed american. I just dont see the things I want to see for my children in this country. My kids both have holiday parties at school today. We received a multi-paragraphed email detailing the procedures for us to come into the class, all kinds of security I need to go through just to go to my kids party. Part of me is glad they are doing this, it helps ensure my kids safety, but mostly I cant believe this is the world I live in. I feel the same way when I am at the airport. Watching my kids remove their shoes and go through the detectors. We are not Isreal, France, Lebanon, etc. I feel less free than ever. Cameras at every stop light, security at schools. This really sucks. I cant stand when people say "vote, people died for your right". Thats horsechit. people died for our right to live safely and freely. And we've lost that. Its gone. We've lost. People think this is political BS and none of this stuff matters, but it truly bothers me that Mansfield MA schools banned cupcakes, banned the holiday concert. More and more is taken away from us. My dad grew up in the 40s-50s. If you compared my childhood in the 70-80s. we pretty much did the same things with the exception of telvision. We played outside, rode bikes, built forts, football, etc. Now its all prearranged, play dates, activitites. All freedom lost. Most of my life I didnt give a crap, never followed politics, now i feel my view of american is under constant assault. Its rapidly going. Can someone cheer me up? Am I wrong here? How is this not going to get worse?

Hey, Jimmy, buck up! You have all that you need to be happy. Your family and the ability to provide for it and the fortune to be nurtured by it. From your posts that I've read, it seems your head is screwed on right.

I understand your concerns about what is happening to our country, and agree that much of what America was is under assault. But that was always so and will be. That assault has been growing more successful over the past generation or two. But we cannot escape from that "eternal war in nature." The only hopeful response is to fight back. Teach your kids principles (which I'm sure you do) and live by those principles. Prepare them to make their own life rather than to expect that good life will be given to them. I believe the deepest and most persistent happiness is that derived from your own effort, not from the fleeting little toys given to you for momentary pleasure (but keep giving the toys as well). Those spoiled by easy comfort and lack of effort constantly seek "good times" to fill lives empty of personal satisfaction, lasting love, and a solid connection to society or to life itself. From the things you've said here, I'm sure you don't spoil your children and do instill good values--just trying to lift your spirits by reminding you that you are doing what will make you happy. Sometimes we get down on ourselves when we feel we aren't doing enough, or are helpless to, for those we love.

I understand your concerns with the direction our country is taking and have the same concerns myself. Past American societies were lived more based on principles. Our current "mainstream" culture has evolved from a trend to lift anchors and to abandon meaning, or absolutes, in a landless sea of relativity. That might be good for some scientific inquiry, but it wreaks havoc on the common psyche, or dare I say soul. The loss of freedom, the lurking and ever present dangers that shouldn't exist in an advanced society, I believe, are results of that disconnection. And the societal and political responses compound the loss of freedom by a growing micromanagement of our lives for our welfare and security. The result is an opposite feeling of dependence and lack of power or control of our own lives.

Don't let it get you down. You do have the power to provide for your family and to teach your children fundamentals that will give them the power to do the same. I can't think of anything more gratifying than that.