We Are Dinosaurs

Yes, we seniors (for the most part) really are dinosaurs in this new world.  We talk about the old days when life was simpler and safer, when morals were maybe not followed by everyone but they were ingrained in most of us.

So many of the changes we see are good but they don't make up for how our society as a whole seems to be deteriorating.  I can't conceive of a society where it isn't safe for children to walk a block to school alone.  I can't conceive of a society where it's acceptable for people to have 20+ sex partners in their lives.  I can't conceive of a society where it is next to impossible for a family to be able to afford to buy a house.  Yes, I'm a dinosaur but maybe the old days were better in ways this new generation will never understand.

I love that women over the years have fought hard to gain some sort of equality with men.  We're not there yet but we're getting close.  I love that career opportunities for girls are much the same as those for boys.  I love computers.  I love all the gadgets that make living easier...microwaves are high on my list!

What bothers me a lot is that, as women leave the home to work (often a necessity now), children are not supervised the way they were when at least one parent stayed home.  Children do stupid things when left on their own and sometimes put themselves in dangerous situations.

Women have always been the social designers...creating "families", planning to have children, done the hard work of creating their communities, etc.  With fewer women having the free time to do these things, our society is somewhat neglected.  

Of course, there are still parents who do it all...work all day, come home to cook and clean, help the kids with their homework, take their children to sports and even help direct those sports.  They are wearing themselves out.  And maybe the combination of working like dogs to support their families and having very little free personal time is what is causing so many families to break up.  The "good" parents are under too much stress.

We'll never go back to the good old days and I, for one, wouldn't want to do that.  I'd just like to see some sort of balance.  Like everyone else, I want it all.  But, most of all, I'd love to be part of a society where every child is safe.  We can accomplish this.  I believe we will because we must.