This One

I was talking to a good friend as I drove her back to her apartment. We discussed "this generation" and our concerns about it. I brought up the fact that no one seems to get out of the way for the emergency vehicles anymore. Oh we might stop, if the vehicle appears to need to turn in front of us on a four lane road. Or if it's a cop, well they could give us a ticket, so we'll stop. But I have noticed as a few ambulances have passed me in the past week, that no one really moves over anymore. Are we that selfish of a generation?

I got my blood donor card in the mail today (well, a few days ago, but I just now opened it). You'd think I was a hero with the way that the letter and even shiny pamphlet thanked me again and again for my generosity. The printed words emphasized over and over again through flattering words that I had "saved three people's lives" and all this other hero-like puffing up. Oh I know there's always a blood shortage. Run from the needles. Run! - No really, those needles are not small.- But it was wild to watch the desperate plea from the American Red Cross for a few pints of my blood. Are we that selfish of a generation?

I just kind of wondered what this generation will come to. As my friend mentioned this morning we are the "don't discipline them" generation and the "don't give them an F in school or it'll hurt their feelings" generation. And I wonder what will become of us. Oh, I know what the end product will be. But I wonder in the midst of this process what will be the choices and the chaos our generation causes. I find it funny that our generation doesn't want to grow up. Why would we when our childhood was so "protected"? I mean why not be a tween (twenty year old who acts like a teenager). Why stop going to school? We know when we graduate we'll have to grow up, so get another degree, head on to grad school... heck even get your PhD. But once you're done with school... then what? Is it really that college has become another extension of high school? I mean I talk to people all the time about their future families and they stress that they don't want to have too many kids because they won't be able to pay for all of their children's college. Even in my own desire for a big family, the immediate response is "how will you pay for their college". And I think... I WON'T! It's their education, not mine! I had to do it on my own and I learned so much from it. Why deprive them of that chance to grow up?

But even beyond our generation, I wonder what's going to happen to the next generation. The generation our generation produces. You know... the germophobic generation. Haven't you see the commercials? The Lysol mom. Kid sneezes, but the "good" mom is there and ready to wipe off the kid's doorknob to disinfect the house so the child won't die from the norms of life. It's hilarious! And the new Lysol commercial where the mom and kids are running and playing in the completely bleached out household and the voice over speaks of that being the "ideal". Man, I can't imagine how the medical companies are going to prosper in our future. Because if you're not exposed to illness... you have a weak immune system. Seriously dude, I grew up eating stuff off the ground and I haven't died yet!!!

What's happening to this generation and what will be the effects of this one on the next generation? It's wild to think about it.

It really is wild.