Youth Letdown

I am very disappointed in our youth today.  As a former elementary education teacher, I took pride in teaching my young first graders that they could accomplish anything they put their mind to.  I let them know I believed in them and saw some type of potential in each and every one of them.

But now I’m starting to have my doubts.  These past several weeks I have really started to doubt that our youth will amount to anything.  It’s really all pretty pathetic.  It is the year 2010.  Our youth were raised in a generation where their food is ready in five minutes or less.  They can talk to anyone, anywhere in the world with just the click of a button.  Their technology is amazing and there’s an app for everything.

So why in the world are our youth letting our society down?  Aren’t these kids supposed to be the people that will be taking care of me once I get older?  Shouldn’t these kids be the ones to find the cure to cancer or help create a car that flies wherever it goes?  So, what’s the problem?

Here’s my dissatisfaction.  Day after day I have been out driving all year and I’ve noticed these generic, basic creations.  Regardless of the street I was on, they all looked the same.  What I saw where three basic balls of snow stacked on top of each other.  Some may have had two black eyes.  Others had on a basic hat.  Are you serious?  Is that all you can create for a snowman?!  Come on, how uncreative is it? And even more disappointed were the youth that couldn’t even take the time to roll a circle and instead just had a mound of snow and two sticks for arms.  I’m gonna need a little more initiative and creativity.

In the year 2010, snowmen (and women) should be the latest and greatest.  Snowmen should be able to do the moonwalk.  Snow-chef should be able to cook me some pancakes. Heck, with all the technology we have today, there should be a snow-monkey that can shovel my driveway!  Youth, I’m gonna need you to step it up a bit. I mean God gave you several snow days so you can’t complain of lack of time. It was the fourth snowiest winter, so please don’t complain about lack of snow.  Because honestly, there are no excuses!

A wise woman, Whitney Houston, sang “I believe the children are a future, teach them well and let them lead the way”……  Youth, I still believe in you (what I first wrote was pure sarcasm), but it would be nice if you could just think a little outside the box!

M.Y. March 2010