Kids These Days

Wake up, and I see that my sister was already dressed. She said, "I'm gonna run and go get my stamps. Watch and make sure no one snatches my check." Bone Thugz and Harmony, First of tha Month

I went to the mall with my infant daughter, square one, one of the most "geto" (sic) places on earth. It's very disheartening. Can our entire economy be built on nail shops and t-shirts celebrating misspellings? Kids just dropping the f- and n- bomb all over the place, in front of old people, children whatever, bragging about not being able to hold a job, feeling triumph in their embrace of ignorance. Just wanted to stroll around and get my wife a birthday gift, not be present in the crucible of the decline of American civilization.

I mean it's a mall in Saugus, not the swap meet in Compton. And the thing of it is that ignorance is completely multi-racial and crosses gender lines. There was at least three stores that specialized in baseball caps, at least three nail salons, a dollar store and a bunch of other geto-wear stores. "I told the GM to f#ck off", oh so that's why your minimum wage @ss is wandering around the mall. Not to mention how some of the young women dress, I've been to bachelor parties where the women were dressed more conservatively.

Now, for complete disclosure, I'm not a young man anymore, I have a baby daughter, and I've become a lot more observant of other people's behavior.. Also as a youth I probably didn't exercise my best behavior at all times. In fact, I'm sure I was probably a "bit of a handful" at times hanging with Clubba, et al, listening to punk rock and rap, doing our thing. But there's two things I always knew, you gotta keep your job, whatever it takes, and you don't curse in front of old folks.

As that old guy with a child, I'm always concerned that these kids won't be able to turn it around. Some of the kids seem to be high school kids, still stuck in those times of real egocentric behavior, really in fact having no idea of what is going around them, that does not directly affect them, right at that moment. I get concerned that while some of these kids appear to be high school kids "doing their thing", other appear to be young adults without any direction or purpose other than being full participants in consumer culture. I hate to judge a book by it's cover but it didn't look like these kids were working hard all day to go to school at night.

I've never understood rampant consumerism, I dress poorly, have a used car, I guess my extravagances are a big TV, decent groceries and decent booze. (from a U.S. perspective but frankly I'm probably richer than 90-95% of the world population) It's hard to explain to kids that most people don't get rich quick, what with the perversion of reality programming, the celebration of the mentally inert and shows like American Idol where the nearly talentless can hit instant fame and/or notoriety that often manifests itself as wealth. Well not long term, multi generational wealth but "hammer" wealth, relating to pop star MC Hammer who somehow managed to fritter away over $50 million.

The lack of connection between earning and getting money/possessions for nothing is not solely the domain of the young. Daytime television is filled with commercials that celebrate the "get by". Commercials for disability claims, slip and falls, etc. that get you what you deserve. This lottery like hits are much more attractive than a couple jobs, an education, a better job, some CD's, more savings and retirement accounts.

I'm not sure how to teach kids in what I have been accused of "promoting middle class values". I'm not sure if that is an insult or not. I've been poor and I've been middle class and middle class is much better. I'm not sure if owning a home, paying taxes and saving money for the future is "selling out". Maybe, maybe not, but at least it is not a celebration of ignorance.