I sometimes wonder if I am the last generation
who played baseball in a field without adults,
who spent the day making tree houses in the woods,
who spent a penny on a whole bag of candy,
who was not permitted to answer the phone during mealtime,
who followed the ice cream truck,
who ran through the mosquito spray up the street,
who skated on the marsh until dark,
who learned to dance to the most famous band in the world (Twist and Shout),
who embroidered peace signs on their jeans,
who wore hats to church,
and who could get a job just by knowing how to type.
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| Amherst Kindergarden class c. 1957 |
Times of changed. In an effort to create a “vintage” experience for children, I discovered a generation who could not grasp the game of hop-scotch; could not see the point in being able to bounce a rubber ball under one leg; and became quickly bored with skip rope. Am I being a pessimist or worse, lumping a whole generation under one generalization?
Socrates is attributed as saying "The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”
I wonder how this generation, in their adulthood, will rail against youth.
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