What went wrong with my generation (Kind of OT)

exactly.........i don't think it's just your generation, i remember saying that when i was in high school in '87. never had too many friends my own age, they never had any idea about your word is golden or even what ethics are, they only saw peoples backs to step on. the really fucked part is making friends with the greatest generation and then having to watch them pass on.

 

What went wrong? Lack of parenting skills. It all starts with the parents, or lack of. Most people your age were raised by parents who's parent's forrmative years were during the 60's and early 70's. Popular attitude was against hard work, and personal responisibility. Social programs came into existence to provide for the slackers, you accompany that with the lack of personal responsibility, and you get irresponsible people who don't think they needed to work for what they want/need. That attitude is then passed down to their children, and here you are.

Lack of a strong parental models at home leave the kids looking for someone to fill the void. You then get these dumbasses thinking what they see on tv is real. They want to live like the rappers in the video's, think the bullshit drama on the talk shows is how people live, they believe the bullshit commercials that tell them they 'need' to have the latest gizmo to be accepted in society, or you 'deserve' a new car, or there's no need to pay off your debts since we'll still loan you money, they also get their moral values from these same sources. They have no concept of the end consequnces of their actions, and have never been shown the mental tools to become prepared for adulthood. When something they do turns out bad, there's no concept of personal responsibility, and they blame everyone else. They learn this from the parents who when the kid is in trouble, immediately go on the defensive and blame and threaten to sue everyone else for what the kid has done. For the most part, no one has ever told them 'no', and they've never had their little asses paddled to drive home the point that their behavior is unacceptable. These same parents have always taken the easy way out and given their kids whatever they wanted thinking that's a sign of a good parent, instead of making them work for it. Kids ape what they see at home.

Of course this is not always true. I've met kids from the worst of backgrounds who've turned out to be decent human beings. I also know parents who both work hard, and their kid is still a waste of air.

Done ranting.

 

WOW!!!! What I've read so far is EXACTLY what I've been saying for years. I won't bother to add by going on my personal rant because just about everything has already been said. The comment about us, as a nation, starting to go down the tube is in fact a reality and if you don't see it then you've been deprived of a real life education and your part of the herd of Lemmings that's allowing us to charge toward destruction.
This thread should be required reading for every parent (or anyone breathing) born after 1950. The older ones could learn why things didn't turn out the way they dreamed and the younger ones MIGHT get a clue as to what it will take to turn this country around.
Is it too late to change things? The answer is NO, but I'm betting the history books will record we took the easy way out and just went to the Mall to see how much the latest craze will raise out our monthy credit car payment (that is if we even take note of getting further in debt)

Frank

 

They don't make them like they used to. People, or cars. Both were built for the long haul years ago. Today everything is done for the immediate minute. What's good for right now. Who cares about tomorrow, anyone, or anything else, for that matter. Show this post to your Dad, and keep doin what you're doin.

 

It's not the others ofr your generation, it's their fuckin parents spoiling the living shit out of em and getting them out of their way. The "busy" generation of parents that "want their kids to have what they didn't" is bullshit. I was separated from my kids not long ago but they all "remember" the values from me. My son doesn't like it and goes on about his thing. He WILL fuck up and maybe learn even more than I could possibly show him.

I see what you're talking about on my job. Seems anyone under 30 lately is a fuckin mess except for a few. Just go on about your buisness. It makes you strong and secure whether you realize it or not. It makes you confident in your choices and keeps your head on the pillow at night. It also makes you a fuckin "chick magnet" if you exude your values without bragging or whining.

What's wrong with "your" generation? I guess it's "my" generation that fucked em up. But be careful how you process all this info. Don't ever let it affect how you deal with things, rather use it to understand your surroundings and act occordingly. Now, get the fuck outta here and go build a hot rod!!

 

We often have teens come in to the fire station to work off court ordered community service hours, for everything from curfew violation to shoplifting and drug possesion.

The most common trait I see in these kids is a complete lack of repsect for anything or anybody, including themselves.

 

Read all the posts and agree with all that has been said. The sad thing is that this is not just happening in the US of A. This IS a wprldwide trend guys....Ive seen the same shit in Europe and here In Australia where Ive been born and bred.

My old man is getting on now. He is the oldest of six kids and he left school during WWII and the Nazi occupation so hes seen abit.. When my grandpa was sick and almost died of pneumonia, he left school at 12 and took over the family business in the saw mill. Hard fucking work for anyone, let alone a 12yo kid in the middle of a war, freezing winters and occupation. And hes been working hard ever since.

So he comes to Australia and works his ass off to assimilate and learn the lingo, trains/works as a mechanic in his own business, 18 hrs a day seven days a week for the first 18 years he was here. Brings over his sisters/brother and helps set them up here and settle down. Builds a house for his parents in the old country and STILL sends my Grandpa in Greece money to get by on. Helps his family and kids out in any way he can and hes STILL going....what a role model for a kid to have.

Not only taught his three kids the value of a hard days work and believing in yourself, but also NEVER forgetting where you came from in life, regardless of how successful you have become. About family, loyalty, tradition, ethics, values and respect.

I lost count of how many times I copped an ass whipping for stepping out of line - and believe me when I tell ya'all I hated it at the time. Now that im pushing 40 I feel so lucky to still have mum and dad in my life and the lessons they taught me the hard,old fashioned way.

IMHO...kids these days as a general rule have no idea because:

a. The parents are too selfish and rather than put in the time, they buy them off.
b. The Govt takes away the onus of responsibilty for the kids from the parents, and puts it in the hands of the state where some jerkoff fag of lesbian whos never even had kids tells parents how to raise them. Political correctness bullshit.
c. The media and big business spends millions brainwashing kids with mindless bullshit about what is needed in life and WHEN they need it and how there gonna get it.
d. the education system perpetuates the pproblem by teaching kids bullshit - half the kids in schools here cant fucking spell or do masic math, but id bet they could whip the X box into a higher score everytime. When I was at school, if the teach said that we had to know our multiplication tables on Monday, then they meant it !! If we got tested and we didnt know it, we copped a caning - no ifs or buts. My old man used to tell the teachers that if I screwed around in class, they had permission from him to give me a caning and that when I got home I'd cop another from him for stepping out of line.

These days, if the kids step outta line, they threaten suing the school, teachers etc etc. And we expect these kids to grow up with a sense of reality and responsibility? HAHAHA....

Boys...were in trouble, I agree, I too believe we are at the beginning of the degradation of our society as we once used to know it. theyre NOT all bad, but I can see the warning signs....

More rotten apples than good ones in the barrel, eventually theyre all gonna go bad.

Show that letter to your old man....it will make him feel that all these years he did good ; he did what was right. I take my hat off to ya - at 22 youre a smart kid and good luck to ya.

Rat

 

i drive tow truck i love those girls, you wouldnt believe just how much stupid stuff they can do to their cars. some of the guys are just as bad. i think if you have a drivers lisensce you should know how to check fluid levels and check and change a tire.

i love how all the kids have the mediators in schools now to make sure everything is fair. i find it funny as hell when they get out in the real world and find out nothing is fair.

 

Chad, don't sweat it. My dad was pretty much the same way and I cheered the day he died. (I was 24) I hated the guy for 30 years even though he had been dead so long. One day recently while working on an old beat to shit Flathead, I found myself wishing he was here to help. Nobody ever knew more than he did. That day I realized that he raised be perfectly for this world. See, it was my perception of the world and the "way things oughta be" that happend to be incorrect, not his ideas and parenting skills.

I agree with what everyone is saying on this thread. Opportunity knocks and is invaribly wearing overalls and looks like work. Just keep trying and don't quit. Never quit at anything without giving it your all. Never emulate those other losers or concern yourself with what they have and what they think of you. And the most important - Stay the hell away from drugs and alcohol- (excess)and the people that use them. Drunks and druggies never accomplished anything.

 

Hello from the UK!

Don't know if it's any consolation to you Stateside guys, but it's just as bad here: Don't be fooled into believing that our Prime Minister, Blair, is clamping down on crime and bad behaviour. He isn't. He's just a politically-correct middle class, public-school educated liberal who went striaght from Oxford to a legal chambers, before becoming an MP.

He has no idea what the avergae working Joe has to put up with. I'm a self-employed motoring writer: I lie awake at night worrying about getting the money in to pay the tax bill - after all, the Government here needs the money to pay for work-shy scroungers who claim they can't find a job. More's the case of why work when you can sign on and everything's paid for by the Government, led by 'Mr Hardman' Blair!

As a result of having to pay taxes to support the work-shy, any paintwork on the B will just have to wait!

 

Television is what is ruining everything.


Think about it. My grandparents were the the first generation to have TV in their homes.

My parents were raised on it.


Ever sit down and analize an "I Love Lucy" episode? They are all the same. Lucy is out to get Ricky. They both try and put the screws to each other. They lie to each other, they cheat each other....Ricky doesn't want Lucy to make anything of herself...etc etc. The main theme of the show is that marriage is about a power struggle. Marriage is not a union of mutual respect and love. This theme is preached during every episode.

It didn't really occur to me that TV was really bad until I sat down and thought about how my Grandmother treats my Grandfather. Its a damn I love Lucy episode. Grandmother seems to have learned about marriage by watching "I love Lucy" (which she did watch a lot BTW) Of course I'm generalizing and other TV shows certainly impose their influence in other subtle (and not so subtle) ways....
Its not all the fault of I love Lucy. However,


Television certainly warps reality.


Its like people don't have a personality anymore unless its prescribed by the TELEVISION.







I don't have cable, satellite, or even an antennae...and I haven't for well over 7 or 8 years. TV is NOT cool. Its dangerous and evil and damaging to unsuspecting minds.

 

nail meet head, head meet nail!!!!you got it tingler..theres so many fukin people on tv out to make this world shit..if you beleive in god then katie will hammer ya...mtv yells at the youth all day that sex and money is all you need..fukin media is goin to be the end all!!!!i could go off for a week on the political side of this but that forbiden here and for good reason...but i cant beleive how many morons watch the eveving news and dont even bat an eye..whatever they say must be true.....theres very little hope for the country in general until we put the hammer down on the media!!!!destoryers of anything good and right in the world....i wish more people would wake up to that thought....welp, gotta go OPRAH'S ON!!!.................[EIB] anyone??? breeder

 

I have my own shop. I spend anywhere from 50 to 80 hours here a week and I love it. I didn't learn this from my parents,though. I went to a "gladiator school" -A place called Cal Farley's Boy's Ranch. and yeah, I hated it-right up until I got into the Automotive program. Mr McRight and Mr. McNeil out there showed me just about everything I know about life. the bastard son of two fathers. this was WELL before the "no corporal punishment" stage of schooling (seriously. I feel every kid in the world needs a good ass whipping and to be in at least one good 5 minute long fistfight.builds carechter.) you screwed up, you got your ass whipped, and if it adversley affected the guys in the dorm,they kicked your ass,too. (it really was a big family there. I have a couple of Black brothers,a couple of Mexican brothers,one canadian brother,and a bunch of cracker brothers) I was sure my generation was screwed, but looking at the kids today, I can see that we are definitly screwed. I won't blame it on any one group of people (as some here have) but I know where the problem lies. and it is the exact opposite of your father. The generation of parents that let thier kids be raised by television. they have NO WORK ETHIC!!!! these folks wanted nothing more than for little bobby and suzie to shut the hell up and ABSORB what was on the tube. and then add to the fact that some dipshit decided that getting your ass whipped was "deeply traumatizing and prohibitively disruptive" to a kid that didn't know what was gona happen if he (or she) fucked up, and you lose all aspects of Law and Order. the same generation's kids are currently packing our jails and prisons full of dipshits.

and no-one knows how it happened.crime is at an all time high and nobody wants to explain it. it's simple. more reward than punishment=criminals. and noone is doing anything to stop it!

your dad did a damn fine Job. Keep up his WORK.He clearly did a good JOB.

 

Not all of the media is bad - after all, Rodders Journal's part of the media....

 

I gotta learn to type faster.

 

i will say what went wrong, parents got lazy into there own things,,, to get rid of the kids they would send them off to watch tv or video games so they would not bother them, rather than to answer questions or a good spanking. it sickning,, another thing that makes me mad schools do no have shops any more so the kids cant kearn a trade,,,,,just computers it sucks..........the flyn

 

I used to think this way when I was in high school in rural Kansas.. that I was the only one doing anything, that everyone else was lazy and dumb. Then I gradiuated and went to college and found some of the most creative, interesting, hard working people I know.. and they were all my age (I'm 28 now). "My generation" has done some pretty amazing things, without us there wouldn't be a lot of things.. maybe like a messageboard where thousands of hotrodders can bellyache.. or find answers.

There will always be slackers and screwups (blame whoever you want), but this is a great country and the cream always rises to the top.

 

Dammit Tingler....you beat me to it!!!

That is very true though. Since the TV was invented, the media has tried to sway the views of America. It has been proven time and time again that if you don't watch the news before going to bed you will sleep more sound and be more prepared for the day ahead!

I'll throw another one in, All in the Family introduced inter-racial marriage to our society. Then as time went on it got forced down our throats until society decided if you don't go along with the masses, you're a racist. I don't care one way or the other. When my kids were young they didn't understand why what they considered to be "NORMAL PEOPLE" didn't say anything about this, but their grandparents hated it! I told them that this was the media forcing us to accept something we were taught was wrong. I told them that the next thing you know, there will be same sex relationships and maybe even marriages. My daughter (this was 15 years ago) told me that was the craziest thing she'd ever heard. The other day she reminded me of what I had told her. She thinks ol' Dad's a pretty smart guy now.

If you watch the news or read the paper....I suggest you only do it to find out what they are GUESSING tomorrows weather will be like. If you want the truth....go outside and look! You'll see exactly what it's doing.

 

Four things went wrong.
1. Doing away with the DRAFT. The "Greetings from the President" letter let you know you were now expected to "grow up", do your duty, and make something out of yourself. You were no longer a "kid" without responsibility.
2. Divorce and drugs.
3. The lack of FEAR of authority.
4. Over indulgent parents as poor role models.
5. The "entitlement" mentality.
The offspring of the " Greatest Generation" became the Hippie Generation, which begot the "me generation" , which begot the "X generation" which begot the mess " marshmallow generation" we have today. Rome was not built in a day. But how long did it take Rome to fall? But in spite of your angst, you "stay your course" because your're ok. "Oldcarmike" is correct.

 

Gentlemen!
Approximately 60 years ago there was a bomb dropped on New York City.
Do any of you know what that bomb was?
That bomb was what many people call the Beatles!
Gentlemen, to this day we are still seeing fall-out and affects of that bomb.

 

yeah those things and MATH!!!

 

and the INTERNET!! it's keeping everyone out of the garage on a saturday morning!!!

 

About 30 years ago, Marshall McCluen said that, The media is the message."
So ...... the media keeps feeding the masses only the info theywant them to believe. And, if the masses have short attention spans, it works even better.

 

Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer.
Henry Aldrich.
Dennis The Menace.
The Little Rascals.
Calvin (and Hobbs)
All would be tagged with having ADD or ADHD today.

I remember when the term "Latch-key kid" was a big deal. It's when Mom started working a full-time job, and the kids had to come home from school and let themselves in. That was my generation. I don't agree with a lot of the things my parents did (and it's unbelievable what they're telling me to do now when I raise my kid...they actually DID say that we have to keep up with the Jones's. Even AFTER I pointed out that's what they were saying), but every day when I got home from school (1970s/80s), my mom was there to ask me what I did that day and get me a snack.
Amazing that they think my wife should have a full time job.
Now it invokes a comment when Mom stays home.
Kids get raised by Daycare, the parents get home worn out and tired at 6 o'clock, need to get dinner cooked, and the kid is acting up because he wants to spend some time with his parents and be the center of their attention. Dinner hits the table at 6:30-7:00pm, kid's in bed by 8:00 or 8:30. But tomorrow he's going to the doctor to see about getting something to help him behave and concentrate better.
These days dinner is take-out, from a box or go to a restaraunt...you remember when eating at freakin' McDonalds was a big deal?! You remember when you parents got a baby sitter on Friday night and got dressed up so they could go out to dinner?!)

We live in bigger houses than ever before, lease a brand new car, have several TVs in the house, cordless phones, a stereo in every room, a X-box, Nintendo or both, VCR/DVD players on each TV (because God Forbid we all sit together in one room and watch the same movie or TV show), and pay for it over time.

I've told my son often that doing the right thing is never easy, and rarely popular. But it is the best course.

You stay the course you're on, avoid the knuckle heads, seek out that 1% you can agree with, and make sure you pass those values to your children when you have them. You'll be a black sheep and won't fit in, but when the time comes, you'll be the one left standing.

-Brad

 

parents are afraid they will not be the friend of their kids. they are afraid of giving a ass whopping with a belt (time out does not work). they feel they deserve everything free and now.. not having to work for it. I blame 95% on the parents... 5% on the friends they hang with.. (most parents have little control over that... like while at school)...

 

Good thread and factual thought provoking responses.

As said above, the exact thing that screwed this country over was television, and now the internet.

Can you imaging the twisted and demented things they see on the internet and think that's what the real world is ?

 

But why do you tractor trailer guys cut us OFF. When me and Dirty31 was coming back from Paso last year and it was raining so hard you couldnt see jack, yall would pass us and cut right between us. Coming back from Bowling green the same thing. I am going to put a window washer sprayer with oil in it on the rear and see how yall like not being able to see !!!

 

i have one thing going for you....your dad did it right!!! im a single dad and it sucks trying to be both parents and have a life. im sure he gave up allot .now all you have to do is show him it paid off.keep your shit together. dont worry about the KIDS your age .do your own thing...

 

All I can say is WOW to all of these responses. A lot of your comments really make me feel better about the situation. I thaught a lot about posting before I actually did it. At one point I even thaught it would be a bad idea to post an OT subject, but I'm glad I did. Thanks for all of your support. Chad

 

The generation that survived the depression and WWII was the first that could, and many did, spoil their kids en masse. We've been sliding downhill since. Stuff like toys, disrespect, TV, pornography, bad music... those are merely symptoms.

/I'm gonna run for my nomex suit now.