Greeting, my friends,
My thanks goes out to my friend, Arthur Webster who posted the question, "Are Old Coots a Dying Breed?" at Busy Bee Safelist Community Forums
His question regarding the seeming lack of common sense in this modern world is one that seriously needs to be addressed.
Common sense does, indeed, seem to be dying out in this crazy world. This is the age of the victim. Nothing is your fault; everything is someone else's fault.
It's become painfully popular in this modern age to air our dirty laundry in public, as so many talk shows prove. The fact is, continually reminding ourselves of how bad off we are is the best way to stay that way! I am amazed that while so many people push the religion of positive thinking, they still turn around and tell everyone all about how badly life (and other people) has treated them.
My dad always told me, "You are responsible for your own life. Stand on your own two feet and quit complaining!"
He proved his philosophy by his life. He was the eldest son of a drunk, the brother of 9 siblings, lived in abject poverty, as his dad drank every cent he made, and was on his own at age 13 when his dad finally died as a result of his drinking.
According to modern society, Dad should have been a hopeless criminal with no chance to better himself, a victim of his circumstances.
However, Dad is a decorated Korean war vet, the husband for almost 50 years of my mom, the father of four, well-adjusted and relatively successful children who all have families, too, a pillar of his community and church, and now comfortably retired on the money he saved over his lifetime of hard work.
It's interesting that at the time he had to go out on his own, both his mother and the government of the day said, "You are responsible for your own life. Stand on your own two feet and quit complaining!"
God bless,
Dave |