Generation Gap
In cases of extreme weather and early school closings, my middle school students are allowed to use cell phones to call home. These devices are supposed to be verboten but appear like weeds once kids are allowed to pull them out.
“Mr. Teply can I use your phone?”
“Well, I don’t have a cell phone so, no.”
Like much of my instruction, this flies over their heads. They interrogate me about where my cell phone is located. They ask if I left it at home. Perhaps I left it in my car. Did it break? Did I lose it?
“No. Look, I don’t have one.” Then I add, “And why in the world do you need one? You live a block away.
And aren’t you on fee waiver?”
I am given anther blank look. “It’s for emergencies Mr. Teply. And even my dog has a Bluetooth.” A pause. “So, can I use your cell”
Perhaps she is hearing impared. I tried accesorizing my words with sign language, “I-don’t-have-a-phone. Leave-me-be.”
This would never have happened when I was in seventh grade.
Here’s a quick list of developments that took me completely by surprise. Consider it a list of things I’ll be telling my grandchildren when they ask me what has changed since I was a young man.
Everyone has a cell phone-The ability to communicate from anywhere has a place with many different professions. Everyone else is just paying an extra bill every month, not paying attention while driving, and interrupting meetings.
When I need to telecommunicate, I still use smoke signals.
Water sold in bottles- There is a water fountain only six steps away from the bottled water machine. Seventh graders (who shouldn’t have any money anyway) are constantly lined up in front of this machine.
It comes out of the fountain for free! If I put a sign over the fountain that read, “Free! Only for a limited time!” Would kids try to hoard it?
Men wearing pink- They say men are more prone to be colorblind but I never thought it would come to this. Hey, if guys are ok with wearing pink, how about pink underwear? Oh, do we have a problem?
Selling drugs on TV- This mystifies me more than anything else. If you have a medical issue that hinders your quality of life, the old method was to go to your doctor. He would diagnose your problem then proscribe something if needed.
Is the consumer supposed to lobby their doctor for certain drugs? Once you get hooked on a drug as a part of your routine, you’ll be experiencing empty wallet disease for years to come.
Good golly! I know life was more difficult in the “old days.” But how on earth did our pioneering forbears make it through life without six prescriptions and a pharmacy right across the street from their sod house?
Cursing as Entertainment- Twenty years ago it wasn’t ok for youth to be entertained by sitcoms and dramas that routinely cursed and used off color humor. Music artists two decades ago would never have considered the self-destructive, selfish, and purely animalistic lyrics kids listen to now.
But it’s alright now? Is our current crop of children better able to sort right and wrong than previous generations. Survey says…
It’s up to parents to monitor their children. And yet, it’s a drastic shame that good parenting hasn’t become more prevalent to match the decline in our culture’s influence. Yes, the line is a fuzzy one but it looks like someone has been pushing it.
June 10th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Very true, very true.
June 11th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Teply, this thing would not let me capitalize my name. Am I missing the trick? Anyway, since I hate reading (Sorry Marsha), this is the only one I read. Haha! It was very true though and funny! Here is my comment, haha!
June 20th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Matt, Good Golly???? anyways, i agree with you on all accounts… except on the use of “good golly”