Do people in general actually understand the concept of being thankful ( I prefer grateful, but I will concede for a moment)? I think that the majority of youth in the last two generations have no real concept of grateful; there is an innate sense of entitlement and expectation that in my youth would have landed me a house shoe upside the head on a good day. On a bad day, I am certain a switch would have been involved.
This is not the fault of youth in itself or any generation, ethnicity or economic condition. The fault lies in the largest part with parents or may be better said as a lack of parents and/or parenting. We teach our boys to be less like boys (wearing pink and playing with dolls) and our girls to be alluring far before they even have hormones to factor in. Let's see...my boys play with dolls occasionally but they call them action figures. I am NEVER putting my sons in pink and if that is an error in my judgement than so be it. There needs to be an edge in being male and that edge is taught when they are young; it correlates with the teaching of respect, admiration and ambition. What happened to the time when being a police officer, a fireman or a soldier was not only admirable but something to be revered.
Nowadays, short of being a TV or music star, you will not gain the image of role model. We are now in a position where our highest held position of president is no longer a position of respect or an image of role model. Granted, we encourage invasion of privacy and judge people on things that our none of our business and if the job is getting done and done well...then on a professional level, that is respect. We hold our presidents to some unrealistic expectation unless they purport some belief that corresponds with our own and then suddenly ignorance and apathy is tolerated and almost encouraged.
I really enjoyed an article (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/22/asia/afghan.php) about how a group of military personnel came together for Thanksgiving. It really had nothing to do with what Thanksgiving is supposedly about (which in itself is hipocrasy) but more about community and appreciation and respect.
I appreciate every individual that contributes to my life directly or indirectly. I can even find something to appreciate in the individuals that have forced a world of security systems and terrorism. Challenge is: How could I say such a thing? Well, I appreciate and respect that a human has capabilities and challenges any walls put up before him. I respect that any individual can stand behind his beliefs so vigorously. I respect that it is only with coercion and a lack of parenting that one can be brought to justify the means to any end. Parents empower the future just as much as they handicap it.
One small note, everyone who has any friends or relates to any person has a role as a parental figure. Live cautiously as what you share empowers the future...give out the good stuff, don't keep it all to yourself.
I am grateful for my choices, for my family, my friends and every one of you.
Next Post: My lists as previously promised.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Insert - Thanksgiving
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3 comments:
I am thankful for Sandy, friends, and family.
I am of the opinion that there exists a degree of difference between being "grateful" and being "thankful". The latter is derived from the gift of receiving. How we as individuals perceive thankfulness and gratefulness is not only due to upbringing, social custom and peer influence but ultimately is innate in nature. One's soul can permeate the meat of life, tear the gristle, and ultimately be grateful for its environ,no matter how simplistic or seemingly complex. One can also be psycho manipulated by the media, societal standards of materialism and the Jones' effect to be "grateful" to have achieved the monetary advantage over others and those they snub as they drive past on the highway with their emblem of status. We can give parents this responsibility, and as a parent I do purport to uphold this value, if you will. However, I cannot substantiate pompous actions of conceit, ungratefulness, and discourtesy when one's soul cannot identify with grace. Grace gives us all the opportunity to be presented the gift of "knowing". I am not referring to a Godhead, but a spiritual grace that we are either cognizant of-or not.
P.S. I am grateful and thankful for Chris coming into my life, the opportunity to have met his family who welcomed me, my children whom my world evolves, my spirit which continues to grow, learn, and cherish, my siblings & family, the damn cat, the gift of creativity, and the ability to learn and forgive.
I am thankful that you didn't forget the "damn" cat. *smile*
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