Being back in my hometown makes me think of a lot of good memories from my childhood. I enjoyed growing up in a small town where everyone knew you and still knows you to this day. My parents always knew the general vicinity of my locale but I would be gone for hours, almost all day, riding bikes with my friends on the nature trails outside of town and we never worried about pedophiles or other dangers that kids and parents worry about today. I knew never to talk to strangers or go with someone I didn't know or that my parents didn't tell me to go with, but I never worried too much about being out of my parents' sight or riding my bike across town by myself. When I got older, things didn't change much. We all felt relatively safe most of the time; didn't give much thought to things like online predators and cyber bullying (because they didn't exist); and the words "liability" and "risk management" didn't hold much meaning for us. We would never have dreamed of posting inappropriate photos of ourselves on something called the internet or anywhere else for that matter. I actually enjoyed high school very much, with the exception of a few typical teenaged girl dramas. Life wasn't at all bad and I sure had a lot less to worry about than I do now. My, oh my, how times have changed.
I went to the high school pep rally today. Sitting there in the gym bleachers, I realized how sad our lives have become. Kids can't do anything now-a-days for fear they will hurt themselves and parents will sue the school or anyone else that gets in the way. Apparently, they also can't be counted on to be responsible for themselves or their actions in any way....they aren't allowed to make decisions for themselves and live with the consequences of their actions. Everything is set up to protect them and keep them from making bad choices or doing anything "dangerous". Well, I know others might disagree with me, but I don't care. I think it is wrong. I think it is a travesty. And we wonder why our children are glued to video games and TV screens and why they can't deal with responsibility....because we teach them they don't have to....that someone will do it for them. And the video games...that is the only excitement in their lives because all the fun and excitement is taken out of everything. I saw this on display when I worked for the YMCA. A kid can't even stick a toe in the river for fear they will slip, fall in, and drown and the parents will blame the organization instead of blaming the river bank and realizing accidents really do happen in this world. Risk management was probably the most stressful part of my job. I couldn't, for the life of me, explain to our Risk Management Dept. how horses are unpredictable and that, try as I might, I could not prevent a horse from stepping wrong on a rock and slipping to his knees. He is a horse and I am not God. Well, today was an eye opener for me. I learned that the cheerleaders can no longer wear their uniforms to school on game days. The kids aren't allowed to wear mums and bells to school during homecoming week anymore...because the are "distracting". The cheerleaders have to use a gym mat under their feet for EVERY stunt they perform and the volleyball net is taken down during volleyball season. The pep rallies are now held at noon instead of at the end of day, so as not to interfere with school time....though we never had a problem passing tests or doing well in school when they weren't at noon. And as for the mums and bells...that was tradition. Those were things that had been done that way for decades before us and they were never considered "distracting" before. What makes it any different now?!?!? Are we now raising a society of wimps?...that we can't even teach our children safety without going overboard on it? I think the key to it is teaching our children things, not doing it all for them. Accidents happen, but that doesn't mean we should stop living! I will admit there are some changes I agree with. I think its not such a bad idea that everyone who comes on a school campus should check in at the office and that children should be supervised as much as possible. However, supervision doesn't mean hovering over them like a helicopter correcting and picking apart their every move. They have to learn responsibility, self-control, leadership, and independence. Also, they should be allowed to live an adventurous life is they so desire. Present them with the risks, teach them right from wrong, and let them start deciding things for themselves at some point. Experience is often the best teacher. Okay, I have ranted enough for now, but I miss the good ol' days and feel sorry for today's kids that they have missed out on all the good stuff by being born 15 or 20 years too late. Is that so bad? When will we wake up and smell reality?
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