Teaching a child how to weed a garden can be a harrowing experience. It takes a strong countenance to not show disappointment when the child proudly shows their efforts and the prized tulips are on top of the pile. Showing them once is usually not enough, it turns into a labor of love and patience.
Riding along with my young friend, Jazzy, we came to an intersection and the light had turned red. As we waited for green, Jazzy looked at the vehicle to her left. She studied the driver, an older, white haired woman, probably somewhere between 60 and 75 years of age. Jazzy said, so very matter of factly, "That woman should not be driving." This woman, who did not seem to have a problem herding her SUV down the road, had most likely been driving more years than Jazzy has been breathing. I replied, "Careful, you'll be that age someday." Then I checked in the mirror to see how much regrowth of grey hair was showing.
After the election, there was a chart posted on social media by some people who were not happy with the results. The chart stated that the majority of young adults, aged 18-25 had voted for Clinton. One person stated this was how the future voted and to keep the flame alive and it was followed by several approving statements made by parents.
The only way to change a nation is to start with the youth. Massive upheavals in what people believe do not change in sixteen years, it takes a generation. How long is that? The Bible tells the story of the Israelite's coming to the land that had been promised to them. The trouble was, there where giants that lived there and the people who were old enough to go to battle and take the country were afraid. So, they had to wander in the desert. Not so much as punishment, but to weed out, or die off, the non-believers. Then, the time was used to teach and encourage the youth that they could do it and the process took 40 years.
Today's youth are stuck in their cell phones. There are children as young as eight who have a cell phone along with internet connection. There are scores of young people on Facebook, even though a person is supposed to be 18 years old to open an account. Sadly, most of the parents are on their phone too. If they believe they know what their children are doing on their phones, they are sadly mistaken. All children come to a point in their lives that makes them believe their parents are not the sharpest crayon in the box. When that mindset kicks in and they are unrestrained from the vast amount of information sitting in the palm of their hand, who do you think they are going to talk to?
My point to all of this is, who is teaching and changing the country's youth. What will they think is acceptable in 40 years and do their parents really understand just how old they, themselves, will be in that length of time. Will they be willing to give up their driver's license because 'anyone over 60 should not be driving' has in fact become a believable truth? If the population needs to be controlled, who will be the first to go? Grandma? Hogwash? That sort of thing doesn't happen? Go ask a twenty-something year old if the milk is okay past the expiration date.
With a little research, the above stated chart turned out not to be factual. Since so many people live with the idea that, if it was on Facebook, it surely must be true, I decided to use it anyway. I will not worry about what it will be like in 40 years. If I'm not dead by that time, I hope to be windsurfing somewhere warm. But in the meantime, just to be safe, I'm going to hop in the little black truck, drive it like I stole it and go buy some hair color.
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