Musings on Children
I have been lazy and selfish today. I came home from church and read a book for five hours. I read a couple of chapters last night, but it was an extremely frightening book. So, I decided to try and read it during the day, and I couldn't put it down. Unfortunately it didn't have a "happy ending." I just feel like I wasted five hours for a bad ending. Ever felt like that? Why is it that I always want books to have happy endings? Its not like life always gives happy go lucky perfect endings, where everyone falls in love and what not. So, why do I find it necessary that the books I read should be any different? But, for whatever reason, I do.
At the same time, I find it annoying that these days kids aren't in "competitions." A friend's kid was in a talent show last year. Of course I wanted to know who won, who lost, but they didn't give awards. It was literally a "show". When I was in elementary school, it was a real competition and someone won and someone lost. So many things that kids do these days make "everyone the winner." They don't even keep score at T-Ball games anymore? What are we fostering here? Isn't that setting people up for disappointment? What if this generation becomes so sheltered that they have no concept of losing? How will they react when they aren't accepted to certain schools? Or not hired for the job they want?
At the same time I think my generation is all about winning, and maybe even the generation a little older than me. Seriously, I look at the crisis on Wall Street, and all the corporate wrongdoing. These aren't dumb people making these decisions, they are really educated. For whatever reason I don't think they are inherently bad either. I really think its that drive to win - fostered from childhood.
Oh people, I don't claim to know the answers. I will tell you these are the things that I think about on a daily basis. What are we to do about it? Maybe the answer is to read books that don't always have happy endings? Again, maybe it is a generational thing. Or maybe I need to read a book with a happy ending to escape the realities of the headlines - at least it would keep you from reading my random musings.
Honestly though, I think there is a balance somewhere in all of this. We celebrated "Children's Sabbath" today at church and I just saw a great future for our world in those little children. They weren't "putting on a show," they were "leading us in worship." Funny thing is - they weren't nervous, but their parents were. I think kids are smarter, and more capable of understanding things than we give them credit for sometimes. And I often find that in the tough moments - children have a better perspective than most adults. I guess I am just encouraging us to give kids more credit, and in doing that we might find a balance and perspective that we seem to be missing in this world.
At the same time, I find it annoying that these days kids aren't in "competitions." A friend's kid was in a talent show last year. Of course I wanted to know who won, who lost, but they didn't give awards. It was literally a "show". When I was in elementary school, it was a real competition and someone won and someone lost. So many things that kids do these days make "everyone the winner." They don't even keep score at T-Ball games anymore? What are we fostering here? Isn't that setting people up for disappointment? What if this generation becomes so sheltered that they have no concept of losing? How will they react when they aren't accepted to certain schools? Or not hired for the job they want?
At the same time I think my generation is all about winning, and maybe even the generation a little older than me. Seriously, I look at the crisis on Wall Street, and all the corporate wrongdoing. These aren't dumb people making these decisions, they are really educated. For whatever reason I don't think they are inherently bad either. I really think its that drive to win - fostered from childhood.
Oh people, I don't claim to know the answers. I will tell you these are the things that I think about on a daily basis. What are we to do about it? Maybe the answer is to read books that don't always have happy endings? Again, maybe it is a generational thing. Or maybe I need to read a book with a happy ending to escape the realities of the headlines - at least it would keep you from reading my random musings.
Honestly though, I think there is a balance somewhere in all of this. We celebrated "Children's Sabbath" today at church and I just saw a great future for our world in those little children. They weren't "putting on a show," they were "leading us in worship." Funny thing is - they weren't nervous, but their parents were. I think kids are smarter, and more capable of understanding things than we give them credit for sometimes. And I often find that in the tough moments - children have a better perspective than most adults. I guess I am just encouraging us to give kids more credit, and in doing that we might find a balance and perspective that we seem to be missing in this world.
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