Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Growing Up

I have had a chance to ponder some things lately as I have seen news stories and TV shows that cover topics about violence in schools. I have also had to ponder other social problems. It seems that much of the times the problems partially stem from adults that haven't grown up. Adults that perhaps don't do the follies they did in their youth, but glory in them and would do them again if they had the chance. Adults that perhaps continue to do the follies of their youth (drinking, sleeping around). Adults that don't do the follies of their youth because their spouse or social group would frown on them, but still find them enticing. Adults that think that it is ok to do the follies of their youth because they are an adult now, but kids shouldn't do that.

I'm not articulating all of the scenarios well, but I think these attitudes are edging our moral standards to a point that extremes are now catastrophic and not just out of line or extreme. The rebellion we find from our youth comes from hypocrisy that they see in us. In the lack of boundaries until it is too late and too extreme to get a hold of.

When our kids see us pursuing our selfish motives because we can get away with it and are entitled to it they see no reason not to pursue their selfish desires. If those desires happen to be destroying those that have hurt them emotionally then violence can occur. If those desires are to be close to the opposite sex then pregnancy or disease or violence can occur.