Youth
How many times have you heard the expression,
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know, the youth of today鈥.
So, why do our youngsters have such a bad reputation? !alas! the youth clubs of the late fifties, early sixties are slowly vanishing from our towns and cities.
Too many children are brought up with the idea that if they want something, then all they have to do is ask, and it shall be given.
That is why, when they reach the age when they should be independent and resourceful, they find it difficult to adapt.
This does not apply in all cases, but I feel that it鈥檚 a great pity that the likes of Youth Hostels, which provided a variety of activities both Mental and Physical, are few and far between.
The art of polite conversation also has suffered. How many of the boys and girls these days know how and when to use the words 鈥減lease鈥 and 鈥渢hank you鈥? There is no substitute for pleasantness and good manners.
So, where do we go in order to try to lend a helping hand?
Whether the kids believe it or not, there is a lot of wisdom to be gained by listening to people who have lived a longer and sometimes fuller life than themselves.
This is where, to a certain extent, interactive technology can play its part.
Think of it this way. Everybody in this world in theory has the potential to pass on advice about a particular subject dear to them.
So why not use chat rooms already available, or set up websites especially to create a mix of young, old, all colours and creeds so that instead of reading the news, from tabloids, watching TV, all can communicate and learn from each other about the different cultures, and the problems they have to face.
When you come to think of it, our children have technology at their fingertips, and, I would hazard a guess that they don鈥檛 use it in the way I have suggested.
I know that there are some youngsters who still carry on the old traditions, like the scouts and guides. From there, some volunteer to go overseas and offer aid wherever they are needed.
This is to be admired. Technology is more than useful for keeping in touch with loved ones while distance separates them.
How easy it is to share in some small way in the achievements of your children by logging onto the internet, linking up with a son or daughter, brother or sister, and chatting to them each day about the happenings in their lives.
So, youth of today, make your families proud of you. Show them that you care about the world in which you live, and that the first computer they bought you has been put to good use.
Kids see no future, so give up on life and drink themselves into a rage.
I just want to say that I would like to believe that what we are writing about will reach someone who needs a little confidence, and would be glad to know that not everyone is against our younger members of society:
Bernard Shaw, who lived for nine decades and more, lamented that youth was wasted on the young.
I would not want to deprive the young of youthful adventure and rebellion, having been there myself, but these can still be combined with genuine courtesy and politeness towards others.
"The wisdom of the old" is treasured in China, India, and Japan, although even these societies are in the throes of change in this area.