When things calm down every once in awhile, I look at my kids and am amazed at the comparison and contrast of their lives and mine at their ages.
In some ways, they live a more rewarding childhood than did I at their age. Then again, in other ways, mine was more rewarding. It’s a funny mix and I can see how environment (i.e., “nurture”) plays such an important part in our individual upbringings.
When you have a moment, think about some of the experiences you had as a kid… some of the things the kids today can’t experience. Not in a “The world has gone to hell” kind of a way, but just in the fact that the special places and attitudes that made
those memories just aren’t available to the kids nowadays.
…as it was with my parents and their memories and how they differed from mine.
My kids are experiencing life as strangers in a strange land…
Communicating with friends and family sometimes in real-time thousands of miles away across the ocean…
Living with toys that were just dreams in my childhood mind…
I, in contrast, experienced life in the heartland of my home country…
Spent my childhood hours wandering the woods and hills, playing Batman and “army man” with my siblings and friends…
Grew up on reruns of 1950’s B&W horror movies (no cable TV), groaning and laughing with my brother at the goofy-looking monsters that only appeared at the final 15 minutes of the film (budgets didn’t allow for much hi-tech wizardry back then)…
Makes me wonder (with excitement) what my children’s children will think when they stand in the same emotional place I am now, pondering the same thoughts.