My Generation..

[snatchel]

Saw this while shopping at HEB this afternoon. This girl(?) is probably 8 years younger than I am.... but she is still part of my "generation." It makes me sad....

[68Charger]

I'm 26, and I totally feel you sir.

Now I just want to bring the parachute pants back..

[G26ster]

Saw this while shopping at HEB this afternoon. This girl(?) is probably 8 years younger than I am.... but she is still part of my "generation." It makes me sad....

She may be the one that discovers a cure for cancer. Don't laugh. Back in the '80s, my daughter spent a year at university in the UK. She dropped out and came home with multi-colored hair and some pretty weird ideas. After nearly 15 years, she went back to school, got a bull, MS and a PhD, and now does cancer research. Many in your generation, like yourself, have given this country selfless service, with multiple overseas tours in the WOT. That's quite something. My generation started as Beatniks, who turned into Hippies, who turned onto drugs. In the end though, I think we mainly turned out OK. I think

[Carry-a-Kimber]

Meh, I used to look pretty weird I college; piercings, mulit-color hair, wacky clothes. Its all about individuality, can you imagine if we all looked the same??

[OldCannon]

Meh, I used to look pretty weird I college; piercings, mulit-color hair, wacky clothes. Its all about individuality, can you imagine if we all looked the same??

This is SO very true.

Heck, I once thought Bill Clinton was smart (yes, I'm FULLY recovered )

[The Annoyed Man]

Marvelous posture on that girl. Very attractive.

When I was that age, I had loooong hair. I had, in the terms of the day, "tuned in, turned on, and dropped out." I'm sure I probably didn't smell too good. Later, after life's lessons had their way with me......and I needed a job....... I spent a lot of effort on tuning out, turning off, and dropping back in.

Snatchel, many many people in your generation have already proven that we have much to be grateful for because you represent the best that this nation has to offer......which is considerable. You should be proud of your generation. You more than make up for the rest who aren't carrying their weight yet. Eventually, the smarter slackers will figure it all out and take a bath. The ones that don't, well, every generation has that subset of people who are a net drain on everything around them for their entire lives. There isn't much you can do for them, except to try to overturn years and years of government policies which encourage their indolence.

You guys are doing fine. Be proud of it, and be encouraged.

[speedsix]

...it'd've been great if TAM'd been around to encourage US like that!!!

[Heartland Patriot]

Marvelous posture on that girl. Very attractive.

When I was that age, I had loooong hair. I had, in the terms of the day, "tuned in, turned on, and dropped out." I'm sure I probably didn't smell too good. Later, after life's lessons had their way with me......and I needed a job....... I spent a lot of effort on tuning out, turning off, and dropping back in.

Snatchel, many many people in your generation have already proven that we have much to be grateful for because you represent the best that this nation has to offer......which is considerable. You should be proud of your generation. You more than make up for the rest who aren't carrying their weight yet. Eventually, the smarter slackers will figure it all out and take a bath. The ones that don't, well, every generation has that subset of people who are a net drain on everything around them for their entire lives. There isn't much you can do for them, except to try to overturn years and years of government policies which encourage their indolence.

You guys are doing fine. Be proud of it, and be encouraged.

TAM, I would DEARLY love to see the checks to the life-long indolents get turned off...now, some folks truly can't do for themselves, and I don't mind helping them...but if we actually kept it to those who TRULY can't do for themselves, instead of those who ACT like they can't, it really wouldn't cost much at all.

[Oldgringo]

...it'd've been great if TAM'd been around to encourage US like that!!!

My mother and father were children of the Great Depression and neither had a HS education. Even so, they knew and instilled in me a sense of right and wrong. If I ever doubted their teachings, I readily embraced them after a night in the drunk tank in the Nashville jail in the fall of '62. That one experience taught me all I ever need to know about freedom of speech, expression, individuality, etc., etc.

It either starts in the home or it doesn't...'nuff said.

[snatchel]

I guess... it just annoys me. Yes, every generation before me had their problems.... but mine seems particularly screwed up.

I guess I jut remember not too many years ago when women were feminine and men were manly. Here is my theory... and this may not go over to well with some folks.... but oh well:

Men have slowly started losing their manliness... their machismo, their.... yes, that. I see men getting pedicures, manicures, etc. It just seems that America has gotten to where men almost can't be men anymore. They don't open doors for women, men a lot of the time aren't the primary provider in the family (not bashing ladies here either, I am 100% supportive of women in the workforce, and I wish that they would quit the practice of paying women 20% less for the same job as their male counterpart!) I rarely see men in the yards of my middle class neighborhood mowing, raking leaves, digging in the flowerbeds..... that has been contracted to (illegal) labor... and also landsccaping companies. I see men on shopping sprees at GAP and AE instead of the hardware store and gunshops. Many men don't hunt anymore, and the thought of killing poor Bambi and harvesting the meat is darn near Taboo. Male gunowners are frowned upon by our "proper" liberal (sometimes, not always) brothers. As I sit in this classroom of men and women, I am looking at the men's pants pockets and I am the only one in this class who is even carrying a pocket knife. Of course, some of them may not be visible... but I doubt that is the case. The guy sitting next to me is straight as an arrow, but is youtubing Lady Gaga music,and mouthing the lyrics. I have several buddies who have asked me to help them change their disc (NOT EVEN DRUM for GOODNESS SAKES) brakes on their cars, or even the oil... simply because they don't know how. My wife and I went on a bike trail ride with a bunch of our friends this past weekend, and one got a flat tire 3 miles into the trail. I was the only one who had a tool kit, and patches.....shouldn't men be prepared for this? When I handed him my tool kit and patches, he was turning the bolt nut righty-tighty to take the wheel off, and couldn't figure out why it wasn't working.

Anyway, point is that masculinity is a dying thing. It's sad, but I wonder how much that contributes to a growing number of women out there who seem hellbent on becoming more masculine?


That was a long rant, and it doesn't have a lot to do with my generation being jacked up I don't guess... or maybe it does. You decide. I know there are going to be a few cases of just unfit people..... that is the essence of life. It just seems that it is growing in my generation, and it makes me sad. I think I would hve rather been born in the 40's, or maybe the 20"s and been part of the greatest generation to grace our wonderful country.

I'll quit with the nostalgia and romancing of the good ol' days that I know too little about.

Point is, men are becoming less manly, and it's sad.

[Kythas]

Meh, I used to look pretty weird I college; piercings, mulit-color hair, wacky clothes. Its all about individuality, can you imagine if we all looked the same??

I guess you looked different - just like everybody else.

[speedsix]

...you might enjoy reading a book named Wild at Heart by John Eldredge...it's written to parents, grandparents, and teachers about that very subject...talks about what happens in the schools today...and how society tries to train the man out of young men...

[bayouhazard]

With all due respect to you guys, I can't see any reason that young woman should care about your taste in women unless she wants to date you.

Same for her male peers. Unless they want to date you, what should it matter to them if you like your men a little more macho?

[troglodyte]

snatchel,

If you're not dead on, your not far from it. The Women's Movement, which started back in 1910's-20's started the emasculation of the American male.

Now before anyone gets bent out of shape, there is a lot of good that came from the Women's Movement but the pendulum went too far. Men started to freely give up there manliness because they needed to be more gentle and find their feminine side. Certainly some of that may have been true but too many me just gave it all away and let the ladies run things, which they were eager and glad to do. This undercut masculinity in it's purest definition and now we have a couple of generations of asexual men that don't know how to take on the responsibility of leadership. Families crumble, deadbeat dads, parents being "friends" with their children, all add up to no leadership and little moral compass for the next generation.

Men need to stand up and be men, not burping, ignorant, sloths as protrayed too often on TV but men of moral fortitude and resolve.

I have been running an informal observation for the past 10+ years. I teach at a small school that still has class officiers. If the high school classes have male leadership, even if it is marginal, the classes all run fine and there is no unreasonable amount of discord in the class. If the class is lead by girls, almost no matter how good they are, there is nothing but strife and discord. I am a strong believer that God's plan to have men lead women makes sense (like he needs my approval). My wife does a lot of good things for my family and I thank God for her everyday. She is very capable and wise. Regardless, I am responsible for her and my familiy and in the end I have the final say but more importantly the awesome responsibility. I am also smart enough to listen to her when I need to.

This is not a jab at women. It's not their fault. WE gave away our masculinity. Now it is up to us to take it back and learn from our past.

We all had the "subset" in our generation but, unfortunately, we (used generically) are adrift in our roles and responsibilities. There are far too few positive male role models for our boys today. It is up to us men, like the men on this forum, to step up, first to ourselves and our families, and then to the generations coming up.

[speedsix]

...VERY WELL PUT...you understand servant leadership well...