How Things Have Changed

Today I was waiting for my nearly 17 year old son as he went in to talk to the recruiting officer. He was interested in how to pay for his college career. The recruiting office is right by a "Tobacco King", and a Liquor Store. In the twenty minutes I was there, my son was the only one to enter the recruiting center. Not so with the other two places of business. They had a booming business.
Strangely, it was mostly young men and it was 3:30 in the afternoon.
And my heart was strangely saddened. Not by the fact that they weren't out in droves at the military recruitment office, but that there were so many young men who obviously had nothing better to do at 3:30 in the afternoon than buy booze and cigarettes. There was a generation where that would have been completely unacceptable. I wish that it was this generation.
Perhaps we should encourage our young men to aim a little higher? Perhaps we have allowed them to become too dependent or too lazy or too complacent. I don't know. But I know that they are not the kind of men my grandfather and his brothers were. They worked to take care of their mother after their father died. My grandpa was only 15. He didn't quit school. He worked over 40 hours a week AND went to school and got mostly A's. He didn't whine. He worked. He provided. He believed that was his job.
So many families are struggling these days. So many young men are lounging around. Hmmm. Perhaps they could go to work to help out their parents. Or grandparents. Or the lady down the street. Perhaps we should find a way to get this generation to see beyond themselves and their entertainment.
Perhaps.
Or maybe they have to find it for themselves. Maybe we can only help by limiting other options. Perhaps we should not give them the money and the resources to drive, drink, smoke or date. Maybe we could expect them to provide those things for themselves.
It hurt my heart. Not because it damages me. Or you. But because this mindset is damaging the young men.
Let's pray for a change.
blessings,
rhonda