Ranting
We went to church this morning to face the news that one of our teens died early Saturday morning. He was 18 years old, a freshman in college, good looking kid. He was driving drunk and without a seat belt. He was going too fast, lost control of his car and flipped it. He was thrown from the vehicle and died on impact. Sad, sad, sad.
His parents are, of course, devastated. This was a senseless death. His death was totally preventable. Our schools dropped Driver's Ed in recent years saying it was too expensive, and the liability was too much. The laws in Georgia are very lenient towards youthful drivers. At 15 you get a learners, at 16 you can get a full blown driver's license with no limitations. I think it is time for a change.
Sgt Hook has a GREAT article titled "The Rest of the Story" and is well worth going and reading.
While I am on a roll, what is up with Halloween any more? When I was a kid we all dressed up the DAY of Halloween and went trick-or-treating. We scared the crap out of each other and had a good time goofing off. Granted I was a kid a LONG time ago, but why have things changed so much?
Last Sunday my in-laws had a Harvest Festival replete with a scary night time hayride. I have a 10 year old in elementary school. The ENTIRE week prior to Halloween they have dress up days. One day it is wacky tacky day, one day it is camo day (oh to be sure, Joshua was dressed in AUTHENTIC gear! LOL) etc. Then they have a party on the final day. Then Saturday a local church has a Harvest Festival, our church has a Harvest Festival tonight, then Halloween tomorrow night! I am totally burnt out on Halloween now. Even my son is saying "Do we gotta go to the festival tonight??"
Halloween, like most things American, has gone WAY overboard. I think the Yuppie Baby Boomers and Gen X kids are just too into filling up the children's life with entertainment. I heard a TEACHER say that the classroom has to be entertaining now. The prevailing thought is our children are too sophisticated (or spoiled?) to sit and pay attention without being entertained. Luckily there are still teachers like my son's Mrs. Jones who believes "Learning is not an adventure. It is a skill to be acquired through discipline. Once you learn the discipline of learning, LIFE becomes an adventure." Well said.
His parents are, of course, devastated. This was a senseless death. His death was totally preventable. Our schools dropped Driver's Ed in recent years saying it was too expensive, and the liability was too much. The laws in Georgia are very lenient towards youthful drivers. At 15 you get a learners, at 16 you can get a full blown driver's license with no limitations. I think it is time for a change.
Sgt Hook has a GREAT article titled "The Rest of the Story" and is well worth going and reading.
While I am on a roll, what is up with Halloween any more? When I was a kid we all dressed up the DAY of Halloween and went trick-or-treating. We scared the crap out of each other and had a good time goofing off. Granted I was a kid a LONG time ago, but why have things changed so much?
Last Sunday my in-laws had a Harvest Festival replete with a scary night time hayride. I have a 10 year old in elementary school. The ENTIRE week prior to Halloween they have dress up days. One day it is wacky tacky day, one day it is camo day (oh to be sure, Joshua was dressed in AUTHENTIC gear! LOL) etc. Then they have a party on the final day. Then Saturday a local church has a Harvest Festival, our church has a Harvest Festival tonight, then Halloween tomorrow night! I am totally burnt out on Halloween now. Even my son is saying "Do we gotta go to the festival tonight??"
Halloween, like most things American, has gone WAY overboard. I think the Yuppie Baby Boomers and Gen X kids are just too into filling up the children's life with entertainment. I heard a TEACHER say that the classroom has to be entertaining now. The prevailing thought is our children are too sophisticated (or spoiled?) to sit and pay attention without being entertained. Luckily there are still teachers like my son's Mrs. Jones who believes "Learning is not an adventure. It is a skill to be acquired through discipline. Once you learn the discipline of learning, LIFE becomes an adventure." Well said.
posted by SGT Lori at 16:47
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