To start with a story as I enjoy doing, about 10 minutes ago (14 if you wish to be technical), I suddenly started typing a message to my friend Anthony who checks my other blog and helps me with my writing. For no reason, I posted the following speech (with IM marks).
12:46
Todays generation of kids is being screwed over.
12:46
While it should be the desire of every parent to give their kids a better life than they previously had, there is a point where it becomes ridiculous.
12:47
Considering that up till child labor was ended, you became a fully functioning adult at 15 it makes you wonder where our society is heading.
12:47
The teenage years while important, mainly serve as a time for meandering and pandering.
12:48
The average teenager would rather not get a job especially since it is not expected. The work doing the least work they can do.
12:49
The negative effect of never growing up can be seen progressing into adulthood which makes things worse.
12:49
The culture may be partially to blame as well.
12:49
Consider the Rock Band and Guitar Hero games and the messages that they send out.
12:50
"All these people made amazing music. If you want to be cool though, you can learn to play then in a medium that will never actually benefit you unless you start playing a Playschool keytaur."
12:51
While I understand that it is meant for fun, what happened to the people who started garage bands for fun? What happened to the kids who lived actual full lives that we see and read in memoirs?
12:51
While there is a minority of people who do that now, the future does not look bright.
12:52
While I don't advocate the forcing of extracurricular activities, adults and role models need to foster a desire and zeal for life in children when they are young.
12:53
Teach them to question intelligently, experience the world greatly and take in all that you can.
12:53
Otherwise, when i start having kids it will be a lonely cul-de-sac.
12:54
There's my letter for newsweek
12:54
I think they still do that perspectives thing.
I honestly love being lazy. I will not and can not deny that fact. Today though, I realized I am almost 20 years old. One more year till I can drink here, a few more till I can rent a car and more till I can start fully living on my own. My problem is that I don't feel like I have enough experiences to validate how long I have lived. Experiences for me are more than just seeing movies and eating though they can be part. They are doing things that will make me a more knowledgeable individual, a better person or that will at least give me a story to tell when I hang out with my roommates.
From this point on, I am going to attempt to create one experience every week. It is a reasonable goal considering I am in college, looking for a job and limited financially in more ways than I would like. Still, those excuses can't stop me. Armed with a camera, my prose and a desire to give myself a fuller life.
First off though, part of my thought process comes from two sources I need to credit. One being the book Do The Hard Things which I have been thumbing through. The second being Yahtzee ranting about Guitar Hero and Rock Band on his blog (that I more or less mentioned in my rant). The first I found a bit too religiously preachy and the second is enjoyable as usual and it had a good point.
I will see you by next Friday when I hope to have something to show.
