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Lately, I have grown very concerned about the lack of manners and sympathy in the world. And I guess since this is my blog I can share my feelings even when it doesn't concern food.
I was born in the 60s and grew up believing in helping others, showing manners and simple courtesies to your fellow man. I now see that the generations coming up don't even know how to say "Thank you" or "You're welcome." It's a disgrace to me. It doesn't cost a dime to be nice. I don't mean to preach or go into all the social problems of humankind nor discuss how kids are being raised today vs. back in my day, but at the same time I'm so grieved when I look around and see the morals I was brought up with be discarded so easily.
A simple handshake in early 1900s was the only requirement to enter into a contract.
Many of the younger people I see around my area just walk around lost. Seems they have no ambition or direction for their lives. I remember I had to know what I was going to major in before I got to high school and that was a hard decision for me at age 17 to make, but now if kids make it out of high school it's a miracle. In my prayer meetings, we always pray for our nation, our country and our young people. I know it also takes more than prayer, but action. So, when my best friend's son reached out to me to ask me to train him in social networking, career counseling - I knew I had to do it even if I felt a bit inadequate and unequal to the task. I didn't have any children of my own but I believe I would know how I would have raised them. This was a challenge for me to teach him what I have learned but I answered the call and it was the best thing I've done in a long while.
He yearns for knowledge and absorbed all I taught. And I consult with him, pray with him and try to give good advice - what am I saying here? Basically, all it costs is a little time and care to pour ourselves into a young person's life to try to share with them the knowledge we were brought up with - to help them show respect towards others - to steer them in becoming an upstanding human being. Since one day they will lead this nation, wouldn't we want them to carry on showing their generation the love and knowledge we possess?
All of us has something to offer, some stories to share. We ought not to be so self-absorbed that we overlook how important it is to mentor. Believe it or not we're watched all the time to see how we handle life, how we conduct ourselves and our children imitate what they see since they look up to us for direction. We can't save the world of course, but one by one we can put back the respect in one individual at a time and they will pass it on.
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Just my thoughts,
Kim
1 comments:
I am so glad you wrote this, it's very meaningful. I too worry about what's happening with the youth of today and what seems to be a lack of ambition and manners. It's so important to mentor someone, and how wonderful to hear you had that opportunity. We all need to reach out and help a young person reach their full potential and instill values in them if they are missing some. Thank goodness that whenever we hear something negative about the world, we usually hear something positive that makes us smile and tear up. All of the craziness going on in the world...and then a tragedy like Haiti's earthquake happens and we all band together! What a wonderful feeling...we are all connected afterall!
And I thank YOU for coming into my life my dear friend and making me smile when things look bleak! :-) What a blessing!
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