SELF-SUFFICIENCY
From one generation to the next so many things change. Things are gained and things are lost. One of the things that has been lost in modern America is a sense of being on your own. We are so in touch with each other that it is hard to be really alone any more.
When I went off to college in 1963, the only way I could get in touch with my parents was to (a) write a letter or (b) call them collect on a pay phone. And if you called collect it damn well better be important.
So, guess what? We learned to deal with things on our own.
Now, no self-respecting kid goes off to college without a cell phone and most will have a laptop. You got your e-mail and IM, twitter and texting, and that's before you even call on the cell phone.
You have to wonder what all this constant back-and-forth does to their sense of self-sufficiency. Are they ever alone long enough to find out?
My parent's generation was tough in ways we could never be. I'm sure they often wondered if my generation would ever amount to anything, and who knows, they may have had good reason.
Now I wonder the same thing about the next generation or two. I know they are plenty smart enough, but are they tough enough to make it on their own if they aren't attached to their electronic umbilical cords? Let's hope they never have to find out.
November 14, 2009
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