I've been to some pretty darn wild towns in my time. There was this particular town, in this particular country, that was so wild, you could get arrested for being 'sober and orderly'.
Did I get your attention with that first sentence? I think the idea is to capture the reader's imagination in the first line. Sorry, you don't like me using the word 'capture'? Okay, there you go..have your imagination back. Whoops..where did you go?
Old enough to know better. Old enough to know better than what exactly? I've heard it all before: 'oh the kids of today..when I were a lad we were so much better behaved!' Oh really? Selective memory perhaps? Were we actually such wonderful, law-abiding, polite, well-mannered kids? Oh the stories I could tell you about my younger days...but hey..Mum reads my blog.
I am getting very tired of people telling me: 'look at those awful 'hoodies' causing so much trouble and intimidating us old folks.' Okay, a tiny majority of young people wearing their hoodies are causing some hassles. Yet, from my own personal observations, most of these young folks are just minding their own business. If anything, from what I have observed, the 'older folks' (and maybe this is where 'old enough to know better', might just be fitting), are the ones with the problem. I've seen 'mature' adults give these kids dirty looks and make stupid judgemental comments. This hardly makes for a healthy relationship between the generations.
I like to think that I have a positive, healthy, youthful attitude towards life. So when I talk to someone twenty years younger than me, who tells me how old they are and why bother to have fun like they used too; that's when I get right pissed. Enough of this crap already. I am fifty five, does that mean I have to act a certain way according to some 'rules' of how I'm supposed to act at this age? Well, shit on that! I can, if I had the inclination, still 'boogie 'til I puke'. Nobody is going to tell me: "that's it old man, time for you to grab the slippers and pipe and wear some god-awful cardigan." No chance, for I am a free spirit who refuses to fit into some predetermined stereotype.
You might have read the preceding and thought: 'the old dude is having a 'mid-life chrisis'. Well if you did, you would be wrong. I got bored buying furry dice for my fancy cars, ages ago. If anything, the older I get, the younger I get. So excuse me while I grab my son's skateboard and dazzle my perplexed neighbours with my latest moves.
While I was typing this blog, my son was in his room, distracting me with all his noise. "Kids these days, they have no respect!" What the heck am I saying? Doh!!
Klahanie Blog. Celebrating the all different, all equal diversity we share. Help each other, we help ourselves. Header photo: Penny roaming free in a field, with The Roaches, near Leek Staffordshire, in the background.
:)
ReplyDeleteAs still a whipper snapper in my 40s, I often wonder how old you have to be to know better and does it come with the ability to see round corners when overtaking on blind bends? In that case I'm not old enough yet. Great musings :) xx
Being a bit of "whipper snapper" (careful where you 'whipper' your 'snapper') myself, I sometimes wonder if I ever want to be at an age where I'm 'old enough to know better'. Too busy skateboarding to really think about it that much:-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment jewel.
Happy motoring....("now then, which side of the road do I drive on?")
Dear klahanie,
ReplyDeleteThanks once again for such a funny blog. But you do make a serious point with which I entirely agree. I think we give our youth in this country a particularly hard time, given, as you say, the sort of shenanigans us olds used to get up to. Particularly in the press, it's as if young people are all portrayed as gun-toting, knife-wielding, violent, alcoholic maniacs who have no respect for anybody. Well, if we gave them more respect, perhaps we'd get more back in return, is what I say.
Indeed, one hankers after places like Italy, where children and the young are treasured and almost idolised. Surely that's more like the behaviour of caring adults!
Anyway as you can tell I'm on a bit of a rant here, so I'll stop.
Thanks once again for a delightful blog to read.
With Warmest Wishes,
David.
You're absolutely right.. old people are terrors when it comes to kids now days. Crack that whip Klahanie!
ReplyDeleteWhen you've got it, flaunt it... and I think you must have it!
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your "rant". If you are not careful, you may qualify to become 'a moaning old git'.
Seriously David (yes I can be serious), thanks for relating to my point about how younger folks are getting an unfair labelling.
Your comments and interaction are very much appreciated.
Warm wishes klahanie aka Gary.
Greetings dcrelief,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks to you in also realising that the younger people of today are the future of mankind.
It is time for certain 'mature' adults to stop passing judgement on the kids and had a good look in the mirror.
Totally awesome regards to you dcrelief.
I agree entirely with David...young people are given a really hard time and some mutual respect would go a long way. I live in a community with a high level of wealthy retired, while the rest of us are at the opposite end of the scale. Anything that is proposed to make life a bit more accessible for younger people, investment in jobs, housing, skatepark, and a leisure centre for goodness sake, is dismissed as not needed and it 'may attract the wrong sort of people'. Since I'm at risk of denigrating the whole retired population, I would point out that not all of them are like this, but those who are make sure everyone knows about it!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input on my blog 'RFL', it is most appreciated.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right that it is a just a certain judgemental, very vocal minority, that stereotype the youngsters.
Warm wishes to you and thanks again. klahanie.