Kids These Days

I was on a morning bus at Godawfull thirty trying to get warm. I'm near the driver and there's an older gentleman, I'd say in his 50s ranting. Which would be intolerable in most circumstances but given the form the argument took became unbearable.

It went something like this;

"Kids these days are lazy, they don't want to work.

Back in my day I got something out of an honest days work.

I was talking to my nephew and he doesn't have a job. He's

22 and says he has no references. What I think it is? He doesn't

want to work."

Reguardless I didn't give up my elderly handicap seat to him. In fact

when he came to sit down I put my backpack in the prospective seat. He walked away

grumbling about "no respect for elders" or something similar.

You want the truth. No I don't automatically respect my elders. I don't care if your ninety

if you're an asshole you're an asshole. Respect isn't a birthright nor is it a given. It's earned.

Give me reason to respect. Unless I have something tangible you can go screw. Especially,

in this case where said individual pissed me off. Now if he was handicap thats different,

I'd have gotten up out of my seat. But he was fully mobile.

The problems I have with his argument.

a. He automatically writes off millions by the actions of one person.

b. He gives his nephew no benefit of doubt.

Having no references (verifiable) at "thirty" I can vouch

finding employment is a task. As far as employers are

concerned I may as well spent the last decade in prison.

c. He exemplifies his generation above all others.

Well grandpa, first off unless you have amnesia the golden years weren't so golden. Every

generation has it's share or shit and even "back in your day" there were

slackers. Slackers are a omnipresent figment throughout time.

Laziness isn't exponential.

I heard a similar "kids these days" argument in reguards to music. A man told me, in his

50s,
"you kids don't know real music back in my day the music was MUSIC."

My problems with his argument.

a. Thanks for dumping me with the glam rap and pop idiots.

b. Sorry with the advent of the internet this argument is dead.

Why b? Well, most teens I've met like a wide range of music spanning decades. They have

instantaneous access to any genre, era or generation. Internet killed radio and mtv. The only thing billboard tells us is the stuff idiots are listening to and buying. Purchase power is the key factor. It's becoming a rarity to sell more than a million units. Thank God. The online media evolution is the ultimate in quality control and crap festering. Are the "big name" artists the ones that are making the mark. Some mark but it's a dying breed.

I met a guy who's IPOD included Ella fitzgerald, 2pac, Robert Johnson, the blues brothers, Bach, the pixies, weezer, CBO, South Park Mexican, Dj Shadow, Jerry Lee Lewis , Hank Williams,Cro Mags, etc..

Etc. in case you don't know is a major talent :). JK It's just a sample of modern tastes.