Last night I watched a doco on 1963-6 New Port Folk Music Festival. The songs, the artists were we ever that young? Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Mary Travers (Peter Paul and Mary) so lovely with such pure voices. Donovan (seemed hardly old enough to shave) even Johnny Cash would have stirred hearts then, Pete& Mike Seeger. Real Blues With artists names Like Sonny and Mississippi. Throw in some music/acts that well… perhaps best lost to time. Real ye ha Blue Grass and some Chicken Shucking and Corn Pluckin’ (?) music that sounded like it should have quarantined until it could be cured or died out. Good old fashion Black Gospel, Odetta now that’s a voice to camp out to hear. Bob Dylan, given the bucolic setting I wondered how anything living could have sounded in such pain without being put down, great songs though.

The Vox pops showed a naivety and genuine optimistic idealistic hope that they could/would change things for the better.
Sadly the youth of today have that hope replaced with cynicism/materialism and more and more diversions (chemical, electrical). They haven’t lost anything …they never had it to lose.

We failed to change anything that matters we traded our sense of contentment with our place in the universe, a sense of society/community its safety, security and sense of belonging for materialism and denial:
• We deny the damage we’re doing to the world and ultimately ourselves.
• We deny the importance of laws treating them as optional depending on our convenience despite being the glue that holds society together.
• We deny personal responsibility it’s always someone else’s fault. We take it out on those that remind us of our short coming.
We concocted elaborate arguments based around at best conditional rights to justify our wrongs and lack of responsibility to the whole. We show our children how to be selfish….
And they watch and learn.

Pity us in our old age we won’t have the community like our parents we won’t know how.
Like the Harry Chapin song says ‘the cat’s in the cradle’

Examinator I share your concerns, many do manners seem to be dead.
The young seem to live within another world, young girls serving in those well known take aways do not even try to hide a total lack of interest in being civil to anyone who is not date material.
But while I remember the 60,s, yes I was there, we must not forget our parents held the same fears, about us.
A lot of generations separate me from those days.
I want to say it is my view while my concerns remain parents in the range 20 to 35 years old do a far better job than my generation.
We got shunted into the yard seen but never heard.
I am impressed with the hugs and kisses and dads telling their sons and daughters they love them so often.
A million times I am unimpressed by children screaming in public or pre school kids disrupting doctors waiting rooms full of unhappy people while parents read books and look the other way.
Manners should be one of our best asset's, lack of them is no way to make Friends.

Why can't the kids of today be more like us - perfect in every way?

I'm a bit concerned about the use of the royal we and speaking for a whole generation.

For what it's worth (Not much, I know) I think you either should go for a walk in the park, or get a whip and lash yourself over the back with it.

Exactly what I was thinking, Spikey.

Kids!
I don't know what's wrong with these kids today!
Kids!
Who can understand anything they say?
Kids!
They're disobedient, disrespectful oafs!
Noisy, crazy, dirty, lazy, loafers!
While we're on the subject:
Kids!
You can talk and talk till your face is blue!
Kids!
But they still just do what they want to do!
Why can't they be like we were,
Perfect in every way?
What's the matter with kids today?
Kids!
I've tried to raise him the best I could
Kids! Kids!
Laughing, singing, dancing, grinning, morons!
And while we're on the subject!
Kids! They are just impossible to control!
Kids! With their awful clothes and their rock an' roll!
Why can't they dance like we did
What's wrong with Danny Kaye?
What's the matter with kids today!

BYE BYE BIRDIE (The Musical) 1963
Music by Charles Strouse Lyrics by Lee Adams

Here's a cute version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsQNy4wgMDM

Dear examinator,

I came across this quote that I rather like:

"What can I give this beautiful new generation?
The unwanted gift of my experience?
I don't think so.
Perhaps only the right to make the same mistakes.
And afterward not saying,
"I told you so!"