Just astounded by people at times! :oO !! in A New Beginning

There is nothing that interests me more than people do. And I love people. But boy, sometimes people just astound me with the un-thinking or un-feeling things that they do. Now the kids at school....that’s obvious, isn’t it? They are teenagers. In today’s world, I don’t think kids are taught the same respect for authority that I was, and that people older than me were. Nowadays, honestly, it seems like discipline is almost discouraged. Nobody’s supposed to lay a hand on kids, but a lot of the time it seems like adults are warned to be extremely cautious with any other way of trying to discipline them too. It’s recognized that people’s mental, emotional, and psychological sides matter also. And that IS a good thing! But it means that people who are supposed to be in charge of kids have to be so damn careful to not harm them in ANY way, that the kids aren’t given much of any discipline at all.

In the lunch lines at school, the language is atrocious. The F word and other words are rampant and LOUD. And I’m not a prude at all, but it seems like my generation KNEW that the time to cuss was when we were in a private venue, hanging out with our friends, and NOT in public where adults would hear us. CERTAINLY not where our parents, teachers, coaches, or even the lunch ladies might hear us!! Because WHY? Well, we KNEW there would be repercussions! Like what?? Well I dunno....did I want to try and find out?! We might get suspended or expelled, and to us THAT MATTERED, because when our parents found out, we might get grounded or our allowance taken, or we might get the belt or something.

And though I do cuss, including the F word, as an adult I have still stuck to the “in private with my friends” venue. You won’t find me loudly cussing in any public place. I can even chew somebody out without cussing, if it’s in a public place. And I DO think places and scenarios are more pleasant without the phenomenon of loud bad language.

The kids also do other things....like for example, since the seniors had their last day and it’s just underclassmen now, the custodians leave some of the cafeteria tables folded up, against the wall. We have fewer kids; we don’t need as many tables. The darn kids come in and take it upon themselves to open those tables up! I bellow at them from my cash register, “Stop unfolding those tables!!!!! The custodians left them folded up against the wall because they do not want them opened up!!!!” I might as well have not said anything, because the kids just continue doing whatever they want. They know nobody higher up is going to do anything about it! And so it goes! Onward through the days!

And our kids are good kids. They aren’t mean kids. They just have been brought up NOT taught that they are supposed to do what they are told to do. Oh, when they were little they were taught that “just say no” stuff about drugs and sexual abuse, but it wasn’t explained very well, because they thought it meant they can just say no to anything whatsoever. Everyone suddenly being concerned with showing respect for the kids....and of course we should!....hasn’t done it right. They’ve done it in a way that lets the kids think that THEY deserve respect but no one else does.

Here’s an example of an adult who, just not “getting it,” is teaching kids the wrong things. That’s my co-worker Jennifer. Ok, for one thing, WE are not supposed to be using our cell phones at work. only on our break time. But she always has hers with her, and ON, and is frequently texting on it. And who do you suppose she’s texting with?? Her son, who is in eighth grade at the middle school, and her niece, who attends our school. Kids aren’t supposed to be texting at school either.

“Why are you texting them while they are at school anyway?” I asked her.

“They are allowed to have their phones at all times,” she said.

Kids in general are not, just these two. “Why?” I asked.

Well, the niece is diabetic and her blood-sugar thingy is an app on her phone????? Which, I gotta say, I can’t quite figure HOW the phone can test her blood sugar, BUT.... I guess it must. But what has that got to do with her constantly texting on her phone with her aunt, while she is in class and her aunt is at work?? There’s a nurse she can go to if there’s any problem with her blood sugar. It’s not like the girl is sickly. She’s hale and hearty. She’s a cheerleader and plays field hockey, for cryin’ out loud!! What do the other kids think about this girl being allowed to always be rattling away on her phone, when they are told they cannot?

And the son....”He needs to always have an outlet.” Apparently when he can’t stand things at school, he gets to go spend classtimes with this one teacher who likes him. He is allowed to text anytime he wants to, and he’s also allowed to wear his coat all day even though no one else is; there is a dress code.

“Is he autistic?” I queried.

“No, he’s ADD,” she said. Well, I am no expert on that, though being special needs doesn’t seem to me to be a reason for him to be texting his mom all day long while the other kids are not allowed to use their phones, or wear a coat all day. Again, this is probably pissing some of the other kids off. And it’s teaching him that for some reason or other, he is “entitled,” and it doesn’t MATTER about the other kids, because he is more special than they are.

Coats can also hide weapons, and from the way his mom talks about this kid’s temper and the way he talks to her, that might be something the school needs to be concerned about at some point.

Oh well....this is the way this society is nowadays. Do I think it’s too far gone to be changed for the good? Probably!