A Different Spin

If I told you that 50 years from now the human race would be obsolete, would you believe me? If I told you that we may just be 1 billion less than we are today with heartache and no hope for our future, would you believe me?

Maybe you should.

A reader of mine directed me to this free e-book about parenting, called 'Endangered'. It's not a how-to book and it's not just for parents to read. It's about our future and the generation we are rearing in our ugly monster world. Most importantly it's about the indifference that parents are taking towards their children. We drop them off at day-cares and expect perfect strangers to raise them the same way we would. Although this stranger is barely making minimum wage and can only give so much care dividing her attention among many. We plunk them in front of TV or the internet or games and we expect them to act quietly as small adults and we don't tolerate the violence that they learn from said media. What are we doing to our future? Don't even get me started on the urge to drop pills into their tiny mouths and calm them down. Calm them down to the point of numbness.

In visiting our local Provincial Park this week, we noticed 2 groups of children. These were large groups. In fact, so large that they were separated into sub-groups of 4. They were there for an outing to learn about nature. Something I don't have to teach my offspring as it's second nature to her and she's been through the nature centre so many times that she can now read the species names of the animals inLatin, backwards. One child was alone in the reptile room with us and she was about *Mila's* age. She wanted us to see the wiggling snake. I could barely understand her. But *Mila* and I smiled at her and listened patiently. *Mila* was a bit upset with who she belonged to. Where was her mother? Her mind was racing. Who is looking after this girl? In a flash of a white shirt, a large arm grabbed the girl "OLIVIA!" and whisked her off to the next room with a multitude of other drones to see the honeybees. *Mila* looked at me puzzled. What could I say? "They're here with their daycare." "DAYCARE?", she questioned me. The woman didn't even make eye contact with her, me or *Mila*. She just grabbed her like a dog that got loose from the yard. Yes and so we decided to observe rather than judge that day.

I watched these kids jump like chimpanzees through the play barn. *Mila* approached each familiar obstacle with grace, intelligence and a sense of caution. Sure she's a kid and she can act like a kid too. But in a room full of monkeys, you tend to let the monkeys take over. Next we watched these children toss their wrappers around the park as if it were the doorsteps of Somalia. What is going on? Are we really letting our children do this to our planet? I overheard another mother there with her two small children: "I want you to hold on to your garbage until we get home where you can put it in our blue box." Why don't all parents and caregivers say this? We generally don't announce it, but we practice it. And more often than not, I find myself picking up at least 3 beverage containers and 2 chip bags where ever we roam. Can't we all just pick up a little? It's not hard. I realize that sometimes it is gross and requires us to wear gloves, have a gas mask and toxic waste barrels. It's not hard to pick up a pop can and dispose of it - CARRY IT TO A GARBAGE CAN - if you can't hold it all the way to a blue bin.

It has become a generation that is now surprised if parents stay together, as their own never did. When a Father is a father and is a part of the lives of his children, it's an anamoly. When a parent quits their job to stay home and raise their family, they are shunned and regaled as a martyr. How dare they give up work? A career is far more important than the life of a child???? Is it? I beg to differ. A career will always be there. A child is only child for so long.

signed, the willow