Greetings good citizen! While some of us find it annoying and others decry the commercialization of affection, a futurist finds it curious what we celebrate and, perhaps just as importantly, why...
Your typical Mother does things for you that you wouldn't do on a bet (because she loves you!) She gave birth to you [nevermind the argument that you didn't ASK to be born, you're here, be grateful!] made sure you had something to eat and a warm place to sleep. She protected you and nursed you when you were sick. She did her best to make sure you didn't leave the house looking like an unmade bed [but some things can't be helped...] every morning and she'd 'go to bat' for you if you couldn't work up the courage to face whatever daunted you.
Mighty large shoes, amigo, it's not an easy job.
Take my Ma for instance, may she rest in peace...if there's a better place after this I sincerely pray she is there!
My mom was 'everybody's Ma'. If you had a problem you could bring it to my Ma and she'd help [usually with her sage advice and endless courage because she didn't have much else to give.]
With my Ma you could be yourself, you didn't have to hide because she didn't judge ( a rare trait, making her that much more beloved!)
I was proud to have a mother so many of my friends admired and looked up to, she was an inspiration to them and to me. It's an odd little counterpoint to yesterday's post, how many of today's poorly socialized 'kidults' had anyone in their life who had their back and wasn't related to them?
Which is to plea guilty to being a part of the generation that bred the current crop of self-absorbed socio-paths. Failure is widely acknowledged but nobody 'owns' it anymore. Owning failure makes you grow while merely acknowledging it makes you callous.
But I digress, we were enumerating the attributes that make a 'Great Mom'...[not that pointing a finger to today's spoiled crop isn't related to the same phenomenon, the not so great, self-absorbed Mom. The 'liberated' I can do/have it all woman that doesn't take the time or possess the skils to teach their offspring how to fend for themselves.]
Yet another thing mother's these days are too sparing with it's courage. My Ma gave it freely to all who were in need and my peers grew because of it...but today's Mommy has something to prove, often choosing to fight the battle for their children instead of 'teaching them how it's done'...a much more useful skill.
Not a very flattering portrait of the modern mom but it is what it is...let's just say the proof is in the results.
That said, I'm not 'throwing stones'. One should read this more as a lament than a condemnation. Those who engineered our Brave New World set this departure from traditional 'child-rearing' methods in motion, leaving us with helpless and clueless progeny [who, thanks to the internet, think they know (or 'can know') it all. Who needs parents if you've got You Tube?]
They know how to do but they have no clue 'how to be'. And that's a mighty important distinction.
Perhaps 'teaching' is reviled because we spend our formative years under a 'teacher's thumb'. Worse, 'educating' (demonstrating why it's important to know a thing) is a skill most of today's professionals lack...probably because their 'teachers' lacked it as well.
[Sidebar: tangental to today's poor teaching skills is the trend towards 'not questioning the script.' Teachers are told (by those cutting their paychecks) what to teach and how (usually by decree.) Lay it down and test them on it, they'll pick it up eventually.] Have you noticed how much of life has become, 'you will do it and like it.'? Debate isn't an option, not with your superiors and not with (even minor) officials. Don't ask because they don't have an answer.
But there lies yet another pothole in the road of mismanagement of our society. The real reason Johnny can't read is because the teacher doesn't give a crap. They get paid regardless.
But I once again 'digress' [although not really because it's ALL related!]
In review it looks like the only mother I have kind words and fond memories of is my own, which is not at all true. I have enjoyed the comfort and wisdom of many kind and wise women over the course of my life; my Ma was 'rare', not peerless.
Let me express my concern that the skill set of motherhood is changing and if we don't change with it...Mother's Day may not be with us much longer, thanks to the self-interested.
Unplug your kid, you'll be glad you did.
Thanks for letting me inside your head,
Gegner
Your typical Mother does things for you that you wouldn't do on a bet (because she loves you!) She gave birth to you [nevermind the argument that you didn't ASK to be born, you're here, be grateful!] made sure you had something to eat and a warm place to sleep. She protected you and nursed you when you were sick. She did her best to make sure you didn't leave the house looking like an unmade bed [but some things can't be helped...] every morning and she'd 'go to bat' for you if you couldn't work up the courage to face whatever daunted you.
Mighty large shoes, amigo, it's not an easy job.
Take my Ma for instance, may she rest in peace...if there's a better place after this I sincerely pray she is there!
My mom was 'everybody's Ma'. If you had a problem you could bring it to my Ma and she'd help [usually with her sage advice and endless courage because she didn't have much else to give.]
With my Ma you could be yourself, you didn't have to hide because she didn't judge ( a rare trait, making her that much more beloved!)
I was proud to have a mother so many of my friends admired and looked up to, she was an inspiration to them and to me. It's an odd little counterpoint to yesterday's post, how many of today's poorly socialized 'kidults' had anyone in their life who had their back and wasn't related to them?
Which is to plea guilty to being a part of the generation that bred the current crop of self-absorbed socio-paths. Failure is widely acknowledged but nobody 'owns' it anymore. Owning failure makes you grow while merely acknowledging it makes you callous.
But I digress, we were enumerating the attributes that make a 'Great Mom'...[not that pointing a finger to today's spoiled crop isn't related to the same phenomenon, the not so great, self-absorbed Mom. The 'liberated' I can do/have it all woman that doesn't take the time or possess the skils to teach their offspring how to fend for themselves.]
Yet another thing mother's these days are too sparing with it's courage. My Ma gave it freely to all who were in need and my peers grew because of it...but today's Mommy has something to prove, often choosing to fight the battle for their children instead of 'teaching them how it's done'...a much more useful skill.
Not a very flattering portrait of the modern mom but it is what it is...let's just say the proof is in the results.
That said, I'm not 'throwing stones'. One should read this more as a lament than a condemnation. Those who engineered our Brave New World set this departure from traditional 'child-rearing' methods in motion, leaving us with helpless and clueless progeny [who, thanks to the internet, think they know (or 'can know') it all. Who needs parents if you've got You Tube?]
They know how to do but they have no clue 'how to be'. And that's a mighty important distinction.
Perhaps 'teaching' is reviled because we spend our formative years under a 'teacher's thumb'. Worse, 'educating' (demonstrating why it's important to know a thing) is a skill most of today's professionals lack...probably because their 'teachers' lacked it as well.
[Sidebar: tangental to today's poor teaching skills is the trend towards 'not questioning the script.' Teachers are told (by those cutting their paychecks) what to teach and how (usually by decree.) Lay it down and test them on it, they'll pick it up eventually.] Have you noticed how much of life has become, 'you will do it and like it.'? Debate isn't an option, not with your superiors and not with (even minor) officials. Don't ask because they don't have an answer.
But there lies yet another pothole in the road of mismanagement of our society. The real reason Johnny can't read is because the teacher doesn't give a crap. They get paid regardless.
But I once again 'digress' [although not really because it's ALL related!]
In review it looks like the only mother I have kind words and fond memories of is my own, which is not at all true. I have enjoyed the comfort and wisdom of many kind and wise women over the course of my life; my Ma was 'rare', not peerless.
Let me express my concern that the skill set of motherhood is changing and if we don't change with it...Mother's Day may not be with us much longer, thanks to the self-interested.
Unplug your kid, you'll be glad you did.
Thanks for letting me inside your head,
Gegner
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