Where Is My Trophy?

Hindsight is always 20/20, but it's important we understand our mistakes and learn from them. It's also important that we realize they were in fact mistakes. A blooming example of an error of our culture that sticks out like a zit on a prom date's face, is the expectancy of our current generation. At a risk of sounding like my dad, and his dad before him, our culture has made a grievous error. In hindsight perhaps dad and grandpa had a point, they were highlighting what I'm about to talk about.

Currently we have a generation or two of people who took the advice of their industrial aged thinking mentors and are exploding in a temper tantrum of dissatisfaction. They worked their way through grade school, high school and finally participated in a program of higher learning in a college setting. They took all the advice society had to offer and found upon graduation that their award for participation, (a job) isn't available. Their immediate reaction is to take to the streets and complain. Complain about the government, and the debt they've amassed without receiving a source of income to pay it off. Unfair? Not so much! You see, now reality has set in, there is no recognition for participation. Life pays off the moment you become an effective participant. You can't sit on the bench and expect a reward!

The old baseball league my youngest son excelled in now has four tiers of all-star teams. Everyone gets to be on the post season team because they don't want anyone's feelings hurt. So the league has decided to reward mediocrity. What lesson does this teach the children? When I was growing up,( back when we had to walk barefoot to school, through the 4 foot snow drifts, uphill both ways), you had to try out for the team. Some made it, the others found another activity they were more suited for. If you didn't make the team this year, you worked hard and tried again next year. This taught perseverance and work ethic, not a reward system for those who couldn't achieve. There is no recognition for trying other than an atta-boy, you try harder next time, results matter!

The ensuing results of teaching our youth that everyone gets an award for participation stands in our city streets and complains. They went to Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, and now they are upset because society lied to them and there is no reward for just showing up. You have to produce exceptional results to get recognition as being exceptional. So what do they do? Throw a tantrum of course! Exactly the behavior the leagues who created the multi levels of "all-star" teams tried to avoid in the first place. Is it prettier as a spoiled child, or as a spoiled adult? Go visit "Occupy Wall Street" and decide for yourself!

God Bless!
Capt. Bill