Going Back to Go Forward

for lack of motivation to get anything else around the house done, i am sitting in front of the computer contemplating what to blog about and have decided that the topic of the moment will be "going back about 50 years."  in this day in society, it is unlikely that people think of going back as a way of going forward. i, however, tend to believe that we must go back before we can go forward. what has happened to respect, politeness, common courtesy and the importance of family and friends. 50 years ago, there would be kids playing together in the neighborhood, parents sitting on the front porch watching all the kids (not just their own) and you knew all your neighbors names and could borrow a cup of sugar without question.  today, in order for any neighborhood kids to play together, you have to schedule a play date.  you often don't know the names of your neighbors. i have lived in the same house for over 7 years now and don't know my neighbors by name and would certainly not feel comfortable enough to go knocking on the door for a cup of sugar. it never occurred to me until after i had kids of my own, that community, camaraderie and good old fashioned neighborly goodness was lost and more importantly that we need to find it. 

society seems to be so focused on the importance of independence and success that we seem to have lost sight of what is important. kindness, generosity and raising our kids with respect and values. we are such a busy nation that we don't even have time in our children's day at school to include music and art. we as a people have placed academia over all else. can this system be part of our children's issues with low self esteem and a sense of failure. some children do not excel in academics, however are amazing artists and musicians. unfortunately, they may never know their talents because they were never provided the opportunity to explore those areas of learning and expression. they were merely handed textbooks and schedules. these are the areas that the artists and expressionists may feel failure.

i think it is time for us to take a step back and look at where we have come from, where we are, and where it is that we want to go.