Gramma Rocks!

The Old or The New/Gramma Roxxs - You Decide!

The big news in America recently is the Wall Street protests. As I have followed up on the stories, I can’t help but to be taken back by the behavior of this younger generation’s ideologies. The protesters have engaged in lewd and lawless behavior. It is a shame that society has allowed this type of behavior to breed through our broken family structure, education system, and justice system. This is not what the older generations handed to this new generation. Let me explain…

Have you ever noticed that people today (especially the younger generations) think that the older generation is so out there?  “They have such an old fashioned view on life,” some say, “after all, what do they know?”  

Well, from the perspective of dealing with hundreds of thousands of younger people, it seems to me that the older generations have an understanding of moral principles, good judgment, and a solid foundation built upon the rock of Christ and our Constitutional Republic - something the younger generations of today, who seem to “know so much,” just don’t understand.

My wife’s grandmother once said, “I ask myself the question, ‘Would we have been happier to live in all of the freedoms and materialism of today with the liberal views of society?’ I think not. We lived and thrived with loving discipline, so we knew how far we could go. I had Christian parents. They set boundaries for our own good, to protect us from the consequences of misbehavior.”  

Umm…sounds like a good bit of wisdom to me.  And if the younger generation values their future, they will sit down and take a moment to learn a lesson from a Grandma that rocks! 

The following is a legendary story written by an unknown author, but we can learn from the wisdom of the old paths (Jeremiah 6:16) in America, which wasn’t too long ago:

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events.  The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. 

The Grandma replied, "Well, let me think a minute. I was born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees, and the pill.  There was no radar, credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. 

Man had not invented panty hose, air conditioners, dishwashers or clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon. 

Your grandfather and I got married first - and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother. Until I was 25, I called every man older than I, 'Sir.' 

We were before gay rights, computer dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.  Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions. 

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started. Timesharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends - not purchasing condominiums. 

We never heard of FM radios. And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey. If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan' on it, it was junk. The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonalds, and instant coffee were unheard of.  

We had 5 & 10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all nickel. And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and two postcards. You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, but who could afford one?  Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon. 

In my day, 'grass' was mowed, 'coke' was a cold drink, 'pot' was something your mother cooked in, and 'rock music' was your grandmother's lullaby. 'Aids' were helpers in the principal's office, 'chip' meant a piece of wood, 'hardware' was found in a hardware store, and 'software' wasn't even a word. We were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us 'old and confused' and say there is a generation gap ...and how old do you think I am?"

This woman would be only 68 years old!!!