My how times have changed (yes they actually have) - a little generational venting

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by Robin_M

Me too.


Stu, I love that quote. I used to fly a lot, and I've lost a few friends and acquaintances over the years. I think very few pilots learn from the mistakes of others. Too many think "I'm better than that. That will never happen to me." But after they find themselves having to call on their "superior skills" once or twice, they learn the meaning of your quote.

A good friend of mine who is no longer with us, Colonel Jacob, who flew just about everything from the Corsair and Mustang to the F18 along with a few others he couldn't talk about use to lament that too many didn't heed his advice on how he survived flying in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. One superior skill in the F16 for example was to mute some of the less critical alarms that would overwhelm a pilot in an encounter. He recommended just the radar, missile, fuel and low altitude alerts along with some limited additional personal choice items so the pilot would not suffer information overload while trying to evade. He was very dismayed by those that would not listen and end up in a crash and burn afterwards.

I ride a motorcycle and have heard that same declaration about how someones Superior Skills and additionally their Cat Like Reflexes will prevent them from crashing so the need to ride safe, wear their gear so forth and so on does not apply to them. Some sadly end up admitting that they were wrong from a hospital bed while others end up worse off.

Too many still haven't learned that if we do not study the mistakes of the past that we are doomed to repeat them.

How many thousands of years ago did Moses warn people of the need to wash their hands past the wrists regularly, take specific action to prevent Cholera, etc, etc and yet humanity still has not really learned as evidenced by the current COVID19 pandemic.

[Bisley]

I have a 30 year old niece that would visit my mother, her grandmother, a few times a year. On each visit she would rummage through her possessions and take any thing of value she could find. My mother was adamant that I not confront her as this was the daughter of my sister that had passed away. I bought my mother’s house for her and my niece had the audacity to ask her who gets her house when she dies. When my mother passed away, I confronted my niece. I told her what’s reprehensible person she was and I wanted nothing to do with her. She could care less since she knew I was not going to be her cash cow.

[Bloren3433]

Your first mistake was mentioning a “Foundation”😄

[Janjim]

Originally Posted by sonofcy

I told my kids a long time ago that they don't want to be in my will, it will be negative if I can arrange it. I have never relied on anybody and didn't even collect unemployment when I could have.

No words.

[RonandSueH]

Got up early to get a jump start and started reading this thread.....fascinated by the OP and thankful he is giving us a progress report as this unfolds. Just a loving GF dumbfounded by a text.... you are handling it well, I love all the advise....at least the doors of communication are still open. IDK if I’d be speaking to any of them if it were me....following.....

[Eddie & Renee]

Originally Posted by RI Expat

Yup, the upcoming generations feel they are entitled.

My Dad taught us all some serious life lessons. One was particularly strong.

We were not rich, but we were more than comfortable. Big house, six kids, three cars, and a boat (an older one, but still a boat). What Dad required from each of us kids was that 25% of anything we made had to go to him for room and board. What a bastard! And it didn't matter if your money came from babysitting, shoveling snow, or a real job down at the corner drug store. He certainly didn't need it. We all thought ill of the whole arrangement.....until the first one of us got married. At the reception, Dad handed each of us a Passbook Savings Account that had every dime plus interest. Taught us all that we had obligations that must be paid and to save for the future.

A proud moment for me last week when my 20 year old live-in son told me that he was investing his stimulus check in the stock market. He is still a student and his part-time job pays very little, but his head is in the right place. His sister, not so much.

LOL, I remember back in 1980 (I was 10) i had a 75 paper, paper route, my father let me have 5 dollars and took the rest including all the tips I got. I tell ya, Kids today!!!!! Good Grief!! Boy did I hate Sundays with all the flyers!! (heavy!!)

[smkymtnboy]

Originally Posted by DirtRider

Stuff like this cracks me up. I'm 40, and a professional. I work around extremely bright people all the time, and have for the 17 years of my professional life. The young people I have led, mentored, and worked beside didn't exhibit this end-of-all-hope behavior that so many people talk about constantly. In fact, the people I work with now are almost all younger than me, and the majority of them are excellent. These are people I constantly learn from, and they keep me motivated. To be blunt, if I only had to compete with the older generation in my industry, I wouldn't have to do much. It's the younger, hungry, wild-eyed people that are more likely to run circles around me.



I do worry about the culture we're creating, but not because of laziness. I worry about the feeling that the government is here to help, which has been so pervasive and hammered home by our pals in the media. If anything spells the ruin of civilization, it's that. And guess what - - that narrative isn't created by young people. It's fed to them by Gen Xers (my generation) and Boomers that want to stay in power.

you are very lucky!!

[Danj2001]

It's time to find a new heir, don't you think???

[jeddpearl]

I laughed so hard out loud!! Thanks for making my morning ;-)

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by R.Wold

I think this is how it all started. Quite some time ago I mentioned establishing a trust for future college expenses, and I think her Mom said something about staying in college or she wouldn’t inherit anything (a rather inaccurate and totally out of context slant on things).

So I get this odd text from my cherished granddaughter, with no preamble, asking about how she qualifies for an inheritance and how she would benefit from being in the will. Apparently because she wants to head in a vocational direction instead of academic.

But I didn’t have the benefit of that information. I’m out here on the farm in self imposed quarantine, waiting for the COVID thing to blow over, and I get a question about my will!

She just doesn’t understand, and we are already covering her college expenses because, we’ll, we aren’t dead yet.

So this whole conundrum is a result of some parental pressure, misunderstandings, and using text messaging for something that should be discussed in person under the right conditions. I’ll get it straightened out.

Kids these days....

Texting! You have to love the communication now days. I have been at the dinner table when family was texting. Hopefully not to each other! Its a sign of the times and I guess I am too old to keep up.

It seems weird that they will stop eating to possibly answer someone who is only letting everyone know they are stopping for a coffee or some equally inane activity.

[lazzer2146]

Do you mind if repost your rant?? So many in different forums need to know they are not alone.

[rlott2k]

Originally Posted by R.Wold

Well this thing is, and why this really floored me, is that she is the most delightful, shy, smart, caring, contributing, active, hard working, sweet kid I can imagine. Then out of the blue I get a text about her planning her future and essentially asking what level of education she needs to be in my will, and how much she stands to inherit. Since I don’t recall making education a stipulation (or even talking about it for that matter), I really didn’t know what to think.

All I can figure, as someone else postulated earlier, is that her Mom put some crap in her head about this, and being sweet, naive, and feeling safe communicating with me, she just blurted this out without thinking that she was really asking how much I’m worth to her when I dead and is it enough to consider in her future planning. I really don’t think it occurred to her that his was not a particularly polite inquiry, but in her defense, manners we’re not really part of her home life. Her little brothers (ages 6, 7, and 9) don’t even know how to eat at a table.

I really think it’s a symptom of her generation that this doesn’t seem odd and potentially disrespectful and hurtful. And since I didn’t really get it, I just extolled the virtues of higher education, told her about “live rich, die broke” and that my last check would bounce, trying to add a little levity to an otherwise disturbing conversation.

Well apparently this hurt her highly sensitive 18 year old feelings and when I looked further into it, I found that she wants to quit college, go to cosmetology school, and get a job she can’t relate to. Right now since school (local JC) is on-line, she’s putting in 40 hours/week managing a local pizza joint, at 18! And while cosmo school would not be my choice, I support her, although apparently her mother does not and used my money as some kind of leverage to dissuade her. What a mess.

I’ll take the kid out to lunch (when there is something decent open again) and communicate one on one, no texts, and make sure she understands and is OK.

18, working a 40 hr week and a manager to boot , sure doesn’t sound like a loafer to me.
Good luck with your future meeting.

[rlott2k]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSpor

I did not read the posts here, but what the original poster described is exactly what our world has come to. It's been happening through several generations now and each generation IS getting worse and worse. I call it dumber and dumber. It's the dumbing down of America (actually the world).



Unfortunately we, of the 55 plus generation, is the last generation that has any kind of work ethic left, personal responsibility for our own actions left, and a brain to consider the repercussions to our own actions.



The younger generations have been taught, schooled, and drilled into their heads in socialistic run schools and a society that has encouraged, and made it possible to exist on everyone else's money, except their own. And governments (all around the world) have made this possible, which also has caused some of the greatest countries in the world to turn into toilets today. Unfortunately, they call you "racist" if you challenge them to even remotely, become self reliant. If you are older white male, you are hated by them, because you represent power and money, so they want to take it from you, and just assume you are dead. (I am not kidding, and I am not exaggerating either).



What you just experienced is complete typical thinking of this generation today, (and their parents), and they REALLY, REALLY can't wait for you to die and get their hands on your money.



Best advise I can give you, when you die, die in debt! Leave nothing for them. They don't, and won't appreciate anything anyway, unless they are completely cut off from all the free hand-outs they get. But then 1/3 of todays under 55 age group would not have any clue how to survive if the free money stopped.

1/3 of the population under 55 is roughly 70 million people.
I don’t know what happened for you to have such distrust of their capabilities.

[rlott2k]

Originally Posted by coachmanjay

Just a little different take on this. I am a college graduate with a degree in engineering. Went to work for a construction company after college as I did not want to set behind a desk. On a lot jobs I faced some prejudiced as most of the employees had not met a college graduate and did not want to listen to one, when they had X years of experience. Fast forward, I can remember 50 some years ago a union business agent telling me, we are going to be in big trouble as we are sending 80% of our kids to college to take 20% of the jobs. That is the situation now, there is severe shortage of skilled labor. High schools don't teach non academic classes and pressure all students to go to college. This is not a good economic decision for a lot. Just look at the wage disparity between a normal college graduate, with student loan debt, and a tradesman, with no debt. Encourage thoughtful investigation of one's talents, likes, and potential for a decent live style. College and debt is not for everyone.
P.S. I did work and paid my own way thru college, but it was less expensive then

This!!!