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Well, Troy, you asked me whether it was easier to raise kids 60 years ago than it is now, and - you know what happens when you pose a question to me… Back then, kids were kids. Having a baby was just a routine part of life. You got married in your early twenties and in a couple of years started a family. Children were kept in perspective. You had em, you raised em and tried to teach em right from wrong. You often made sacrifices for them. If they were ambitious enough to want to go to college, you got a second job and sent them off to an institution of higher learning. You might have even exhausted your bank account to give your daughter a big wedding. Then, you cut them loose, dutifully assuring them that you’d always be there for them, hoping they didn’t take you up on the offer. There may have been a lot of stay-at-home moms among white folks back in the 1950s, but once black moms got their kids in school they usually went out and found jobs in order to make ends meet or provide the little extras or to accumulate the savings necessary to buy a home. Under the watchful eyes of extended families, kids were expected to do their part by looking out for themselves as much as possible, and time spent with their parents was more about quality rather than quantity. Unless you had mental or emotional issues, you patiently played your role as an authority figure and your sullen children went along with your program until they were old enough to get out of the house and do their own thing, which may or may not have entailed becoming a black militant or a radical hippie. As time passed, however, and prosperity boomed, and attitudes changed, there became an increasing tendency for folks to spoil their offspring, providing them with all of the things they had had to do without. And that’s how the trouble began. This sentiment gradually escalated to the point of children taking center stage as their doting parents over-indulged them, giving them an inflated sense of self-esteem, insulating them from the real world while America became a culture of child-worshippers. Women fell in love with their children, making them the center of their lives, many even neglecting their mates in the process. Before long, as we know, babies became trophies and accessories! Having one was on every woman’s to-do list, - with or without a husband. Pregnancies reached fad proportions, - the naming of a child a project, the more unusual the choice the better. Leading the charge were celebrities showing off their baby bumps, giving boring details of breast feeding to talk show hosts. Black folks, especially those in the ghetto, were just as caught up in this as everybody else, the term “baby daddy” fast becoming co-opted by the mainstream. And of course there was The Internet - the enabler of every bizarre facet reflected by today’s society. Was it easier to raise a child in the 1950s than it is now? I think so. Why? the family dynamic has changed, and the pace of life quickened. Thanks to parents who got their priorities mixed, today’s children are the embodiment of an arrogant sense of entitlement. They merely tolerate adults and care little for what can be learned from the past. They are bored by current events and their attention span runs no longer than the time it takes for the next rapper’s album to drop, or the newest video game to go on sale Their heroes are millionaire sports jocks, their idols flash-in-the-pans musicians. The books they read are mostly limited to street-lit or vampire tales. Of course these are generalizations and there are parents who are trying to provide their children with a good set of values but it’s hard for them to compete with FaceBook. Peer pressure reigns supreme and drugs are rampant. Raising a child in this environment is a monumental challenge. Back in the day kids were not bombarded with media hype and had to rely more on their imaginations, something which stimulated their brains in a positive way, making them more curious about the world they lived in; always a good thing. Now, the idea of a good thing to today’s parents is to keep their daughters “off the pole” and their sons “off the pipe”.

This post was written a while ago, but it rings loudly today! I spoke to my chairperson, now 78, regarding this topic. She stated that her generation started all of this behavior because we had the money and a little power. I mean a little bit. Now, we are in a time where that little power is hard to observe if we, as parents, do not learn from the mistakes of our fathers. This is when we take all our control and teach our children and grandchildren about the importance of being proud of who they are and respecting others. Money and fame don't make you a better person. You gain different problems. Hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes and teach our children to be resourceful, to be at peace, and to fight for the right strategically. Especially today, when we are constantly threatened by the lack of quality education for our children. We must teach our children and not allow anyone to do it for us. We have the power. I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you.

March 13-14, 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse NASA: March 13-14, 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse: Telescopic View Released Thursday, January 30, 2025 https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5472 This week, on the evening of March 13 and into the morning of March 14, the moon will slide into Earth’s shadow, creating a wondrous and graceful event: a total lunar eclipse. The whole show, over three hours long, will be visible across almost the entirety of North America, Central America, and most of South America. From western Africa the moon will set while still eclipsed, and in extreme eastern Russia the moon will rise already in eclipse. https://www.cntraveler.com/story/where-and-how-to-see-total-lunar-eclipse-2025-blood-moon _____________________________________________________________________ This is so awesome! Even though there will be other lunar eclipses however, I think this one is extra special because it just so happens to occur in the middle of the month and even more amazing would be that it will happen in the month of March. The month of March is the scientific and universal New Year! March 14, is the scientific and lunar New Year! So if you count from March to September, it confirms this fact because Sept means 'the number seven (7)' and then the root word 'Oct' for the month of October means 'eight (8)' as in octagon. For America and western Calendars, the month of September is the ninth (9th) month, October is the tenth (10th) month and so forth. So for the earth to align with the moon becoming a full moon on the evening of March 13 is significant in how the solar system aligns at times. The vernal equinox will then occur in the third week of March. Eclipses though, are not always easy to see because of the nature of how they tend to pull up the clouds. But hopefully for those who may want to look up and witness this celestial event, the clouds will not gather and block the red moon.

Eastern standard time to view eclipse 1st penumbral phase: 11:57 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 13. 1st partial phase: 1:09 a.m. EDT on Friday, March 14. Totality: 2:26 a.m. EDT. 2nd partial phase: 3:31 a.m. EDT. 2nd penumbral phase: 4:47-6:00 a.m. EDT.

@TroyI don't feel inclined to change anything in the original essay. You can do whatever you want to do with it. I don't care. I don't really care much about anything any more. I'm tired. My oldest great grandson is 21 years old and still chasing his tail. My youngest great granddaughtet is about to begin kindergarten and is very smart but reclusive. In between, are 2 others boys and 2 other girls, all uniquely different from each other. Just like their parents. What do I know ? 😳

Request for Book Review: My Name / Author’s Name: Joseph Collins Title: Commanders In Crisis: The Psychological Battles of American Presidents Throughout History ISBN-13: 9798227794079 Publication Date: Sept 15, 2024 Synopsis: Greetings fellow readers! We are now living in uncertain times around the nation and asking a lot of questions regarding presidential leadership and fitness for office. In order to jumpstart a constructive dialogue, I chose to develop this project in order to offer an easy-to-understand, layman’s discussion of the most common mental health diagnoses in America. By offering chapters on the mental health diagnoses and struggles of former American presidents, I hope to accomplish three goals: 1) to provide interesting and easily-digestible information on the realities of serious mental illness; 2) to generate a sense of compassion and normalcy for people struggling with their mental and emotional wellness, and; 3) to provide a reliable perspective from which readers can arrive at their own conclusions regarding presidential leadership today. Throughout my career as a Mental Health Counselor and Clinical Hospice / Hospital Chaplain, I have observed up close the stigma and debilitating social isolation endured by people struggling with serious mental illness, particularly in the African American community. In order to jumpstart a compelling dialogue, my book unveils vivid stories of how childhood trauma, genetic inheritance of disease and the pressures of leadership have impacted the emotional wellness and policies of U.S. presidents across the centuries. With dramatic historical accounts drawn from writings by other mental health professionals, historians and my own analyses, this book shines a light on the emotional challenges that have shaped some of the most critical moments in American presidential history. The bottom line is Commanders In Crisis provides an opportunity for readers, families, book clubs and friends to engage in thought-provoking, compassionate dialogue regarding mental health for all of us. However, the foundation of those discussions must involve readers having a balanced understanding of common mental health diagnoses and the tools to dispel myths, stigma and false assumptions regarding emotionally challenged individuals. Joseph Collins https://books2read.com/u/mVLNpP Website: www.nightwriterjoseph.com Email: thomas[dot]collins4399[at]gmail.com Bluesky: [at]night-writer.bsky.social

It all could've been avoided if the accused girl hadn't done what she was accused of. And I doubt if there has ever been a case before where one runner In a relay race hit another runner on an opposing team with a baton during the final stretch. So it is a newsworthy, human interest story imo, and a sign of the times along with the everybody-gets-a-trophy-custom and winning at any cost attitude that overshadows good spormanship and now passes for acceptable behavior,- thanks to Donald Trump. It certainly bespeaks of childishness and poor home training.

Hi @Tales from Zeal Didn't the pro in the industry provide guidance in this area? You are asking people who don't know you or you or, more importantly, your work to introduce you to an author who will read and endorse your book. There is a slim chance of that happening as a result of you inquiry. You should attend book fairs and conferences and get to know other authors. These are the people most likely to endorse and read your work. What you should do here is post information about yourself and your upcoming novel. Share a video describing the book and keep us appraised of your progress. As with any community develop a relationship with folks. Here is a good example of a writer, Milton J. Davis who always posts information about his new books. Now if he ever asked for an endorsement (he hasn't yet) I would certainly consider it. I hope that helps.

This is classic Cynique y'all! Cynique with your permission I'd like to republish -- this is great. "...hoping they didn’t take you up on the offer." HA, HA HA! "The Internet - the enabler of every bizarre facet reflected by today’s society." - Deep! I OFTEN think about the things I do for my children that they are unaware of and/or take for granted -- things that my parents would not have dreamed of doing for me. I'm sure the kiddies benefited in some respects but I think they may have placed at a disadvantage in others. My kids have been to more places, acquired more processions and experiences by 16 than I did by 30 -- no exaggeration! Net-net this is a good thing. I'm fortunate I had the resources to provide this for them. However part of me wonders how they will react when times are hard. Well they reflect on the good times, continue to work hard, confident things will improve; or will they fall apart unaccustomed to going without the luxuries to which they've become accustomed. "children taking center stage as their doting parents over-indulged them" this seems so true -- especially in upper middle class families. Some of my buddies have given up their entire weekends shuttling kids from “play dates” to baseball practice to piano lessons. They spend lavishly on sweet 16 parties, Christmas, vacations, camp, schools, cars, salons, clothing, etc. But even lower middle class parent do the same thing spending a ton of money on sneakers ("tennis shoes" for you southerners), jewelry and clothing. Speaking of sneakers I was a teenager when the real pressure to get the latest sneakers started. If you got the $100 Air Jordans you was the man! You could get by with Puma, Addias, Converse or maybe Pro-Keds -- anything less and you were the object of ridicule and scorn. There was no surer indicator of how poor you were if you stepped outside with rockin' some no-name brand sneakers ("skippies"). The mentality persists into adulthood and the cycle continues... ...and we are seemingly becoming a nation of spoiled brats unable to instill discipline into our children -- because we never had it.