"In my day..."

There are some telltale signs in life. Milestones that blur by like the sign indicating your exit, you notice them in passing just enough to go "was that just...?"

Old timers like to predict these moments of passage to the younger ones because it gives them a sense of pride only found by enduring hardship and then turning around to watch the next fool hit the wall at full kilter. A kinder, softer hazing if you will.

Today I passed a milestone, but the doctor's assure me that is perfectly normal. It still hurts though...

Sorry. Kind of.

Anyway, I realized today that I am not part of "the current generation". The clue came when it occurred to me that I had pride and it led me to delineate this from other people by using the phrase "in my day".

Kids today don't hide their ignorance. This is more than their wearing of clothes that sag and buckle worse than an elephant swimsuit contest. I understand their fashion is making a statement, and the statement is "I reject your reality of looking decent and competent."

No the ignorance is in the questions posed in Facebook, MySpace, and my personal favorite YouTube text comments.

In MY day you had shame if you didn't know something. You hid your inability to fix your car, or motorbike, or simply your 10 speed. You went home and messed up the job royal by yourself. Then you found a friend who could be trusted with fixing your mistakes by giving him a 24 of beer, even if you had to give him your Dads. We were stupid and quiet about it!

I'm not saying things are worse now. On the contrary, I let all the gullible people ask the questions, then I search out the threads and laugh at them. Then I take note of the correct answer.

The future will be a brighter place, if only because we collectively ask the questions that should have been found out through careful research or reckless experimentation.