The Good Old Days?
So as I was reading the headlines on msn today, one caught my eye: "Our Parents. Did They Have it Better Than Us?"
Basically the article said that even though most people today are better off than their parents, "Mr. and Mrs. Median" of today are a "grumpy lot." A recent study showed that 48% feel they are worse off than their parents. Another study said that 66% believe the "good old days", those years from 1950's to 1980's, were better than today. These feelings are prevalent even though statistics show that people are wealthier now more than ever. The average household has a net worth of $465,000. Wow. But in comparison to the super-rich (CEO's, movie stars, athletes etc,) Mr. and Mrs. Median feel poor.
So what does this say? Why are people not as happy now? Why do they perceive that their parents had a better life?
Personally, I'm not sure my parents would say life was easier. My dad worked long hours, working in NYC and driving home to New Jersey every night. He was self-employed most of his adult life. He only got paid after a job was completed. I have fond memories as a child of my dad coming home and throwing bills on the kitchen table. My brothers' and my eyes would light up, thinking we were rich! Of course, we didn't fully realize that he hadn't been paid in awhile and there were bills to be paid for a family of six.
But life did seem good to me. My mother stayed home most of our childhood years. There were always goodies waiting for us when we came home from school. We didn't have the loads of homework that kids have now, so we could go out and play in the neighborhood until my mom blew her whistle at dinner time. I grew up in a predominately Catholic-Protestant area. We had one of the smallest families with four kids. It wasn't unusual for a family to have 8 or more kids. There was even one with 13. We never did see the mother. So needless to say, there were always neighborhood kids to play with. My brothers and I were involved in some extracurricular activities, but not to the degree that kids are today. We did watch TV. Lots of TV. But there was one TV, and we usually watched it as a family. And the shows were much more "family friendly."
So I'm thinking that maybe people aren't as happy because, though they have more money now, it came at a cost. Family time perhaps? The article said there are more women in the professional ranks now than a generation ago. I'm glad there are more opportunities for women. But has motherhood taken a step back? What have we sacrificed along the way?
I can tell you what I think. But I'd like to hear your thoughts.
posted by Flower Mound Mom at 7:22 PM
4 Comments:
Well, I can honestly say, that as a Mother, I myself, had it a lot easier than Mother's today. In the "olden days", things were a lot less expensive. I can remember going to the super market and buying food for our family of six for a week and the bill came to $44.00. I was fortunate to be able to be home for the kids when they came home from school. None of the Mother's I knew had to work to help support the family. Of course, things are very expensive now and it does take two people to meet expenses, even without all the frills. I feel sorry for Mother's who have to put their children in day care. They are missing so much. So, my dear daughter, I have to disagree with you. Life, for us, was definitely a lot easier back then. Parents today have it very difficult.
I think families today are (sometimes) not willing to make the sacrifices to live on 1 income. I think we all think we NEED every little technological device known to man in order to make our lives better. We don't cook anymore, we go out to eat (both fattening and expensive - maybe our grocery bills would be less if we cooked from scratch, but alas, we don't have time because we have overscheduled our kids!). We continue to try to do things bigger and "better" - the local high school band show (I won't say which one but you could guess) has multiple props. Rumor has it that one of them costs $500! (Now how many Haitian kids could go to school for a YEAR for that amount??) I think our values are skewed - terribly.
When I was very young, my parents lived in a very modest house with ONE car that was shared. We had ONE TV. I entertained myself by playing outside. My mom played dolls and teaparty with me (gee, very simple). I was thrilled with a coloring book and crayons. We went on driving vacations and ate picnic lunches at a roadside park. If we didn't have the money, we didn't buy it (no credit purchases except ones that were paid off right away).
There are good things about the "old days" and good things about TODAY. I love technology. I love my big house (but we did live in a VERY small house in IRVING for years so we could afford what many consider a starter home in Highland Village). As the years have progressed on my street, it seems more and more moms have returned to work (due to sickness, divorce, etc.). It's really sad.
Life today is difficult, but some of it is because of decisions our generation has made. We choose the upscale living and thus our children think that's what they NEED once they get out on their own. We are perpetuating the difficulties for future generations. No wonder so many 20-somethings are disillusioned. (But don't read my blog since I wrote about a $140K car that I'd like! -ha, ha - not seriously!)
Hey, Steve and I only have one car and one tv, and I don't mind if it's like that for the rest of our lives. Of course, we have a laptop and a video ipod and a digital camera. Today, I passed a storage place that had a banner hanging from the side...it said IN ALL CAPS...WINE STORAGE. And, I thought how ridiculous of an idea that was if you are rich enough to own over 30 or 40 or 100 bottles of wine would you not be rich enough to have a wine cellar...then, I thought...why do we store things anyway...We pay monthly to store stuff we hardly ever go to or miss! I understand it for transitions in moving, but not for the sake of keeping stuff. Why do we store up our treasure on earth instead of heaven? We are truly upside down in heart
I agree wholeheartedly with both of you!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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