First thing on the list is teaching my children respect, honesty and your word are gold. To many children to adults forget what these things are and the end result is our world today. There is no respect for the person you pass on the street to the spouse you sit across from at the dinner table. It's gone, somehow we have stripped away every moral, every decency, every vow, every commandment we were ever taught. People treat others with such blatant disrespect that it repulses me. What happened to manners? What happened to "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"? Or "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"?
Honesty and truth are vital. The lies that come out of peoples mouths today just eats me up. The lies come out as freely as we breathe air. It has become the "Life of Lies". Since when has it ever been "acceptable" to lie about everything from those little white lies to bigger issues like government, money, relationships and society. We don't even think about what comes out of our mouths these days, if it sounds good it just comes out and deal with the consequences later, if you deal with them at all. What do you "gain" from lying, I would really like to know. Do you think that if you lie enough they will become "truth"? Or is it that you lie so much you believe in your own lies and that makes everything ok? What ever happened to "Honesty is the best policy" or "The truth shall set you free of worry and sin"?
All of these things are absent in this vial world we are subject to live in now. I am not saying that these things have not been around since the beginning of time but all of them meant so much more before. When a handshake and your word were all you needed. We got to greedy to manipulative to try and get ahead. Someone always wanted what you had, so instead of working for it they tried to take it or expected someone to give it to them. I am tired of this way of life. I do not want or choose to have my children grow up in a world like this.
Even though I try my best to shield my children from the war outside our front door, I know they are exposed daily everywhere they go. My oldest daughter comes from the "entitled" generation and I try my damnest to not let her be amongst the herd of these ungrateful, deviant teenagers that believe everything should be handed to them and done for them. Or that "Mommy & Daddy" will "fix" everything for them. I fear for my younger two as well as they are only in grade school and already have this mentality. I have tried to focus hard on the little ones as they are the easiest to teach and reinforce these things to, but it is a long hard uphill battle.
What about our children's education? Our school system consists of teaching our kids to pass a state mandated test instead of actually teaching them the basics. Our teachers stress to "prepare" our kids for something that is of no use to them. I saw a test from the 1800's & the 1900's and was shocked at the difference Kids were actually taught the basics and then some. Half the things on these tests our kids would have no clue about, why is that? Did the rules change? Did history, geography change? Why can't we get back to this? No wonder why so many are turning to home schooling again. What a shame we have to teach at home instead of them being taught at school. I thought that was the purpose of "school", silly me.
Can we not go back in time? Or can we learn from our mistakes and our current way of life and become better people? Is it possible to take "history" and use it to our advantage? To create a new and better way of life, free of corruption and power hungry people. To free ourselves of outdated policy and government. To remember what our forefathers fought for and tried to create. To honor them by living respectful and bountiful lives free of senseless crimes, free of deviant politicians, free of hate, free of manipulation.
Can we create a "New American Dream" one worthy of our children's futures? Can we create a "New America" similar to the old but with new ideas? An America that takes care of "America" not aiding everyone else when our own people need help and guidance. Is it possible to begin anew? To do a total cleanse of America? If there is a way to rocket it into motion I am all for it.
I want to live in a place were my kids can play till the street lights come on and ride their bikes in the neighborhood freely, instead of in fear that they maybe kidnapped, raped or killed. I want to live in a place were everyone respects each other and your word is worth its weight in gold. I want to live in a world that we do not fear retaliation and war everyday. A world that is back to the beauty of nature and simple ways of life. A world that grows their own food instead getting it from a processing plant or a drive thru window. A world were your neighbor is there to help in time of need, hell take it a step farther the community. A place were your religion no matter which it is comes back to a daily part of your lives and you live by the word of your gospel. Can anyone say "Leave it to Beaver" or "The Brady Bunch"?
Maybe this is all just a dream but its a dream I want to live in. Do you want to dream with me?
Links to a Simple Life...
http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Meet-Followers-of-the-Simple-Living-Philosophy
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/
http://changingcourse.com/usa-weekend/