When I grew up, television and computers had never been heard of. Radio had just come upon the scene. I remember one of my older brothers rolling wire on a round tube, that produced astonishing sounds.

I had all the time in the world to read and did so voraciously and with great excitement. We were a closely knit family. Meals were served at a certain time, presided by both parents, sometimes grandparents. You had to have proper table manners. No elbows on the table. No dogs underneath the table to beg for tid-bits. What you did not eat of the meal at the time appeared on your plate next meal . Food was scarce, we were starving, It was the First World War.

We depended on America to supply us with condensed milk, lump sugar and some other nourishing items, gratefully accepted by one and all.

The children of this present genertion differ from mine, like day and night.

Many children grow up in broken up homes. Parents are divorced.They are forced to hold one or two jobs.The time they have is limited. The children grow up on the street, unobserved, picking up the strangest things, early cigarettes, drugs, drinks, early sex, very little education or respect for elders, respect for life!

There is no time for reading. You own a little computer and you play games, where shooting or maming your opponents is the aim of the game. You have friends picked up in the streets, you run in gangs, you fight, you bully. You learn to steal, to enjoy sex at a very young age. There are unwanted pregnancies by very young children…

You can expect a short life, maybe years in prison.
It is a very different childhood from the one I experienced. The only advice I could give would be, let’s make sure to give the young New Generation a proper education.


Gerta Freeman - June 9, 2011