Often, I find I contradict myself with what I write. I suppose it's good to find out where you're inconsistent. Or maybe, after you've explored one side, you then move on to the other side.
For example, the other day I wrote that I've let a sheltered life. Of course, that's a relative thing. I've moved from one continent to another at age 15, adjusted to a new culture. I went to public High School. I lost my mother right after that. I got married pretty soon. Then in more mid-- life it seemed everyone around us was having divorces of varying levels of nastiness. Some very nasty. And so on. People kept their drug use quiet.
Now, the awareness of the prevalence of drug use, violence and partying around us, is new to me. At first, it seemed random and outrageous, now I'm shocked by the prevalence and in-your-faceness, the normalcy. The kids say, Gibbons was a good town to grow up in. Everyone took and believed in the drug awareness program (DARE course). They all knew drugs were very, very bad, but once you hit the grade 8/9 onward, it's a different world.
What is it that's new to me?
-- that I see things that were there before, but I did not know about or did not pay attention to
-- that are new
-- that have changed in character and frequency?
One of the most amazing things…
1 day ago
5 comments:
I would say compared to when I was a teen, only 16 years ago, there is an increased use of drugs and alcohol among teens today.
Facebook has really opened up my eyes as to how many teens from all kinds of backgrounds from poor to rich have a very casual approach to drinking and drugs.
I don't have an answer. I'm not sure when and how this became a form of entertainment.
When I was a teen, I had other things to occupy me: school, activities, part time job, volunteer work, sports and my family.
It was family Cindy.
And birds of a feather flock together so do families of a feather. So what happens is you have families that are possibly more functional than others that flock around together and the kids are a bit more sheltered.
Hard to believe I was a teenager 16 years ago too. I had school part time jobs, a grueling swim schedule etc. Drugs were everywhere, especially school. Christian ethics kept me from indulging in drugs (the exception being alcohol, and cigarettes, yes even as a varsity swimmer.)Family, and lack there of it were often the difference. Most of my friends that did drugs had parents that did them. Or parents who had checked out long ago. It was surprising how many parents did drugs. Sex? had to work pretty hard to keep my ethics in check there. I don't know maybe it is more popular these days, my guess so is the demise of the family and it is a vicious circle spiraling down ward.
Family and Christian commitment matters the most. But the peer culture has become even stronger with the social networking and the cell phones. They're up and gone at a moment's notice with whomever, they don't even know, never mind the parents being able to keep track of it.
If we want to compare things, it really has to be within the same area, or it's not apples and apples.
Pastor Schiemann, pres. of ABC District, LCC, gives speeches about crime victimization rates. His son was one of the four famous RCMP members shot by Don Rosko in Mayerthorpe, AB. He criticizes the way statistics are kept.
According to info made public re: crime stats, there is not much change. However, if you interview people as to if they have been impacted by crime, the rate is 28% per year. This is quite high.
*James Roszko
Very sorry, "James Roszko".
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