"Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood."
Rant time!
Published on August 21, 2004 By Sally jacobs In Misc
I know I'm always going on about the children of today, and really I can't talk, because I am but a child of today myself. However this one got me a little rattled. Life is a set of stages, we learn, we train, we work, we retire, we enjoy life. Hopefully we will enjoy life througout, but you see what I'm saying. Now there are two major issues that we have problems with. First is the unemployment of young people. Secondly is the loneliness of old people, and them wanting independance, but not being able to look after themselevs properly. Now lets look at these as two separate issues.

First these teenagers that are unemployed. In my opinion they are lazy, at least the majority are. They realise you can get something for nothing, that whether they work or not, they will be able to get what they want, one way or another. A hard days work is alien to them. I've seen some turn their noses up at such things. Prefering to sit on their bums all day and live off what the government provides. Even going to college and so on, is just to much like hardwork. This isn't all young people. There just seems to be a growing number who prefer not to work. Which leads to them having to much time on their hands, and very little money, and then crime grows, and it's just a downwards spiral. The government here just tries to encourage them to work, but as I said it appears to be a lazy generation. So they end up with no homes, and barely getting by, but that is more appealing than going out to work everyday? Believe me I'm not a huge fan of work, but I realize that needs, must. Filling your time constructively, especially at that age is what you need to do.

Then there are these elderly people, who work hard, save for their pensions, and eventually retire. Many older people here live in poverty, which means they struggle to get out and meet people, get lonely, again can't fill their time. It must be awful to live on your own, maybe leaving the house, and walking doesn't come as easy anymore. It's almost like you're locked in. Away from the real world, it must be incredibley lonely. Having the time and means to help these elderly people is very difficult, because there is only so much time in the day. Those that want to keep living in their own houses, especially find it difficult.

So how to solve these two problems? Well some bright spark came up with the idea of moving these kids into the houses of these elderly people. These elderly people may live in houses, where they have the space to have a lodger or whatever. So you get this kid, who hasn't bothered to get a job so far and they become the lodger of this older person. In return they provide company, and help this older person. Doing tasks such as the shopping and so on! Am I the only person that finds this concept laughable?

First of all why should some elderly person let them stay with them? They've worked hard for all them years, and it comes to this? They will lead totally different lifestyles, how will they cope living under the same roof? Isn't this kind of thing just encouraging these teenagers to be even more lazy? They get free board somewhere, and they just do a bit of shopping in return. I'm sorry I think this is an easy escape for the government, one that will never work, and is making me realise just how little they actually know. Unrealistic isn't the word for it. Rant over!

Comments
on Aug 21, 2004
First these teenagers that are unemployed. In my opinion they are lazy, at least the majority are. They realise you can get something for nothing, that whether they work or not, they will be able to get what they want, one way or another. A hard days work is alien to them. I've seen some turn their noses up at such things.


Again, an exception. As of such, I am "unemployed". However, unemployed with a twist. I'm an entrepreneur in a sense. As terms for working on the farm, doing chores, helping bale hay, work hard during summer, fix, replace, repair, do gopher work, etc., my father gives my twin brother and I our straw crop. For you uneducated in the ways of a farm, let me explain.

Hay and straw are different things. Hay, is certain types of grasses and broad leaf plants, such as timothy grass, alphalpha, clover and more. Straw is the stalk of the wheat plant. After the wheat is harvested, the combine (harvesting machine) spews out a pile of "straw". This straw is "baled" with a piece of equipment that bundles straw and hay in either, small squares (7'x3' basically, give a few inches), large squares (couple of yards by a couple of yards, give or take a few feet), or round bales (cylindrical with about 4-5 yard radius give or take a few feet), depending on what baler that you have. (Note that these measurements are approximations, and are by no means acurate. They are in the ball park, but each measure varies according to baler type, operator, etc.) . This straw is then sold to people who need to plant grass, bed livestock, and similar things. Hay is feed to livestock.

Anyway, it's not fun, and I certainly don't enjoy it at all.

Back on topic. I know what you're talking about. A lot of the kids at my school wouldn't pitch a pile of cattle crap if their lives depended on it. I'm an exception, but I know so many people who aren't. It's sad really.

Good article.

Peace,

Beebes
on Aug 21, 2004
In a perfect world this would be a good idea, but I agree with you that if in fact the person is lazy to begin with that they will be of no help to the elderly. Good article.

On a side note, I love the elderly. They are good company if you take the time and have patience to get to know them. Living history.
on Aug 22, 2004
I'm an entrepreneur in a sense. As terms for working on the farm, doing chores, helping bale hay, work hard during summer, fix, replace, repair, do gopher work, etc.,


There all different kinds of work, and that sounds like damn hard work. There are always exceptions, and you sound like one. Thanks for the lesson in hay and straw, it doesn't sound fun, but at least you work.

A lot of the kids at my school wouldn't pitch a pile of cattle crap if their lives depended on it.


Hard work is beyond them huh! They'll pay for it later on, I'm sure....

the person is lazy to begin with that they will be of no help to the elderly.


Exactly, it's just an easy option.

I love the elderly. They are good company if you take the time and have patience to get to know them. Living history.


I totally agree with you, they can be so interesting, and have so much knowledge, shame people aren't willing to spend the time to find that out.

Thanks for the comments guys xxx

on Aug 22, 2004
I agree with most all that's been stated before me...

Though I wish I could get a job living with the elderly and just helping em out with daily chores.... Would be a cool job!