A Wake Up Call

As unpopular as my posting today may be with some people, I have been reflecting on the current economic situation we are currently going through not only in this country, but in the world overall. I think we are going through a wake up call of historic proportions. We are a world that has gotten to materialistic, and dependent on physical things, and creature comforts. More often than not both parents work to provide nicer vehicles, and bigger houses than we really need.

The banking crisis was a result of people stretching their mortgage payments out to the maximum they could afford in order to buy houses far to big and fancy for their needs. We are a society that has to have all the latest and greatest in the world of electronics and entertainment. Our homes are not complete without them. We all have to have cell phones, and the highest of speeds on our internet. I just read an editorial about teenagers using cell phones to cheat on tests as well as sending naked pictures of themselves out into cyberspace. It is estimated according to this writer that 1 in 5 kids have taken a nude photo of themselves and passed it out into the electronic world. Cell phones have also made it easier for kids to arrange drug transactions, and go around behind their parents back in regards to relationships, especially when you tie the internet into that. We use a computer in my house as I have to have internet in order for me to do my daily work, but we restrict the computer to the living room or kitchen for the kids under 18 where my wife and I can keep some semblance of an eye on our kids while they are using it. Many kids are not that restricted and can go just about anywhere in the house and have access to a world that is begging for them to find mischief of some sort.

I think the overall economic crisis is a wake up call for us to examine our lives and find a lifestyle that calls for family values and learning to do without some of the extravagances in life rather than having all the creature comforts. I can remember a time when dining out was a big deal and we were all on our best behavior because it happened so seldom. As a family of 6 we lived in a modest house of less than 1600 square feet and and I shared a room with my brother while he was still at home and my sisters shared a room, rather than each of us having our own room. Even today my wife and I have a house that is only about the same size of less than 1600 square feet. We don't have a luxurious master suite with walk in closet, and private bath, we have one bathroom for the entire family (I do admit as the only man I would like to have at least another 1/2 bath) We don't go out to eat all that often to a restaurant, we may order subs or a pizza in for a special treat, but even that is not all that often. My wife tried to stay at home when the kids were younger than school age, and event today with one a senior in high school and one in 5th grade, we try to have one of us at home when they get home from school. We eat dinner together as a family,and yes still say grace and ask for God's blessing before our meal. We do without a HDTV, and our kitchen does not have all the latest gadgets you can buy, event though I do like to prepare some gourmet meals every now and then. We don't find the need to travel to extravagant locations for vacation, we do spend time exploring some of the things to do in our own home area. Yes it would be nice to be able to go to some luxurious location for a vacation, but we think it is more important to be a part of our children's lives on a daily basis. We still ask how our kid's day was when they come through the door (even though sometimes they want to take our head off when we ask) Nothing makes me feel more like a dad than when my 17 year old still asks for my help with her homework.

We have tried to ingrain on our girls the importance of community and community involvement. The lessons seem to have made an impact, when I watch my girls take part in events, and help where ever they can. All three girls worked on the moving wall when it was in Ossipee, and on the last day when asked if she wanted to go home with her mother after the closing ceremony my then 10 year old told her mother she could not abandon her post because the veterans were counting on her. When my 17 year old seeks out projects that will make an impact on the community it makes my heart swell with pride. She recently wrote an essay for a scholarship application that in essence said that volunteer work makes life worth while, and makes her feel so good when she sees how she has helped other people.

Let us take this opportunity to learn a lesson and simplify our lives. We don't really need all the extras that we have somehow decided are necessities. We can get by with a lot less then we really have. I recently listened to a Pastor talk about why they grow a vegetable garden each year. they don't do it because they need the food, they do it so their kids will learn that a tomato comes from the ground rather than just coming from the supermarket. They do it so the kids will learn that they have to take care of the plants and fertilize them, and water them for them to grow strong and produce fruit. Well guess what we have to do the same thing for our kids. We have to nurture them, we have to care for them, we have to be there for them, and not just leave them for others to care for all day long, or to leave them to their own devices. When I sit in my chair and watch my daughters still cuddle with my wife on the couch I know all is right with the family and that even though we have our moments when the girls yell at each other and say they hate each other, they still know the value of family and supporting each other in all they do.