Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Kids have it easy these days, just a little editorial

Kids these days have it easy. I mean it. They really do. I’m not talking about those fables we have all heard from our parents about walking 37 miles to school with out shoes, uphill in both directions. 13 below with 4 foot snow drifts in the morning, 121 degrees by the time they were walking home. I’m talking about real stuff.

Take for example when I was a child. Watching TV, on a box, where you had to walk up and actually turn the channels between the 5 channels you did get. Even the commercials pressured you. The Indian that cried because someone threw away a piece of paper was always a checkpoint, but the one that really got me was Smokey the Bear…you know what I’m talking about. “Only YOU can provide forest fires.” Did they even consider how that would affect me?

I was 8 years old when I saw that commercial the first time. “Me? Only me? Good thing I was watching TV today! They should have sent a letter or something” (email was not available unless you were a close personal friend of Al Gore). I’m 8 years old and they expect me to not only come up with a plan, but implement it, too? And seriously, you can’t do it alone!

Did you know there are 132 forest currently recognized in the United States alone? Now, I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t see ANY of them from my bedroom window, and I obviously couldn’t go around and check each forest a couple of times a night. So, you try and network. Do you have any idea how many times a person will take a call in the middle of the night from an 8 year old asking, “is the forest on fire” before they are using grown up words to you? Take it from me, 1.5 times….unless she thinks like you sound like her grandson Bradley, then good luck getting her to let you off the phone so you can call the next person. And don’t even get me started on explaining the phone bill to my parents for 264 long distance calls a night….or being on a first name basis with various fire departments.

I don’t know…I just think that they could have at least split up the work load a little bit. But no…..Only I could prevent forest fires. I always figured word had gotten out on my fire prevention merit badge.

I did notice though that the ads dropped way off for many years, so I figured my work must have been pretty good. But now I am seeing the ads again….would it really hurt if they just communicated a little bit? If I am not doing a satisfactory job any longer, couldn’t they just pick up the phone and let me know? It kind of hurts to find out I’ve been fired on TV.

But like I say, kids these days really have it easy. For the new kid taking over my spot, you have the internet. Now, with a couple of clicks, you can check a web cam, another click you are notifying the proper departments, and you can be back in bed 20 minutes later. No more calling Mr. Peterson who not only had very colorful language, but also the only home that looked over the entire Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. And certainly no more 2 hour conversations at 4 in the morning trying to convince someone you’re not Bradley.

Yeah and also. Kids have a TV in their own room, when I was a kid we had one maybe 2 TVs in the entire house. I didn't get a TV in my own room until I bought one myself when I was in my early 20s. So sending a kid to their room as a punishment doesn't work on modern kids.

Now kids have their own TVs, their own computers, cell phones, iPods, two or more video game systems. There are probably other things I haven't even heard about.

Yeah, but most kids still don't know how a fuse box operates...

And there was a certain joy to be found in the days of no caller ID...

And there was a certain joy to be found in the days of no caller ID...

Also during those days there were not as many jerkfaces cold calling or creditors demanding to be paid from their ridiculous added fees whether you did any business with them or not. Answering machines were something new and most people actually left messages on them when they encountered one.

Brian You finally realized you're getting old.

HA!! I've been old for 15 years!!

Also during those days there were not as many jerkfaces cold calling or creditors demanding to be paid from their ridiculous added fees whether you did any business with them or not. Answering machines were something new and most people actually left messages on them when they encountered one.

Ah yes, seems like even if you're as young as mid 30s. You have seen the rise and fall of answering machines.

That is hilarious