then.and.now

i was thinking about our conversation and i know it's easy to give advice...taking it is the bitch. it's tough and i don't mean to be blunt. i can't possibly imagine what you are going through let alone tell you what to do so i made a comparison. just take a look back and see where you can make the corrections. dinaanan o dadaanan mo lahat yan. times have changed, the circumstances have changed and the stakes are higher. but you still know what it takes to make it right. basta pare, andito lang ako if you need anything... that's what being part of the extended family is for. hahaha. saka tandaan mo, the measure of a man is not by his posessions, but his achievements. raise them well and you'd have given them all the riches they could possibly ask for.

it's sad how the world works nowadays.

when i was a kid, my grandparents and other family elders always told stories about their time... and how our generation is spiraling downward.

as our world advances for comfort and convenience, so do our wants and needs... end result: we became lazy.

back then, life was simple.

let's start with them as kids:

before, kids played outside with other kids. strenuous games that required running, jumping and all sorts of physical activities. they rolled around in dirt, climbed trees, ingested leaves and 'aratiles', sipped nectar from santan. kids then got bruised a lot but this made them hardy. t'was hella fun.
now, kids play indoors. game consoles, internet games, toys. these make them fragile, weak and easily susceptible to sickness.

before, kids studied because they had to. and failure to do so would mean the rod, belt, or anything painful enough that your parents could hit you with. lessons were learned not only academically but values as well.
now, kids study because they are pleaded to by their parents. if they don't want to go, sometimes the parent will let it slip. or will bribe their kids with more toys or other rewards just so they would go. hitting them is called child abuse.

before, kids had chores to do at home. this taught them responsibility at an early age.
now, kids don't do squat. this is looked down upon as child labor.

before, parents took turn in molding and teaching their children. the mothers were the most prominent, but fathers also took an active role when it came to discipline.
now, nannies, relatives or neighbors are tasked with this, as parents are either working or separated.

as teens:

before, teens got an early dose of what real life was about. this was where they started to experiment. but they very well knew their limits. as the mothers were always on their case and if things got a little out of hand, the fathers were quick to step in and straighten them out.
now, teens are free to do whatever they please. parents are too busy. so their friends are their sole source of guidance. its like the blind leading the blind.

before, teens were forced to mature as more responsibility were thrown their way.
now, teens can dodge responsibility and stay as carefree and immature as long as they want. the parent is somehow expected to shield them from this for as long as they are alive.

before, teens especially the girls had high morals and only gave themselves to the person they decided was the one they would spend the rest of their life with.
now, teens toss this around loosely and calls it as having fun and part of being in a relationship with someone.

before, teens courted in a way that it required rituals, effort, sincerity and involved their families. you had to be sure of what you wanted before acting on it.
now, teens court like they were trying on a piece of clothing, try as many as you like and pick the one you feel like wearing at the moment... then try on some more.

as adults:

before, adults secured a job so they could help out with their families and in preparation for starting a family of their own.
now, adults secure a job because they want to have money for themselves while still mooching off from their parents.

before, adults searched high and low for their ideal partner to be married to.
now, adults get married for the wrong reasons; pregnancy, security, spur of the moment and solutions to some other problems.

before, adults saw child rearing as their legacy in this world when they are gone. bringing up an individual that will forever be a testament of what you were.
now, adults see child rearing as something you could pay someone else to do for you.

before, married adults treated marriage as sacred and a lifetime vow and will do everything to stick it out.
now, married adults treat marriage as a legal document that you can get rid of anytime you want in order to try someone else.

our liberal generation started the boom of broken/complicated families. now i see why they said we were spiraling downward. as these new kids grow up, they will continue on with what values they were raised with and the community they are part of. and as our culture for convenience and comfort intensifies, the way that once were, will soon be forgotten.

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horizon

taken with a cheap ass digicam... just love this shot.

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