Episode 10: Talkin' 'bout my Generation

For today's episode of the Comrade Contrary files I want to not so much discuss an issue but rather talk about observations I have made about the world around me. More and more I am struck by the way society evolves. I myself grew up in the '90s and I was lucked with really young parents, they were both 21 when they had me, though some people might argue that this is not a good thing I find and have found it really helpful. When I had teenage issues my parents still had advice that was reasonable up to date, they weren't so far out of their teens that their advice was inapplicable in the society that I was living in. However there are more practical things that I have found there is a large disconnect or gap between what I have been taught and what my parents were taught.

The other day I went to my dad and I asked him if we had the things for me to shine my shoes, he told me yes and pointed me in the direction of the utensils to shine said shoes. When I opened the wooden box with the things in I was confused and taken a-back, inside was several bushes and a tin of black shoe polish. Now some of you older reader of my blog will be able to pick up these things and be able to shine your black shoes. I was not, I was used to a tube with a foam end and you squeeze it on your shoes and they were magically shine. So I took the things to my dad and he just laughed and sat me down and took me though the process of shining my shoes. It was simple enough but I was amazed at how old-fashioned (I say this with lack of a better term) my dad was.

Quite often I am generally shocked at how practical my dad and my grandfather (this may be because he is a farmer but he is the only grandfather I have) are. My poppa has taught me to do so many things that I am amazed that I managed to get through my life to that point without knowing how to do these things. Despite the fact that my poppa can't use a computer and struggles with the microwave on occasion he is amazingly talented at things to do with his hands and practical tasks. He taught me some of the basics of these practical tasks such as basic mechanics, to simple plumbing and electrical problem solving. After learning and knowing things like that I am ashamed to say that I look at people who can't do them and I find them useless, yes there is a thing to be said for the argument that in a modern day society that we have means of fixing the issues without know these what may seem old-fashioned means. I would argue that there is value in having a deeper understanding of the things around you.