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Alex,

What you say?

Alex, welcome to the real world, Mayberry is long gone.

By the way can someone translate this letter for me?

The kid is saying that G'boro is a perfect example of the place that adults talk about in not being safe to live or raise kids. He says that there are guns, drugs etc all around and he should know because he is a teenager and teenagers are not oblivious of these things as adults are who think that kids don't know what they are talking about only they ain't talking cause adults don't want to talk and don't want to hear about this kind of stuff. Clear enough? That's the way a teenager explained it to me. :>)

Mr. P,

Oh yeah, that's crystal clear. I guess Alex was educated in Guilford County Schools. He could have used a little more time in English Composition though.

What's wrong with drugs and guns?

Naw, ORR the kid could be from anywhere. They don't teach that stuff in school anymore regardless of what state you live in. Too busy teaching the test and not the subject. What a shame.

Amen to MrP. Those darn tests drive, make that drove, me nuts.

It is sad that Alex doesn't see a way to be happy. We all have to learn to be happy with ourselves and not let the problems of the world drag us down too much.

I appreciate his concerns, but using drugs is a choice you make; there have always been guns and crime. Teenagers are safer at school than at the mall. The few incidents of violence are blown up by the media. Choose your friends and activities with care, and you can be reasonably safe and happy. Spend some time giving of yourself to others, a great way to be happy.

Signed: The Blue Bird of Happiness

I wonder how many parents talk to their kids openly about drugs and question their choices in friends?

Also, I wonder how many parents have given their kids firearms training? There's a huge maturity difference between kids who have fired a weapon before and understand the safety rules about being around them compared to kids who have no training and use firearms as play toys to impress their peers.

Parental involvement in every aspect of a teens life is paramount to kids safety nowadays.

"Parental involvement in every aspect of a teens life is paramount to kids safety nowadays."

You are so right Hugh but unfortunately too many parents assume if they buy their kids all the right stuff things will take care of themselves. The right clothes, the right shoes and then the latest in X box sutff (that keeps them busy for awhile and they don't have to have real conversations with them) then the right car and on and on it goes. You can't buy your kids way to happiness nor can you buy their love. I have been around kids from every socio-economic level and it seems the higher the income the less involvement on one end of the strata and on the other the lower the income the less involvement.It use to be the middle class that took time for the kids. Today it seems that even very few in the middle really take time for the kids, for they too are caught up in the materialism of today's society.
And then parents from all levels are shocked when they are told that their kids are involved in sometype of gang activity or involved in drugs and /or alcohol use on a regular basis. At some point parents have got to get back to acting like parents and doing what parents need to do instead of letting the kids raise themselves.
And Carol you know dang good and well teachers don't have time to be parents but they are expected to be by many in society.

Can totally agree, Mr. P. Well said.

Agreed, mrproduce, with one minor exception:

"Today it seems that even very few in the middle really take time for the kids, for they too are caught up in the materialism of today's society."

I don't think that's really "materialism", per se, that's "trying to get by". Granted, that's true for everybody, but to make a blanket statement such as that is a bit unjust.

Otherwise, great post.

Denz, in the text that I used the phrase it is a fair comparison. All families refered to attempt to put their kids a step up in some fashion or the other. Materialism is a way of life in this country no matter the class. Yes sometimes parents claim they are too busy because they are trying to "get buy" but let me tell you most of us could get buy on less than what we profess to need. It seems that we claim to need something when it is actually that we "want" something. Part of it is the times and in these times words have changed meanings.

We got by on a teacher's salary for 14 years while I stayed home with the kids. We built our home, took a trip to Jamaica, bought a new car (then drove it for 10 years), sent me through college. So if you want to make it you can. I can pinch a penny until it yells. If you want tips, just let me know and I will tell you all the things you can live well without. Eating out is #1.

We could not have done this on minimum wage, but you all know what teachers earn. I did make some money by keeping friend's kids while they worked, and worked at Furniture Market while my mom came up an kept the kids. While I was in college after the kids started school, I did substitute teach. And I think our kids turned out great.