The Paradox Of Our Time

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals; we have more food, but less appeasement; we build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology has brought this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a difference, or to just hit "Skip Ahead"...

By Dr. Bob Moorehead

I am not sure if it's my approaching 40, but I having been questioning the direction we are taking as a society. This article sort of sums up what I am feeling.

Just last Saturday I was watching Much Music with my kids, it was around 4:00pm, and the screen showed a warning "The following program contains scenes of nudity, sexuality, and may not be appropriate for young children"....

When I was a kid, I was lucky to catch a glimpse of nudity after 11:00pm on the Italian channel. Now you can catch it on a Saturday afternoon with your kids! Charming~

When, and why has everything become so overtly sexualized? Is there nothing to be said for 'sensuality' anymore? Nothing is ever left to the imagination.

When driving my kids to school at 8:00am, we get to hear radio commercials for 'Condoms', the 'Morning After Pill', and for when you are not satisfied in your 'marriage' or 'relationship'...you can always call on the 'Ashley Madison' alternative dating service....where 'discretion' is guaranteed??? Are you kidding me???

Back in my day, a person who slept around was called a 'slut'...now sex has become a recreational activity a kin to going to Starbucks for a coffee.....Don't get me wrong, I like sex as much as the next guy, but it has an emotional attachment for me that I can't seem to move away from.

I had a great conversation at dinner Friday night with a couple of close friends. We were talking about the '20 somethings' in the work place today with fair weather work ethics, flexible morals and self serving values. It's certainly an 'I' mentality.

We wonder if the 'celebrity' based worshipping of Paris Hilton and the likes have had an impact? The glorification of 'no talent' socialites that basically are famous for just having money. Does it create a culture of up and coming youth that look for similar 'celebrity' status for no real reason? It's not like you have to actually DO anything today to become a celebrity.

It leaves us with a group of "FABULOUS" 20+ year olds with a righteous sense of self entitlement.

I look for the 'real' everywhere I go, and try and avoid the 'plastics'. I wonder if the pendulum will swing back, and we will re-connect with some of the values of the past? I know we have had to move away from a lot of the rigidity of the past. I personally would not have wanted to be gay man in any decade prior to the one we are in.

I still wonder though, if somethings were just a little more innocent, and just a little more simple??? I'd love to see some things come back into fashion. Scruples, manners, and respect of self and others being just a few of them!

(Oh God, I remember my Nan saying this stuff, I think I'm just getting old aren't I?)