First world junior high problems

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That's where I got part of the idea. Just trying to put things in perspective for the youngsters here. Thing is, if they get the message. They'll figure out how to take over the world too soon

Why do I not feel threatened lol ;)

You look at the kids that are here. LOL.

There is intelligence to be found with the kids here, as well as not lol. It's the dependency on their phones and such that worries me. I don't think kids have to memorize info anymore they just google it. If something like a solar flare knocked out our electronic devices. I don't know how some of them could survive without being able to google how to start a fire or something like which mushrooms are safe to eat. I home school my kids and I make things like that part of their curriculum. Just went to a really cool thing at a local nature center about owls, got to see some really pretty birds and watch as my kids soaked that knowledge in.

Like we were when we were that age, we were educated and thought we knew everything. In a discussion on minimum wage, a quote from FDR on liveable wages, and he spouts that we have the highest standard of living. Not on minimum wage. I told him to figure out what it would take for a person to live kin minimum wage. His idea of minimum wage was his parents income. Mom made $44k a year. Dad made a lot more. House payment was $500/month. Raised an eyebrow. Assume not the best neighborhood. $200 car payment. $100 gas, $100 electric. $100 for food. Notice any expenses missing? He points to the minimum wage in Ohio. He was off a nickel. But magically it is above federal minimum. He didn't understand the question. You can probably figure out what his dream world is missing. Insurance for cars and house. Gas and maintenance on two cars, although he only listed one car payment. Health insurance. He was pretty light on the food allowance at $100 for a family of three, unless they eat out a lot. Not sure what school lunches are these days. They were like 50¢ when my kids were in school, but that was decades ago. Clothes? I'm sure they don't latade around naked.

On the long run, instead of looking at minimum wage, he looked at his family. And only a sliver. 15 years from now, he'll still be living at home. And totally clueless, even with a college degree, if he goes that route.

No, kids today aren't trained in survival. Ive considered heading to the hills and putting up a shack

That sounds about right lol. My parents taught me the value of earning things which is another lesson that seems to have disappeared these days. When I was 14 I saw this amazing 65 Mustang I just had to have. My parents instead of laughing at me or just buying it for me, took me with them to get a loan for it, teaching me how that process works. Then told me as long as I made the payments it was mine. I worked at a fleamarket in Cali picking up trash and had that baby paid off by the time I was old enough to drive it. Worst job I've ever had but I learned a lot, after that job nothing another employer asked of me seemed below me. I could tell myself, well I'm not picking up trash and I'm making more per hour than I did doing that. I was a manager in a grocery store for many years and honestly I would have rather hired an older person who had just retired and was bored or needed a little extra income than a kid right out of high school. The kid might have been in much better shape physically for the job, but you couldn't beat the work ethics of somebody more than twice their age. I had my share of decent kids throughout the years, but the majority was not in favor of them having any type of work ethic at all.

Work ethic I got. I learned that before I started school, helping with delivering the newspaper with my older siblings. my problem has always been an undiagnosed case of arthritis. Put me in a job where I don't have to do a lot of walking, I'm good. Put me in a job with a lot of walking... Many supervisors took it as me being lazy because I move so slow. After the arthritis was diagnosed, I was able to get a free ride for college under Voc Rehab. It was during that period I became the darling of the welfare department. I was using it as intended, a stop gap to help my family get through a troubled period. At the time, where I live, it was hard for a male, even with a family, to get such assistance. I saw a poster about secondary education that I could get help with. I asked my case worker about it, and she was astonished. Not used to work ethic showing up in her office. Mid 80s, not like it is today with the working poor. I was still on crutches at the time. Problem: that program was for single mothers. I was referred to the Township trustee, who also was surprised. They referred me to voc rehab. Day of my appointment, after waiting six weeks to get in, I got called for jury duty. I called voc rehab, and they didn't have any problem. They pushed my appointment back a week and said if I got selected, to call them. During the selection process, since I was still on crutches, the judge and I spoke because he was concerned about my health. I told him about my appointment with voc rehab and how they were working with me if I was selected. I even got a chuckle out of the judge by saying it was not a problem as I could use the money jury duty paid. Still, he said he'd pass on my selection because putting my life in order was more important by court standards. Made my appointment, did their tests, started college the next year. By then I was also working full time, my employer seeing I had the ethic if not the physical capability to keep up, and he worked around my schedule. Meanwhile, my wife, who said she'd get a job since I couldn't work, stayed home, never moving off the couch. Then she told her parents I was too lazy to go out and get a job. FML!

Today, I can't snag the jobs I can do because nobody wants to hire heart patients pushing 60. That's okay. I spent decades putting money into my social security account. I make more on that steady income than a lot of people I know. Then I can also do little jobs here and there.