I'm Jealous of my Mother's Childhood

I constantly envy my mother and the parental generation for their childhoods. The lack of today's technology made kids appreciate the outdoors and actually learn skills. Kids today don't know how to pitch a tent, bait a hook, or that "funner" is not a word and should not be on the Chuck E. Cheese commercials.

I saw a movie the other day that was probably the best movie I've seen in years. Moonrise Kingdom is set in 1965, and I realized part of why I love it so much is that the kids aren't tethered by cellphones, social networking sites, and video games. The boys spend their summer at scout camp and the main female lead loses herself in the world of books.

Now I'm not saying I've never wasted hours on a video game or watching a tv show, because I have. But I have also spent hours shooting soda cans with my BB gun, riding my horse, and gathering fallen tree branches for weekend bonfires. As well as covering my seven-shelf bookshelf with novels I've read.

It saddens me that some of the kids I've babysat won't even take a short walk down the driveway to get the trash can and appreciate the fresh air. And sitting on the front porch at night to chat is appalling because it's outside in the dark.

The technological advancements we've made is astounding and certainly makes many aspects of people's daily lives easier, I only wish children today didn't depend so heavily on electronic entertainment. I haven't found one person younger than me who knows what 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is.

One last note: You all should go see Moonrise Kingdom!