Excess…I wonder about the timing of this topic…so soon after Thanksgiving dinner! Oh well, I have certainly been thinking about the topic as I have been flooded with excess these past few weeks: football games almost every night and weekends on TV; Black Friday advertisements weeks before it is actually Black Friday; and of course, all that food on Thanksgiving Day!
As an art instructor, I am always telling my students, “Less is best…excess kills!” This is my way of keeping them from overworking the piece of art they are creating. I can’t even count the number of students who have ignored this caution and cried with frustration as they faced the ugly truth that they could not recover what was once a fine piece of art. However, once this experience takes place, the students usually seek peer advice and proceed with caution.
I was born in 1944, so I am not a Baby Boomer. However, I have kept up with the analysis that’s been done on them throughout the years. I agree that they received a lot of gratification compared to earlier generations, but I also am aware of their great sacrifices during the Vietnam Conflict. Now, I look at the indulgences given to generations who have never experienced a draft for a war. Thank goodness for our volunteers who served our country in the defense of Kuwait and in the aftermath of 911.
The amount of indulgences given to children can breed greed. I once had a student in kindergarten whose mother gave her $100 for getting her a cup of coffee when her siblings wouldn’t. How does a teacher reward such a child…stickers, treats, etc. seem so mundane in comparison. I hate the message we’ve sent to children at Halloween…go ask for candy…it’s all free! Then, stores skip over Thanksgiving to get to the stuff Santa is going to bring them!
Probably the area I am most concerned about is the excessive attention given to the freedom of speech issues and the almost total ignoring of the rest of the Constitution. This one document has been the sustaining power for our country since it was written. My prayer is that our desires as a nation for “excess” will not become a stumbling block to future generations.
Kay