Teen of the Sixties continued

All men are created equal.  That is the one statement that has brought about more changes than any other.  As teens of the sixties we were smart. We had studied, we had learned, we knew.  But did we know the consequences?

We had grown up with parents that had lived through the great depression, World War II, the Korean conflict and we were in the middle of the Cold War.  The end was coming soon.  We were raised in an atmosphere of doom and gloom.  The depression slowly - oh so slowly - ended and suddenly America was the land of plenty.  So many worries and fears had been overcome.  There was even a vaccine for smallpox, measles and polio.  Man had conquered.  But did we know the consequences?

Fashion, once only viewed in magazines, was foremost in the minds of the ladies.  These ladies had made dresses from flour sacks or worn remakes for years and now wanted real clothes.  Then fashion changed and the focus of the world changed with it.  The dress shops could not keep enough dresses on the racks - from mini to midi.  Then came the department stores - they carried not only dresses, but shoes, handbags, hats, scarves and so much more and not just for women, but for the whole family.  If Sears could do it in a catalog, why couldn't it be done in a store?  But did we know the consequences?

Elvis hit the stage and girls went wild. The Beatles followed and music was changed forever.  How could we have known that this change would lead to Lady Gaga or Mr. Lambert?  Children were no longer taught to say please, thank you, yes ma'am, and no sir.  I heard one woman tell me her children were not subserviant to anyone and were not allowed to use those phrases.  Respect was thrown out the window and with the loss of respect for others, self respect disappeared.  But did we know the consequences?

And now we pine for what was - what could have been.  Is it too late to redirect the paths of humanity?  Can we restore respect for self, others, and our world?  Have we destroyed too much?  Are there enough of the "old ones" left to reach out? 

Just thinking.

Belle