Build Tomorrow - Another Day Of Life

Today I am thinking about the world. Thinking about how much it has changed. I wrote the other day about how there are so many things that children have today, that I didn’t have, and wonder what my life would be if I had had them. Today I decided I was luckier to not have them. I didn’t have Direct TV, 400 channels, digital cable, Playstation, Xbox, Wii, Nintendo DS, or the Internet. I didn’t have all sort of fancy computer gizmo’s and chat rooms. In fact here is a computer ad from my day.

It’s amazing to me that that was only 20 some odd years ago. I still remember us buying our first home computer in 1983, and yes it was a Commodore. It was a family experience, and you got to play exciting games like Paperboy, Bruce Lee, and others. All were basic 8-bit games, that would embarrass even the most modest gamer today.

I didn’t have the Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, or TIVO. We had a TV with a dial, and my sister and I alternated as the remote. No Best Buy, just places like Nobody beats the Wiz (New York), as well as Rickel Home Stores, others.

Think about the TV shows we had, I remember watching the Thundercats, Voltron, and even the Transformers when they were brand new, not like today. There was no computer assisted animation, or anything other than hand drawn cell animation.

I remember coming home, doing homework, and in the spring and fall heading to my friend Danny’s house, or having him come to mine. In the winter I watched my cartoons and got ready for dinner. There was no TV with dinner, just family conversation, and then if everything was done we watch family TV as a family, since we didn’t have TV’s in our rooms. I remember shows like Cheers, Family Ties, and so many others that had a message, a message of family.

So today we have Blackberry’s and cell phones. Our kids come home to their in room TV’s, and video games, and spend more time on IM with their friends than they do with them. We have email, Match.com, and direct deposit. Did you know for example that 25% of children under the age of 18 have never been to a bank? Why with the ATM machines we find everywhere.

I am not jealous anymore of all of the things my children have, I am sad for what they don’t have. So now that I have figured out that I do have things to say, I am going to start a special series, on this blog, called family through time. Just because I hope it will give everyone the idea of what we have gained, but what many of us have lost. I hope you’ll tune in for it, and I hope that if you like it you’ll have others read it too. So for today let me leave you with one more thought from the 80’s. It’s one of the best commercials I have ever seen.
~Another Day

So I am officially “old”. Not in the sense that I am old, but that I look at things my kids have, and wonder why they didn’t have cool stuff like that when I was little. Or why I didn’t have more stuff, or at least remember having more stuff. I don’t think I ever had as much stuff as my kids do.

Today it seems much more instant gratification, as opposed to the toys I had growing up. Now you have elaborate video games, (OK I am a game Junky), and toys that pretty much do everything. I look at the bedroom of my 8 year old, and it’s almost as though there is a toy population, that may or may not come to life when no one is there.

How come I never had that cool stuff?

So I sat down to write a blog post about it, and realized something that is bothering me. My life may be fairly boring fodder. I mean I read all these other blogs with debauchery, and excitement, and my major source of excitement today will be watching little league tryouts. Of course the other drama in my life can be thrilling and humorous reading, but is it enough to keep readers coming back? So I hope you keep reading, becasue there will be more excitment, I promise!

So forgive my lean week or so as I have had some writers block, but school starts next week.

No large thoughts for today. I have stared another blog about parenting, and a series about Step Parenting. You can check it out here. But for today I wanted to post an entertainment peice that had me rolling. A small but of language, so please don’t be offended.
~Another Day

So my wife is back in the workforce. Working nights. So this means after work I get to play Mr. Mom. Generally it seems to go fine, just a few minor bumps in the road. Will for example refuses to go to sleep until his mother is home, and that can be a challenge. But we try a new technique each night, and I am sure we’ll have one narrowed down soon. Of course I get to do the cooking, the cleanup and of course the laundry. Nikki was in fact commenting yesterday how it seems that I am doing all of the housework and her none of it, and that she felt bad. I told her not to worry about it.
Basically it’s my pregnancy side effect. She has been tired all of the time over the last few weeks, and working has been sapping what energy she has. If you let her rest her head for one second, out she goes. So I suppose I can be Mr. Mom for a little while longer. At least I am never bored.
For our kids it’s still 2 more weeks until the start of school. While I know they aren’t excited, their mother and I are. Finally Nikki will have some time during the day to sleep, and rest for her night shifts without having to entertain. We shall see how things go with Jon, but I am hoping for the best.
I am still working to supplement my debt pay down with money form on-line ventures. No major funding yet, but I am learning quite a bit. It’s incredible how many variables there are.
For all of you loyal readers, I may be upgrading this blog soon, to it’s own platform, and domain, but no worries, this link will redirect. I just don’t have a distinctive timeline yet, but I’ll let you know how it’s going.
~Another Day