To youth...

My faith in the next generation is slowly coming back to me. Today my younger cousin Thomas arrived. He is six years younger than me, smart as a whip, louder than life, and I love him to pieces. I was sitting at the table grating cheese, as per my grandmother's request *coughordercough* and he sat next to me, iPod in hand, snapping his fingers to the beat and earbuds soft enough that I couldn't hear what music he was listening to. His answer when I asked him? Billy Joel. I could have cried with happiness. It sounds like a small thing, but bear with me.

As I made somewhat clear in my previous post, I have my doubts about the children of today. I watch them growing up, disturbed at some things in their life. I see 10 year olds with cell phones and 7 year olds with iPods, personal DVD players, and laptops. Minivans of today almost always come with a TV/DVD built in. I'm not going to turn this post into a rant about technology, but I must say, with full knowledge that I am influenced and sucked in by this as well, technology gives people many ways to not interact with one another. Saying that I'm above this would be hypocritical of course, especially saying it on my personal blog. It just saddens me to a certain extent.

Back to the point. Today, MTV is a joke, Disney starlets are taking over the music industry, and some of the most popular books, TV shows, and movies are about sex-driven vampires. So in this time and day, the fact that my cousin was listening to Billy Joel and calling him his favorite artist gives me hope. Living in an increasingly apathetic and robotic world, but still being able to shoot pool and listen to records with Patrick gives me hope. Playing games with my family at night instead of going to a party where kids my age are getting hammered gives me hope. The future makes me nervous, especially the future of some of the things I care about deeply, such as music, literature, and theatre.

As an official high school graduate, I'm actually entering the world of adulthood. Okay, so college probably not so much. But I'm heading there fast, and I'm not a kid anymore. I'm not even a high school student anymore. Growing up is hard, and watching the younger generation listen to Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus is harder. As always, however, my pessimism has been lightened by the example some of my younger relatives set.

I suppose, to be true to my own words, I should put down my laptop and ask to play a game.

Five Crowns anyone?

-T.A.D.