2022, am I correct? Every morning when I wake up, I wonder where am I? It’s starting to feel like we are in the 1950s. I would never have guessed that my parents and I would be discussing how history is repeating itself. I hear my parents talk about the prejudice, hatred, and ignorance they experienced growing up. What is frightening is that the stories are beginning to sound eerily similar to what is happening today. Who would have thought?
The differences between the generations are beginning to be understood, but not always for the better. It is UN-AMERICAN to take away someone’s rights! People come to the United States of America because we are the land of the free, aren’t we? I don’t think so. I do not have the authority to make decisions about my own body; the government does. Is this to say that men cannot have vasectomies? I mean, what’s good for the geese, you know!

I grew up in a time when I was blissfully ignorant. There was no such thing as social media so everything we know was either from television, the newspaper, or the radio. Everything had to be done in person, face to face, hand to hand and there was no walking and talking on the phone outside. People would seriously put the phone down (at home) and go to the corner store and come back with the person still waiting on the phone, no joke!
I’ve encountered racism before, but nothing like this. I grew up in a community where race didn’t matter because we were all poor or lower middle class. Nobody was judged or made to feel inferior. Bullying, on the other hand, has reached new heights. People can track you down, hack your life, and steal your identity in an instant!
Privacy?? That is what? You’re being watched by everyone! From Google to the government, and everyone in between. Social media provides numerous opportunities to hack into someone’s life. Something I never had to consider as a child. Here I am, an adult, checking Google to make sure there is nothing crazy about me. Yes, I have repeatedly Googled myself. You ought to, too. You can never be too cautious.

You can only control what is out there if you are aware of it! Overexposure is a constant. I liked not knowing things about people because it was none of my business. I’m now conflicted. Question: Do I want to know? It’s so simple to respond, “Sure, why not,” when you have access. Back then, the only means of learning information was through conversation with the subject or through rumors spread by others. You know, human stuff!
What is wrong right now is overexposure and the desire to be involved in everything! People are deciding for you regarding who you can love and what you can do to your body. That’s not cool! Each day, Europe appears better!
This and future generations will need to stand tall once more and fight the good fight. Even though my parents and their generation thought we had moved past this, all it took was one individual to push open the door once again. Natural disasters and the flu aren’t the only problems that kids face. Consider the possibility of being shot at school or someone posting something outrageously false about you. Children have to mature so quickly and deal with adult issues at such a young age because America is moving backwards!

Smart phones have diminished the humanity of the human race. However, it gave us the confidence to stand tall. The young woman who captured George Floyd on camera as well as the many others who took risks to reveal the truth. I salute each of you! This is the America I know. We won’t just watch events unfold without doing anything. We’re going to fight! We’re going to march! We will protest until we are heard. That is our right.