Our Legacy to Our Children

I'm afraid for my daughter. I'm afraid of the world she will inherit. I know we've said this stuff for years, but this is beyond "Elvis shaking his hips and shocking our grandparents bad," it's bad on a global scale. 

I've lived in Europe. I've lived among the Navajo. I've lived in several cities around the U.S. I've seen rude people everywhere, but none take the cake as much as the average American. The sense of entitlement even creeps into my thinking once in a while, and I find myself completely disgusted. Where did this come from? Reality TV? That's one answer. Lack of education? That would be another. Dysfunctional family dynamics. We can throw that in too?

The world I envisioned for my daughter did not include the rampant bullying problem (in schools, at the grocery store, in the mall -- we're ALL subject to it), the awful economic situation in which we're bailing out the very rich for their stupidity (and the wanna-be rich for the same reason), melting glaciers, gadgets invading family time, sleep time and down time, and the "entitled" and Facebook trying to invade everything.

I did not envision my daughter having to work on her black belt.... just in case someone might think they are entitled to her body without her say-so, nor learning to shoot, for the same reason. I didn't think I'd be telling her, "You don't have to live in this country when you're older. If you want to live in Europe, choose Germany," just to have a better shot at financial success.

For much of the economic turmoil, I've been able to fly under the radar. I've always grown some of my own food, known how to sew, and cooked from scratch, about 85% of the time. I bumped up that percentage to 95% for better health and savings this year. I take care of any illness with nutrition or supplements to avoid doctor visits and prescription dependency. I'm am "trying" to teach my daughter these skills, but they're not always welcomed with enthusiasm. If I can impart the simple  lesson of 'there's a cost and payoff in every choice you make,' maybe that will be enough. If not, she'll need to marry well... and possibly not live here.

I find myself asking 'what kind of legacy are we leaving our children?' on an almost constant basis, and I don't know the answer anymore.....