The Importance of Being Proper. A Random Writing Prompt.

"Why is being proper important? Explore through writing your ability to act civilized even when you don't always want to be."

Society has rules, spoken and unspoken. These rules are in place so that things work smoothly. Some rules have phased out over time, becoming outdated or out of fashion. Without societal rules, the world would spiral into chaos. Think Haight-Ashbury in 1969. The rules govern to some degree how we dress, behave and conduct ourselves within the context of our society. There are particularities that relate to specific cultures and subcultures, however the overall tome of rules is the same for everyone. Perhaps the ignorance of these rules has not been the cause of all of society's tragedies, but I am quite convinced that it does play a part.

When a person is no longer held accountable, by their parents, neighbors and peers, to the rules of society, they no longer feel abliged to uphold these rules but rather create their own. Please do not interpret this as me abhorring any particular group or behavior, but an observation in general. People need to be held accountable for their actions, not just through the justice system, but also by their family, friends, and fellow citizens. This is not a call for vigilante justice by any means, but a call for a person to stand up and say "This is not right, I'm going to do something about it." I know this idea harkens back to days of shotgun marriages, and barefoot June Cleaver clones in the kitchen, but that is not the point.

I'm not anti-feminism, by any means. I do believe in equality, but not in sameness. Women and men are simply not the same creatures. Traditional roles for each gender were not assigned randomly, but evolved over time. It is in our nature as humans to rebel, but in the past generations because of accountability from society around us, the majority of rebels rejoined society and reaccepted the norms of such. Of course a few wayward souls continued upon their journey of self discovery, and often self destruction - but unlike today, that was not the norm. The feminist era and the quest for absolute equality is unequivocally the reason for the necessity of the two income household in today's society. When the majority of women stayed home and were homemakers (which, there is no shame in - and is to some, enviable!) there was not only less money coming into the household, but everything cost less as well. Yes, inflation does change things a bit.

Fifty years ago, families had twice as many children, and half as much space - I haven't heard of one single person dying from having to share a room with a sibling or two. I can't say though, that the thought didn't cross the mind of a teen or two. Today, children complain not only about sharing a room with a sibling, but also that the space they have is not adequate. There is no gratefullness that they've got a home with a bed, and a belly full of food. Rather, there is a constant list of complaints and "I wants" from these children. Our great grandparents would be absolutely appalled at the assumption of entitlement that children, even young ones have about them. There is virtually no discipline among the young people today. Not one thought is given to anything but what is desired in that moment, hence the majority of my generation being in credit card debt. What has happened is simple - we've been taught that instant gratification is what is truly important. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The generation I'm in is quite self centered. In years past, the widowed and abandoned woman would be embraced and taken in by family and friends - supported so that she may raise her child or children in a manner that would give the child a happy and healthy environment. Since the dawn of the "age of aquarius", when birth control became readily available, accountability for one's actions virtually disappeared. Women could choose to take the pill, rather than bearing children. Men seemed to fall under the misguided impression that they were no longer responsible for anything except their own happiness. The out of control teenagers, whose rampant sexual escapades have caused at least a quarter of their generation to have a sexually transmitted disease, seem to not care about their own well being, but only for the instant gratification that a romp in bed appears to bring. Consequences, it appears, are of no consequence. I will say that I've not been the best example, however I have always exercised good judgement before getting involved with any person in a relationship. I have, like too many others, been misguided and mislead by a cad or two with nefarious intentions.

This essay feels unfinished, yet at the moment, I am unable to write more. Perhaps I will update in the future.