Can We Imagine Down the Road?

I'm not sure it's good or bad, I'm simply acknowledging the fact that family-life (dynamics) has drastically changed over the years. Perhaps it's just life's pendulum making adjustments for man's choices.

Many from my parents' generation quit school after the eighth or ninth grade to enter the work force and give financial help to the larger family or at least remove themself from the parent's money burdens. Of course, today's tech savvy demands requires more extensive education and consequently leaves a greater financial burden with young college grads. This financial burden is relieved by some young adults choosing to 'live' at their parents home for a time period to gain economic stability and personal traction. Perhaps this shakes out good; it reduces the long-standing mothers' moan, "You never call or stop by to visit."

I also recall vivid observations of the '40's and  '50's when many households embraced aging parents taking care of the 'old folks' until death. Today the nursing home is not the only choice for families dealing with aging parents fighting senior maladies and issues. Our society's landscape is dotted with independent living homes and assisted living homes along with the more demanding memory / Alzheimer's homes.

I have noticed another attitude change and again, no judgment intended. As a young married couple, my wife and I followed the trend of our peers gladly accepting used furniture and housewares from parents and other family members as we tried to get started in life. I watched my wife hold on to many such items that I wanted to toss. She would say, "When the kids get married they may want that." Didn't happen...the kids bought new stuff. Then she said, "We can save those items and perhaps the grandkids will want them when setting up housekeeping. Didn't happen...the grandkids don't want our stuff. It's NOT the kids fault. On their journey towards adulthood, many parents said, "We want our kids to have a better life than did we." I'm not sure those kids have a better life but they Do buy nicer things. Okay, now that the hand-me-down furniture issue is a thing of the past, I need to begin concentrating on this matter of looking for that 'senior citizens' final residence stop. BELIEVE me, my wife and I come with a warning: "Two Old Pain-in-The-Ass Farts!"