Why I fear for the future

Or why I hate teenagers.

Now I know I felt a sense of entitlement as a teenager and that on occasion I would express that to my peers and maybe in an outburst with my parents but I would have never in my wildest moment ever manifest that in front of a teacher. As anyone who went to high school with me can attest I was a kiss ass, a teachers pet. If I didn't suck up directly to the teacher I pretty much was never bothersome to them. I never received a detention in all of high school or middle school. I was always a good kid in class. Yes I would talk from time to time but I had a healthy fear of my teachers. If not the teachers then the ramification of my parents finding out and my father I had a fear of him angry. I am fairly certain I can make this claim because when I did finally do something punishment worthy in high school I was let off the hook with this said to me. "If it were any other student you would have been suspended but because it's you I will let it go."

Yes I disagreed with teachers and coaches growing up but I never had the back bone to say it out loud. At least not til college where I would talk back whenever I wanted to.

In general I find that teenagers at my school at least feel a sense of entitlement and that entitlement says "I can do and say what I want and I don't care." I think the most frustrating part is that we as a faculty let them. I can't imagine a single teacher in my high school that would have stood for me making the comments I hear everyday.

Example, yesterday in my theory class we got on the topic of band camp and how ticked I was when the seniors crawled all over my car and wouldn't move and put dents in the hood and roof. One of the seniors sat there and said to my face that I deserved it because I wouldn't let them Saran wrap and dump water on me. I deserved to be harassed and have property damage because I didn't want to be harassed in the first place? In all seriousness I wanted to get up out of my chair and punch him in the face. He then went on to say that he didn't feel it was his fault because he didn't climb on my car. I pointed out that he did nothing to stop them and in fact was yelling and encouraging the others to do so. In my mind I find his actions as deplorable as everyone else's. He then sat there and said "Well that may be but I refuse to say I am sorry." When you are so in the wrong how can you make things worse? mmmmmm say just that to a person obviously very upset with you.

It really isn't teenagers and it's not just this generation it's this mentality. This notion that we can treat each other badly and it's ok. This lack of respect not just for an authority figure but for yourself, other people and the activities that you participate. We are far more focused on getting the respect for ourselves before we would even deign to give it to someone else. What ever happen to thinking of others first. Let me through out a cliche for you. Walk a mile in another mans shoes. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Yes corny, yes cliche but seriously grow up people and be less selfish in our thoughts and in our actions. Yes people can be pricks but do we need to be a prick back?

This rant has been brought to you by the fact I need to get away from this job.