Mike's Place

By Michael L. Craner

Truth is it's not really oldies…
It was a brand new hit album just a few years ago…
back in…
1980-something…
Has it been 20 years already?

Yeah I know, to most of our readers that is still "new"… Fact is, over the past few years I have noticed with increasing alarm that more and more hit music from my high school days have found their way onto oldies stations. Sheesh, I remember when MTV actually played music! Worse yet, I remember life before MTV. When Atari and Colecovison ruled, and networked computers and flip phones were visions of the future, even before then, but I don't care to bring up the joys of jacks and marbles tonight.

Back then I took little notice of hurricanes, or the impact of middle-eastern unrest on the cost of gasoline. Sure, I remember the lines at the pumps in the 70's and how gas prices seemed to be skyrocketing and in short supply, but I didn't sweat it much... wasn't that big a deal to a kid struggling with bullies at the bus stop and grade school teachers pinning notes to your coat which you had to figure out how to make "accidentally" fall off before you got home.

You and my folks may argue with me, but I think life was a lot simpler then. Just listening to the music takes me back, the memories flooding back in almost like it was yesterday. Back when Madonna was crazy for me, Duran-Duran was hungry like the wolf, and walkmans were around, but it was more kool to have a "ghetto-blaster" on your shoulder while moon-walking down the street. Beta lost the video tape wars, VHS was king, and Donkey Kong kicked Mario's butt. Geeks would gather together and copy computer games and oooo and ahhhh at the latest graphics and audio advancements of the Commodore 64 and Atari 400/800 systems.

Don't get me wrong, we weren't dumb naïve kids back then, we knew the issues and took part in the revolution, fighting bell bottoms, butterfly collars and sideburns in exchange for tight jeans, legwarmers and "big hair". Yeah, some guys pierced an ear (only the left one though, the right one, or both meant you were, *gasp* GAY!), we also tended to let our hair grow a bit, but not like our folks from the 60's and 70's. Compared to them, we were clean-cut. "War-Games" was a killer movie about a kid that hacked into a DOD computer and nearly started WWIII, which by the way I happen to remember was due nearly every weekend when I was growing up. Max Headroom was certain to be the next president, with Don Johnson as VP, and parents were too old to "get it" and thought our music was too risqué, and swore we were all on dope.

Star Wars was a cool movie AND some kind of cool laser anti-Russian defense system. All that didn't matter though. Back then, the only thing that mattered was if you were a teenage girl, you didn't get pregnant, if you were a teenaged boy, you didn't get anyone pregnant. You stayed away from drugs, graduated High School, and minded your manners and didn't disrespect yourself or family.

We dreamed of being Tom Cruise and flying a jet at mach 2 with our hair on fire, even though we haven't been in a war "for ages" and probably never would be again because humanity had grown beyond the mindless slaughter seen in Vietnam, Korea, or the World Wars. It was understood the next war would be quick, painless, and nuclear.

Twenty plus years later, it's a whole new world. The music has totally changed. I have no idea what kids today are thinking. All this sex and drugs on the radio and television, it's just horrible. Then there are MP3's and other formats of digital music where 20 full length CD's (30 Cassettes, or 40 8-tracks) fit on a tiny piece of plastic the size of a postage stamp and not much thicker. Not only that, but they can DOWNLOAD the songs illegally from the internet, and all they want!

They have body parts pierced that the law and morality forbid me to describe here in this forum, not to mention straight guys are piercing BOTH ears, eyebrows, tongues, etc…

Some video games today are so realistic in graphics quality that they might as well be video, (ok, that's pretty cool, I have to admit that), but some also glorify crime, such as car theft, assignation, murder, etc… "War Games" today typically depict soldiers in desert uniform, (just like the one in my foot locker), hunting down and taking out terrorists, Republican Guards, Taliban, etc, and are based on actual operations, some of which I participated in, though the games depict impossible odds and fall short on reason or reality.

Today, my boys both want to be Tom Cruise and fly at mach-whatever with their hair on fire. My oldest daughter thinks "Madonna" rocks, even if she's a material granny. Me, I'm just trying to pay the bills, keep gas in the minivan, and figure out just what the heck the lyrics and statement is behind the latest song in the #1 position.

I am involved in Boy Scouts because my boys are, and because it's a great organization, and because I am desperately trying to hold on to what is left of my youth. I'm growing my hair long now (Sorry Mom, deal with it ;) ), for two reasons. One, because I still have it (thanks mom!), and who know for how much longer, (um, thanks Dad.) and because I've never had the chance to grow it this long, (Thanks Uncle Sam, Mom, Dad.) I don't know if I would like the look or not, but so far, it's "kickin". :)

The other reason is I want to be "cool" and connect with the kids, particularly the "most excellent" young men in our scouting troop. And so far, it's working. Maybe it's not the look, but whatever the chemistry is, it's working, and it's great.

If I can reach even a few of them, impart just a fraction of the wisdom my folks did with me, teach them to respect themselves, others, and think for themselves, then maybe, just maybe, I can at least indirectly make a real difference in the world. Something more than just serving in the Army as a communications repairman, or coding a few web pages or writing a few opinions in an eZine.

The fact is, if you haven't figured it out already, each generation is the same, but different. Each generation is the future leaders of this country, this planet, and what we impart on them affects them for a lifetime as well as those of us riding along with them. Y'all did a swell job with me, I hope I can do the same with our future, and I think I can with the solid foundation you gave me, even if you don't fully understand me. ;)

We don't always understand our youth, but we do the best we can to impart our wisdom on them, and teach them to think for themselves and stand up for what they believe in. I think we've done pretty good so far, but it's a full time job, and it doesn't come easily.

Don't give up on me/us/them. Give us that solid foundation and support and we'll do the right thing.

Mike