The Difference in A Generation

Today the census bureau issued a report with all sorts of information on it, but one thing struck me so deeply. I imagine many of us from way back when have seen this anyway and didn't need to be told by the census bureau, but to me its just plain horrific to see in print. Where has all the idealism peppered with compassion for others gone ?
When I was 19 years old, my time was spent reading Thoreau, Muir, Mother Earth News and books filled with deep and abiding truths about the nature of man. I read A Leaf in the Storm by Lin Yutang and saw the horror of war in each pain filled description. It was life changing.
I read a Bible that was labeled REACH OUT, and it had little chapter blurbs about really living a simple Christian life. My actions and my plans were guided by an idealism that I have never lost. I don't thing I soldl out for things, for stuff and I hope I never do. Some of my old friends from the SDS days, (Students for a Democratic Society) have sold out big time on what they once believed in and are now wheeler dealer real estate investors, worried about designer lables and big huge homes and outrageous spending and have little or no concern for having a truly meaningful life.
Now a generation whose goals are to get rich with no mention of making the world a better place. Of course the reality of their goal making has to fall some on the shoulders of my generation since we are the parents of such children.
I can say with confidence and a bit of unabashed pride, that my children are not driven by money. We seem to have spawned some good hippy children that care about social injustice and simple goals for their own lives.Here is part of the report put out by the census dept today. It left me feeling sad, disappointed and a bit mad that these kids are missing out on becoming someone like Dr Bob, but wait, Dr Bob was how old when he made his change in life....so there is still hope, still time for these kiddos to see that money is not the real goal in life.


The majority (79 percent) of freshmen in 1970 had an important personal objective of “developing a meaningful philosophy of life.” By 2005, the majority of freshmen (75 percent) said their primary objective was “being very well off financially.” (Table 274)
http://www.census.gov/ click on New on the Site then News releases 12/15/2006 to see all the report issued today

A button I wear on my purse, plus I have a tee shirt too with that on it