I've started to give away instruments to my kids/grand kids.

My son, age 41, can play circles around me on mandolin, fiddle and guitar. My son has received some higher end stringed instruments from me. My son's daughters, age 11 and 12, are experimenting with vocal, strings and piano.

My daughter and son-in-law are both pretty accomplished on piano(I couldn't come close). My son-in-law just is studying guitar as well and I just gifted him a high end Taylor 12 fret guitar. My guess is he will outplay me in the not to distant future.

Thing is, music has been a big deal to me for most of my life. MY dad, mother and brother(is) were musical. Now it's time for me to pay back.

There is one pause...

I'm not done with music.

I'm still buying equipment that I know will outlive me and in the the end, I will gift to my kids. There are times I think about just giving them the money I would spend on instruments.

But I'm not dead yet. And I'm still playing.

Thoughts?

Most of the younger generation are just glued to their phones, (Take it away from them and they become an empty shell having little knowledge of how to react with the real world) and doing something for real is completely alien to them, so think yourself lucky, as you’re one of the few that have offspring’s etc. that aren’t consumed by the virtual world.

Bill

I agree, Bill. I see it everywhere I go. From my perspective, the younger generation(s) seem to want everything instantly, free if possible, and not have to exert any more energy than swiping a touch screen. Texting here while driving is illegal and carries a fine of up to $200 per offense. A couple days ago, I witnessed a relatively young lady that had stopped for a traffic light in front of me and she stopped at least 8 car lengths behind the car ahead of her. She was leaning over the right, had head phones plugged into her ears, and was obviously doing something other than paying any attention to her surroundings. The light changed to green and she sat there for several seconds, glued to her smart phone. I, and several other cars, pulled around her and proceeded through the traffic light while she sat there. Just as the light began to change to red, she must have realized that something was wrong, floored the accelerator and slammed into the side of another car making a turn, nearly striking a pedestrian in the process. The only music she apparently was interested in was what was blaring through her headphones. Headphones while driving are also illegal here as well.

My 11-year-old grandson, who played the trombone in the school band, decided to give it up - says he's more interested in his Play Station4. Additionally, he would rather play video games than go fishing, camping, hiking, swimming, sailing, etc... He is constantly glued to anything with a touch screen. It's a sad world, Bill.

Merry Christmas,

Gary

But Gary, OUR generation invented/created (we call Steve Jobs a "genius") all this stuff we're now complaining about. We did it to make our lives easier (and to make money). The 'kids' grew up with this stuff, it's as natural to them as breathing.

Every generation complains about the next one, and the younger generation are pretty sure that OUR generation descended directly from Neanderthals. That's the way it is, that's the way it will always be. It's called progress . And yes Gary, they ARE going to cut across your lawn .

chas

Using a phone whilst driving carries a fine and disqualification
here in the UK,but when I suggested in a letter to a magazine that the phone should also be confiscated and destroyed so that everything was lost,a reader replied to my letter calling me draconian and wanted to remind me that it`s not the phone that
causes the accident it`s the car.

Your first paragraph sums it up, it was made to make our lives easier, however, we used it as a servant (Which is what it was designed for) whereas with the younger generation it has become the master, which is very very bad for the future as they can no longer think outside the box, which means the future could end up the same as the past. (And if the human race does not move forward, then Elon Musk has the right idea, get off the planet as fast as you can and start again somewhere else)

Bill

Chas, they're already mowing my lawn - I'm way too busted up to do it anymore, even with the tractor. Keep in mind I have nearly 3 acres of just lawn to mow and none of it is flat ground.

I guess I get a bit depressed, neanderthal that I am, watching so many young people go through life and not taking time to explore what nature has provided us over the eons. They never seem to notice a beautiful, clear blue sky and create dreams watching those white, puffy clouds passing in the breeze. They tend to accept filthy rivers and streams as if they were normal, yet never seem to marvel at the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys and life that thrives on the coral reefs below. My surroundings at home are filled with the beauty of nature, wildlife abounds everywhere you look, there's a clear, relatively clean stream flowing through the deep valley behind my home, the ripples of which can be heard from our deck. Yet, my grandson would rather sit in the kitchen with his eyes glued to a touch screen.

Chas, I know you, and I, are both well read. I read 20 or more pages of a book every night, and have done so since I was a youngster. I love reading about history, particularly books written by those who actually were a large part of our history and heritage. And, for a significant part of my life, I was also an outdoor columnist and journalist, both in print and on the radio. I learned a lot, both from those thousands of books and from people, from all walks of life, that I met and interviewed. From what I have seen, people that live behind a computer or touch screen will never experience these things. To me, it is so sad to see this, and yes, it is depressing as well, especially when I see it happening in my children's and grandson's lives.

You say WE created this, but in reality, I don't believe WE did. A generation much younger than ours did this, and yes, some of it could be called progress, but when people no longer interact with others on a first hand basis, I consider that regressive. An analogy of this is readily seen by many individuals on this forum. We ALL enjoyed playing music the most when we performed live with other band members. You did, I did, and for the most part, nearly every forum member enjoyed interacting with others. We had a Hell of a lot of fun, we did things together and we communicated using the best known method - actually talking to each other face to face.

Sorry for the rant, old friend,

Gary

Gary, I could not have said it better. We live in a world where social skills, meaningful conversation and common courtesy is fading fast. I only carry a cell phone when I'm on the road or in serious need for calling home to be certain I'm about to buy exactly what she sent me after... LOL!

Remember Pagers? Watching the poor guys and gals who had to carry them everywhere as part of their employment contract was such a sad thing to see. So now, I relate cell phones with pagers... and I don't want some little rectangular object to become my master.

E-mail is wonderful. Reply when convenient... and certainly not while driving. (See, you didn't rant! We're probably just preaching to the Choir!)

Merry Christmas.... ---that other Dave

Not a rant at all, Gary. I agree with your thesis but then how do you explain so many in our age group that accept the rolling back of the environmental regulations that protect that Utopian scene you describe. Apparently, social issues and IMAGINED threats outweigh the benefits of clean air and clean water. As long as people are willing to vote against their own interest to satisfy some tribal instinct, things are not likely to change, at least not in my lifetime.....and sadly, THAT will be our legacy to our children and grandchildren.

chas - LET'S MAKE AMERICA CIVIL AGAIN