Here is the latest great-grandson, Landon Norfolk. He was born December 31, 2008. The little guy weighed in at 8 pound, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long. He was anticipated, desired, and caused bells and whistles to go off. As of this date, mother and Landon are doing well, just as we hoped and prayed.
Life is a gift from God. As I think of this life, I think of some of the things it takes to raise child. Of course the main things are obvious: food, clothes, shelter, careful watching, nurturing, etc. But, I am reminded that one thing missing from many young kids is community support.
It has been said that is takes a community to raise a child. That means everyone. When I was young and playing stick ball on the streets of Philadelphia, I learned to give and take it. But one of the amazing things was the way my Mom knew so much of what I was into. How? The families on the street watched out for all the kids and were not shy to inform on digressions of any kid.
Consider. I had great-grandparents, grand-parents and parents. Each set contributed to my growing and nurturing. I had a gallery of rooters.
Consider today. Multiple parent sets for a child, grand parents who often are not a part of any grand kids life.
We are supposedly free from the inhibitions of the past and liberated to a greater degree of hedonism. Sex with anyone, anytime. What's in it for me. Marriage is for the birds. Me commit?
Now we watch the TV, read the papers, and hear the stories of family tragedies, painful stories of kids on drugs, alcohol and AIDS. But, what kind of role models exist?
TV depicts the glamor of premartial sex and of course, it is a natural thing to do. But, perhaps you should use protection if you have time. If not we can abort. But we cannot abort HIV.
I served on a National Panel for Fatherhood. We identified many problems, many causes, and pursued many solutions. It boiled down to active, involved parenthood. Each kid needs a mother and a father.
I look around and wonder what the world will be like. My mother and father worked. My wife's mother and father worked. Yet, I had active involvement of both because they were committed.
All the loss of restrictions and liberalization has not made us a better people, a better community, nor a better Nation. We are not held in high esteem around the world.
Where do we start? OK. Bailout banks, auto industries, housing and whatever else. Give more money to schools, social programs and the like. I submit. That has not worked in the past and it won't in the future. I learned in schools considered to be unfit for kids by today's standards. I learned from teachers, many who lacked college degrees. Shall I continue? At the end of high school, I could read extremely well, write lucidly, and had a a well-rounded appreciation for the arts as well as science. By the way, I also lettered in sports. I'm not bragging. I am making a point that I and so many of our generation did similarly going to schools now deemed inferior, taught by non-enlightened teachers, and lacking the benefits of the latest innovations from NEA.
Our little Landon has a rough road ahead. He will learn that greed makes the world go around. Profit is all that matters. Have fun now. Don't worry about tomorrow: the government will take care of you: and many other such things. But, as the recent crash indicates, all is not well. Our Nation has a wake-up call. We can change. It we don't, his world can be even worse. His father said to me: Pop, you and I need to do something to start a positive change for all of us.
Yep. We can do it. Will you be one to make a difference in the life of our families, communities, and our Nation?
