When the holidays hit we tend to get a little sentimental. I usually think about the generations who have preceded us, especially my late father and grandfather. In commenting on modern society someone said, "My grandfather had a farm, my dad had a garden, and I've got a can-opener!" That's a perfect description of my roots.
Sometimes I wonder how just much we have lost through the generations in the name of progress. Don't get me wrong, I'm really grateful for the high-speed, two-horsepower can-opener on our kitchen counter. That thing could cut through the safe door at Fort Knox! But the canned green beans and corn from Kroger are a far cry from the fresh veggies my grandparents used to grow.
Most concerning of all is what our culture seems to be losing in character. Every day in America we lose thousands of the relatively few remaing veterans of World War 2. Those men and women are well into their 80's and beyond now. When they have all passed, our nation will have buried one of her greatest generations, if not the greatest. That generation was defined by its self-sacrfice and strength of character. The kind of "self-denial" that Jesus calls His followers to seemed more prevalent in that day, than the rampant "self-promotion" of our day.
I hear young people today speak of their desire for "fame" like it's an entitlement. Perhaps it's the result of web networks like Facebook, Twitter, Blogs like this, and even YouTube that broadcast who we are to the world. Maybe it's the result of American Idol and all of those "reality" TV shows. However we got there, our culture's desire for "fame" is there in a big way.
This contrasts with the heroes of generations past. When my grandfather passed away in 2008, we found out that he had been awarded the Bronze Star for uncommon valor during the second World War. He had never before spoken of it, not even to his wife of over 60 years! That story is fairly common among war heroes, particularly from generations past.
I'm not trying to say that "fame-seeking" is necessarily a bad thing, or that hiding acts of heroism is necessarily a good thing. It's just a general observation that captures a contrast between our culture compared to that of those who've gone before us.
Rather than just being sentimental during the holidays this year and missing my fore-fathers, maybe I can try to incorporate a few of their quickly "fading" character traits into my life. Maybe I'll even start a garden.
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How true! Many in our country today do things to exalt themselves. People of past generations served a purpose higher than themselves. Now I know we still have those people today but it seems that the only people we "notice" are those whom are promoting themselves. A true hero never calls themselves one.
ReplyDeleteNot to keep going on and on but there's a great history podcast called Dan Carlin's Hardcore History. In one of his podcasts he ponders a war between this generation and that of WWII. It's a very interesting take on the differences. It's called "Old School Toughness".