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Intergenerational Bonding
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60 years: I wish I could talk it over
with Dad once more.
Although most parents wouldn't want to be
teenagers again, they are upset about their
own missed opportunities. They feel that with
the wisdom they've gained, they would do a
great job of being a teenager. They are
probably right, but we must all learn from our
own experiences, both the happy and the
painful ones.
Parents, too, are human and vulnerable.
Young people have more freedom than we
ever had at their age, to pursue their own
interests. Teens are starting to appreciate
some of the things that older people enjoy.
Teens are interested in the world, taking on a
whole new perspective about it.
. And we adults are often pleasantly surprised
how responsible, sensitive, and perceptive our
teens can be toward worldly and eternal
values. We hope that teens will always keep a
tender conscience, as they are bombarded by
the media with so much sex, crime, and drugs.
The permissive generation of the 1960's-–
wh ich was a very anti-authority, anti–
establishment time -- has resulted in the crime,
drugs, divorce, and AIDS problems of the
1990's. We adults do so appreciate our teens'
tender hearts in trying to view TV programs and
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