Senior Citizens and younglings

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

This has been a most enlightening discussion.  
 
While I've never had the joy (or the agony) of working on a steam locomotive, I have spent my fair share of time underneath a passenger coach scraping off toilet paper and who knows what else with it to repaint the undercarriage, I've painted the undercarriages too, I've laid in the belly of a 1947 SW-1 switcher scraping grease and oil out of it and came out looking like a coal miner only to be told by some suit and tie that I didn't deserve to ride the train and had to be a crossing flagman while he rides away and waves at me.  It's all part of the process of being a true railfan.   People don't do these kinds of things if they don't love it.  I personally strove hard to win the respect of my elders, and in many cases I did.  A few, no, I never did convince them that I was worthy of their recognition.  I didn't do these things to get someone's pat on the back, I did it because I wanted to.
 
In today modern, politically correct culture, (which I despise), being the parent of three young boys, I see my children targeted by a blue million choices of things to see and do, and the TV makes them think they have to spend MY money to do them all!  But, to no avail, when I take my kids to Walmart, I do NOT buy them a toy every time we go in there, and I dare them to throw a screaming fit about it either.  I am selecting my childrens exposure to things that I think will help them learn respect, tolerance, and patience.  Society can criticize me all they want to for being so "restrictive" with my kids.  My parents sure didn't buy me anything I wanted, and I won't do my kids that way either.
 
Back to my point, there have been some very legitimate points made on this issue.  I agree with Andre, but I also agree with Mr. Sellers on many points.  I do feel to have respect for my elders, whom I still refer to as "Sir", just as I was taught.  A many "gray head" has beat me over the head as a young rail fan, and I came out the better for it.  I want my kids to do the same.  Railfanning is a great discipline tool, and yes, it requires a tremendous amount of patience, which today's children don't have.  I want mine to have it, and I suppose that's part of why I want them to continue in my footsteps of being a rail fan.
 
The fact is, society is trying to take our kids away from the things we love and focus them on the things we hate.  That's why its important to us to include our kids in these kind of things.  I do NOT want my kids to be politically correct.  I want them to be good honest MEN who know the real truth, not the "TV" version of it, who ain't afraid of gettin' dirty, who can handle criticism, and who have respect for their elders.  Railfanning taught me many of these things.  I want it to teach them these things too!
 
My 2 cents worth...
Ben Blevins

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