Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXLV

Have you ever heard the old cliche', "Like father, like son," or "Like mother, like daughter?" Have you ever looked around and observed just how accurate those phrases are? Think about it. If Dad is a cowboy, chances are, the son will be a cowboy; if Mom loves to shop, chances are, the daughter will love to shop. That can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing. Today I want to focus on one aspect of that old saying. If Mom and Dad grow up in poverty, chances are, the kids will do the same. I'm of the opinion that if we want to eradicate poverty, we have to start with young children, with the understanding that it will take a generation to begin seeing results. I believe much of it depends on the expectations that parents have for their children. Although colleges and universities have been around for centuries, it has just been in recent years that the percentages of students who attend them have risen to the levels they are today, especially in the more rural areas of our country. As a matter of fact, during the period of time that my parents grew up, not many in their area even received a high school diploma. Neither my dad nor my mom had a high school education. Looking back at my ancestral up line, as far as I know, my generation was the first ones to attain college degrees. I now have two adult children, both of whom have university degrees, but I never thought for one second that they wouldn't...it's what I expected of them. The children of educated parents are highly more likely to receive a degree than those from uneducated parents. What about those who live in poverty, depending on the government for survival? More than likely, the majority of them will grow up the same way, mainly because it's the only life they know. Until we figure out a way to intervene in the lives of these children so that we can teach them that EACH ONE of them can have a better life, that cycle will never be broken. That will be a major undertaking, due to the fact that a child's home life has the biggest impact on his/her future. Every parent who loves his children will want to see them become more successful than he has been, and in the cases where that wish comes true, those children were taught basic work ethics and the basic principle "Where there's a will, there's a way." It disturbs me when I hear school teachers talk about some of their students, and the type of atmosphere they have in their homes. All I can do is shake my head and say, "Those kids don't have a chance at life." And the trouble is, when they grow up, their kids will be in the same boat...just one big vicious cycle. I wish I could tell you that I have the answer, but I'd be lying. However, I'm thoroughly convinced that more government handouts are not the answer. In fact, in my opinion, that's part of the problem. Since today we seem to be stuck on using old cliche's, let's end with this one: "There ain't no free lunch." Preston