Doing what I know I shouldn't – surfing the web looking at random stuff that doesn't help me culturally or intellectually – it occurs to me how far we've fallen from where we started. I'm looking around for music on itunes or videos on MTV or CMT and it's amazing how little I can share with my 8 year old daughters.
My daughters – one in particular – love music. I love to share music with them. There's great music out there. Good dance music. But I watch the videos and it's a little shocking. Most of you probably say "yea, that's a no brainer", but these are so far gone beyond even the Madonna and Salt-n-Peppa videos that were so racy back when I was in High School. First it was the Doors saying "Light my Fire" and Elvis' hips, then it was Madonna in a bra. It's kept traveling downhill and I don't know how much farther it can go.
In the end, what this means to me is that I feel like a small pebble trying to stem the tide of a huge river. I'm spending my days reminding them to be honest, to be polite, to be nice to others, to be modest…and then they are getting bombarded with a completely opposite message. "It's cool to brag, fight, step on others to get to the top…money is the most important thing there is…it's okay to use people and be rude, to use inappropriate language…" – those aren't the lyrics to a song but they might as well be.
And who are they going to listen to? The guy in the glasses and sweater-vest who is soooo lame, or Beyonce? I'd probably listen to Beyonce if I were them.
But, that is all frustration. The reality is, and I know it is, that even a lonely pebble can turn the mighty river. I know I'm paraphrasing the actual saying, but it's something like that. I just have to hold firm to propriety. Let the waters of incivility wash over me. But I bet Socrates never had to deal with this kind of thing…
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