Man, that's good stuff! I like the part near the end of it, (I don't have any money but if I did I would by another motorcycle.)FTW!
Pretty cool, and some valid points. Most of the kids I encounter today have no mechanical aptitude. They are just as smart as any other generation of children, but things like computers, iPhones, Nintendo DS and Xbox have supplanted things like playing outside, building shit and being active. I love me some Call of Duty, but my hobbies revolve around active living and DOING things. Motorcycles and the intricacies of wrenching on and riding them? Those things are far more engaging to me. I feel that it is my duty to pass that passion on to my kids.
Next to riding motorcycles; I'm big into mechanical things and building stuff. I am happiest when I am busy solving yet another problem, or making an improvement, by fixing this or fabricating that, and would be overjoyed if I had a shop like his to live and work in. I grew up in and around my grandfather's machine and fabrication shop, and loved checking out the new part/tool/machine that was being made. That shop is long gone. I'm nearing 50 years old myself, and I also wonder what will happen to us, as a whole, in the near future. As vital as information technology has become, and as wonderful as these computer generated worlds and games are; we still can't eat virtual food, or drive virtual cars, or wash our clothes over the internet. We must continue to have the ability to make things; to grow our food. I have no children, and none of my nieces or nephews has ever shown any interest in what I do. Though I will never claim to be an expert on any subject, I often feel regret that most of my knowledge and hands-on experience will be lost as I age and eventually die. This video clip resonated with me; I suppose. .
Unfortunately...all too true what he said...and they also seem to have a sense of entitlement which is that they they deserve to be provided with anything they want. SIGH.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is always looking for volunteers. They will match on interests if you want to mentor a boy who's into building things. http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962335/k.BE16/Home.htm
Amen brother!:mfclap: I taught my kid........You ride it, you clean it. You brake it, you fix it. He was a good wrench even at 7 years old. ( he tried and that was enough for me) I hope he's still fixing things. Long story but his Mother ran away with him way some 5 years ago.:angry7:
Dave I am almost due for a valve adjustment you can come over and mentor my son on how to work on my bike. :shock::devil::shock:
I gave this thread a second look after having chatted with a friend over beers. One thing I would like to add to the conversation: don't give up on America. We still do great things, phenomenal things. Don't discredit what Americans have accomplished in the last generation. We can look to the past and say "yeah, that was a great time in our history." But please don't look back on America and say something like "That was when we were great, and now we are worthless." I don't think that was the message in the video, but it got awfully close to it. Don't look nostalgically into the past over a few beers and a cigarette, throw in the towel and say we, as a culture, are over. What does that accomplish?