My grievances don’t change; frustrations multiply with very little relief; people are feeling pressures from many sources, many are monetary.

Schools are back in session with one item affecting most of them: cell phones – their presence, usage, necessity in a crisis, use during testing, disadvantages for those who have none or bring none to school. I find myself grateful that phones were not very common when I was teaching. I hear valid arguments for and against their place in the classroom. Most young people have phones. They become a distraction in many situations including traveling to and from school. It’s hard to walk anywhere these days without seeing someone on a phone,  talking or reading or texting. Now to sound like an oldie, so much of our surrounding world is there for our attention, and many times we don’t notice or appreciate it. 

Grocery prices are soaring, some because of tariffs, and some because retailers can get more for their wares. I know that local farm products are affected by a variety of issues. The cost of farming is in some situations prohibitive. Weather is a factor, as is transporting to available markets. I grew up in a farming community, and I attended school with members of farm families. In the fifties and sixties world issues had little noticeable effect on young people. We were aware, peripherally, especially during epidemics, or crisis fears and the resultant safety drills. Mostly our local world was a safe place to grow up. I didn’t know people who owned hand guns. Most families had members who were hunters, but I don’t recall being afraid of random shooters disrupting our lives. It was an innocent time for most of us. 

Do I long for those days? In some respects, yes. I rarely feel safe in unfamiliar situations; we don’t travel as we have in the past. We haven’t gone to the State Fair for several years. We attend concerts, mainly during the day. We attend theater matinees when possible. When we walk outdoors, it is usually in our neighborhood or in safe environments.

I no longer respect the decisions made by government leaders in Washington. We’re seeing a lack of attention to the U.S. Constitution whose safeguards are being defied and ignored. Our once highly regarded and dependable leadership is no longer a part of the larger world”s political landscape. I fear a future of warring nations where U.S. participation is not included or the U.S. becomes a target. Can we survive? What kind of world will our children and grandchildren inherit?