Advice to a Young man from an Old Man

[ChevySSP]

Where do you all think we are heading as a society?

I often feel that at times, we are sliding down a slope that we cannot climb back up.


To the guys who came before me, what are your impressions of the world that you are leaving my generation with and what would you tell the next generation?

Also, if there was one thing you would say about the world what would it be and why?

Just curious, feeling a bit philosophical at the moment.

[Jynkxxie]

Well I am neither of the requirements you sought after, but in working around the youth of today, and seeing them in all their brilliance <rolleyes>, my advice would be, if it is one thing they can do to ensure their survival in the world that I predict is to come, to pull their heads out of your asses and learn about personal responsibility, and accountability. No one is perfect, but those having those two things right there would at least them some character, and a better chance at making it through hards times that they have never seen before, but are to come.

Where do you all think we are heading as a society?

I often feel that at times, we are sliding down a slope that we cannot climb back up.


To the guys who came before me, what are your impressions of the world that you are leaving my generation with and what would you tell the next generation?

Also, if there was one thing you would say about the world what would it be and why?

Just curious, feeling a bit philosophical at the moment.

[retdetsgt]

People adapt and go on. Don't get too caught up in it.

When I started as a cop in 1970, the old guys about to retire kept telling me and my peers that the job was going to hell. They couldn't imagine anyone being a cop in the 70's.

I had a great time until 1998 when I left. And frankly, I was telling the new guys that I couldn't imagine putting up with this crap into the new millennium.

Before I left, my partner and I were riding up in the elevator with a young cop. He seemed uncomfortable with us old guys on the ride up. When he got off the elevator, I told my partner, "We are now the people we used to hold in contempt!" The morale of all this is, nothing changes.......

The only thing in your life you can change is your attitude. Try as you may, you can't change people, places or situations. You can only change your attitude. Happiness is definitely an inside job, as Abraham Lincoln said, "People are generally as happy as they want to be". You may like your job, your car, even your significant other, but none of those will make you happy unless you want to be.;)

Things will continue to change, some for the better, some for the worst. Old people tend to have a euphoric recall about the "good old days". We remember the good and forget the bad.

You're a car man so I've give some examples. People say cars used to be built better. Bull****. Tires rarely lasted more than 10K miles, spark plugs were shot by then. Because of leaded gas, valves had to be ground at about 60 to 65k and a car with 100K miles was a rarity. Planned obsolesce has been the trademark of car makers ever since the first Model T came off the assembly line in 1908. On the other hand, even though cars need little maintenance as compared to 40 or 50 years ago, nothing is repaired anymore. Huge, expensive chunks of them are replaced. So it's a tradeoff.

The one thing I learned as I got older was that the absolutely most important thing in the world is relationships. A couple of guys have been my close friends for over 30 years. Even though we're all retired, we meet for lunch once a week and raise hell (as much as codgers can). I treasure my relationship with my kids and my grandkids. I couldn't care less about my enemies. Let them lose sleep over our disagreements....

Don't sweat the rest of the world, you can't do much about any of it. Just be happy.:D

[JR180]

The world is full of irresponsible know-it-alls that are actually dumbasses. I am 21 years old and it just pisses me off to see my “peers” pissing their life away. I know people that can’t even find Iraq, Afghanistan or EUROPE on a globe. Everybody is looking for the easy way out even if it is not the most responsible. If you are 21 or 22 and cant hold a job down because “my boss hates me/is a dumbass” I think you should take a look at yourself because it can’t be all these different people.

When I was 19 I got my girlfriend pregnant. You know what I did? I got another job while still going to college so that I could take care of my family. I married my girlfriend and made sure she finished school too. It just irks me when something similar happens to people my age and they act like the world is being unfair to them, but what they really mean is “oh crap how am I supposed to go out and party every night now?” Step up and take some responsibility. It is my generation and younger that is going to piss all over society because no body takes responsibility for their actions. Rant over.

[Cat_Doc]

People adapt and go on. Don't get too caught up in it.

Words of Wisdom and right on the mark.

Some attributed quotes from other wise men, long gone, speaking of the youth of their day.

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.” ~~ Attributed to Socrates.


"What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?" I think this is a direct quote, but can't find the reference at the moment. ~~ Attributed to Plato.

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint" ~~ Attributed to Hesiod, 8th century BC.

[BSmitty]

I started law enforcement in 1967 in the military. Retired from a federal position in 2001. Federal agents used to often work alone, with a .38 snub-nose and no mace, taser (maybe a sap). One or two guys to make an arrest-no raid plan or lengthy approval procedure. Wasn't unusual to have to wrestle someone. A state trooper and I were telling a rookie about some of this; he said "I wish I was around back in the John Wayne days". I don't think it was as violent, cops got more respect (now the President even slams someone doing a proper arrest). Still a good career. I also meet with old buddies and talk over old times. Most agree hard times are ahead- our country imports more and more, fewer jobs here, other countries are buying us, buying our politicians, over-running our borders, we don't enforce our immigration and labor laws. Our leaders promise something for nothing (ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you). Many parts of the U.S. are becoming third-world countries- tougher for law enforcement. Watch the appointments to the Supremes- I expect a cop's job will become much tougher. The military is still a bright spot- hope Obama leaves it alone.

[retdetsgt]

A state trooper and I were telling a rookie about some of this; he said "I wish I was around back in the John Wayne days". I don't think it was as violent, cops got more respect (now the President even slams someone doing a proper arrest).

I expect a cop's job will become much tougher.

That's true, but that has more to do with the evolution of society. When we were kids, movie violence was a laugh compared to what kids see even on TV today. People have become anesthetized to violence, they see it all around them. And when I was kid in W. Texas in the late 50's, early 60's, I didn't have much respect for the police. Most were poorly educated, poorly paid and generally got their job through patronage. I feared them, don't get me wrong, but I never saw a local cop I really respected.

The John Wayne days had a lot of things to say for it, but it was also abused by some cops too. Every restriction put on our authority and power was placed there for a reason, not because it was a theoretically good idea. I only had a .38, a pair of cuffs and a Kel-Lite when I started, no body armor either. A friend of mine started life in a wheel chair at the age of 32 because he was shot in the back and had no body armor.

Also, when I started in 1970, there were no cops under 5-10, no women and my 600 man dept had TWO black guys. Most of the old guys on my dept had been hired primarily because they were white, male and big. My dept also had a terrible history of corruption. There were some of those guys that were great cops and I learned a lot from them, but there were just as many that I avoided like the plague. I didn't want the stink to rub off. The old days had a lot of drawbacks as well as advantages. I can't speak to federal agencies, but mine was nothing to write home about.

Here's a post I made a while ago, a letter from a retired Sgt from my dept who was hired in 1946. http://www.realpolice.net/forums/gen...ml#post1023788

I'm not really into the doom and gloom about the future. Obama will be President for a maximum of 8 years, hopefully 4. LBJ was worse, so was Carter. People act like we've always had a semi conservative Supreme Court. Baloney, starting with the Warren court, it was way to the left until a couple of decades ago. We survived them, we'll survive another one.

Yeah, I'm worried about our country becoming more socialist, but so were a lot of people in 1935 when FDR set up Social Security. It wasn't much then, but it was something. Before that, old people had to depend on relatives or they could literally starve. And starvation happened in this country back then. It's easy to sit and cuss the government, but I'm sitting back pretty fat, dumb and happy on a government pension. Something that wasn't always there for LE. Not all government programs are bad.:D

This country has always rebounded and swung from liberal to conservative. It always will, we've survived worse times than this and come back. It's all in the history books.;)

[ChevySSP]

I can see your point RDS about the notion of swimming back and forth from Liberal to Conservative.

I appreciate yall's imput. Growing up I always relied on what my folks told me, especially the words of my Grandfather, whom I consider an extremely wise man.

I asked simply because I wanted to have the imput of the "old timers" on this board who have more insight and experience to offer than most people truly understand.

Im going to focus my attention on the youth. Personally I agree JR180 when I say that my generation will have few that history will remember. As a matter of fact I can think of a few people I'll probably see in the near future...but not under friendly circumstances.

What do you guys believe in society, though?

[Taylor1]

The world is full of irresponsible know-it-alls that are actually dumbasses. I am 21 years old and it just pisses me off to see my “peers” pissing their life away. I know people that can’t even find Iraq, Afghanistan or EUROPE on a globe. Everybody is looking for the easy way out even if it is not the most responsible. If you are 21 or 22 and cant hold a job down because “my boss hates me/is a dumbass” I think you should take a look at yourself because it can’t be all these different people.

When I was 19 I got my girlfriend pregnant. You know what I did? I got another job while still going to college so that I could take care of my family. I married my girlfriend and made sure she finished school too. It just irks me when something similar happens to people my age and they act like the world is being unfair to them, but what they really mean is “oh crap how am I supposed to go out and party every night now?” Step up and take some responsibility. It is my generation and younger that is going to piss all over society because no body takes responsibility for their actions. Rant over.

That's awesome you stayed and made sure that you'll be responsible. I completely agree, soo many people in society and my generation just don't bother taking responsibility. I couldn't live with myself if I knocked up a girl and left her with nothing.

[dadyswat]

Take the time to learn the history of this country and how it was actually founded. Read the Constitution and the Federalist Papers. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Always have integrity and maintain it.

[retdetsgt]

What do you guys believe in society, though?

It will change, some for the good, some for the bad....:confused: There were some good things going on in the 50's when I was growing up. The economy was good, life was simple. But on the other hand, I never went to a public school with a black kid. Texas was segregated to the max. I remember "colored restrooms" and even "colored drinking fountains". I'm glad that **** is no longer.

My parents' generation thought mine was going to take this country right down the tube. Mine was the first to use drugs to any extent and openly protest against the government. If I even looked like I needed a haircut, my Dad went ape****! But my generation was as a whole, frugal with money.

Enter Generation X that believed they had to have the new car, new stereo, etc. etc. right now and not have to work and wait for it like we did. That's the generation that ran up huge credit card debt and bought houses they couldn't afford. My generation wasn't the least bit choked up about them either and couldn't understand what they were thinking.

And if history continues the same, Generation X will have serious criticisms of the next generation. Every generation thinks the the one following them is a piece of **** and will destroy the country..... Hasn't happened in 234 years......:D

The people of this country get exactly the kind of government they want. In the 60's, welfare seemed like a good idea to help people get on their feet. Criminal rehab made perfect sense on paper and seemed better than locking people up. Neither worked as intended. It took a long time, but Americans finally got sick of it and laws started to change. That's why we get the pendulum effect in government.

I remember sitting around and listening to old Texas farmers talk about how Eisenhower was a communist!:rolleyes: These old men were sure this country wouldn't survive another ten years. Don't listen to people like that. Live your life by being the best person you can be and you will reap all the rewards. ;) Don't waste your life grumbling and being a pessimist......