I Miss Mayberry

OK, I realize that my view of life in the Fifties comes only from what I saw on television growing up, and as explained by my parents. I loved (still do) watching The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days. I also realize that they showed mostly the best parts of life during that time. The innocence of that time. I can remember one episode of Happy Days that had a divorcee' and the great scandal that was. No one wanted to associate with her. Its hard to name one show on television right now that doesn't have someone divorced. (Side note, I understand there are perfectly good reasons for divorces. This is not a slam on anyone who is divorced.) There were no episodes with unwed mothers either, or if there was one I don't remember it. We're bombarded on a daily basis right now with unwed mothers - many of whom are so by choice.

I saw an online article the other day that says that the percentage of unwed mothers is at an all time high. The curious aspect of this, though, is that it isn't the typical teenage mother that we immediately associate with the term unwed mothers. In many cases these are career woman who are actually in committed relationships, just not married. Magazines are always showing us the latest celebrity couple about to expand their family. I even caught myself feeling sad the other day when I was reading People Magazine and under the births they actually have to specify whether the second party in the relationship is a spouse or just a long-time companion.

How did we to this point?

What really prompted this post was my learning the other day that "sexting" had hit our small town. Kids that are classmates of my coworkers children. Males and females.

I simply can't imagine what these teenagers are thinking when they are taking and sending nude pictures of themselves. Long before the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) craze, I lived by the WDBD rules.

Would Daddy Be Disappointed?

Most everything I did growing up was tempered by the fear of getting "the look" when I got home. So I didn't do a lot of the things that some of my friends or classmates did. That's not to say that I was perfect and they weren't, but I just didn't want to have to deal with Daddy when I got home. (Side note, it isn't that my mother was any less disapproving but my daddy's look was the one that would cut me to the core). Matter of fact, I still use that as a moral guidepost. I'm not entirely sure how Heaven works but I'm going on the assumption that potential is there for Daddy to see all I do and I really don't want to be greeted at the Pearly Gates someday with him standing there giving me that look. Simply isn't worth the risk.

So, back to my question. How did we get here? What can we do about it? I'm not so naive to think we can go backwards in time and eliminate all these social changes but can we at least slow them down some? These kids in town that I'm talking about are the ones in church on Sunday morning and Wednesday nights. They come from 2 parent homes - usually the two original parents. These are not the kids that you think have fallen through the cracks and need to be rescued.

I don't have any answers for this. I think the punishment for the 18 year old boy/young man in Florida who got mad at his girlfriend and sent her naked picture to everyone in her email address book was too harsh. Yes, now that it is public it may actually serve as a deterent. Possibly. My husband says they had to make an example of someone. Maybe so, but I find it hard to believe that anyone would have knowingly hit the Send button if that laundry list of punishments was made public beforehand. And, to his credit, he has accepted full personal responsibility for the act, which is something else I find woefully lacking in this generation, but shouldn't his girlfriend (or ex-girlfriend) bear a little of the blame for sending it to him in the first place?

Back in Mayberry, Sheriff Taylor always had a good moral lesson that was learned in the 30 minute show. Opie or Barney or even Aunt Bea would come out a little better for Andy's words of wisdom.

Wonder how he would handle this one?