Welcome to today’s edition of the A-to –Z Challenge, The letter ‘I’
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com
The ‘I’ Culture
I am proud to say most of my life I have had an open mind. I also weathered most change with the attitude that it might take getting used to but would turn out for the better.
Over the last twenty- years, change in our culture has come so fast and so frequent, we barely have a chance to swallow. One of those changes and the one that bothers, no actually frightens me the most is the ‘I’ culture we have created.
It seems lately if someone is ‘different’ in any way we as a collective, cater to the one that happens to be ‘different’.
One example is allergies. All of a sudden if a child has a peanut allergy, just one child, peanuts in any form are being banned from entire buildings. Nine hundred children are forbidden to have peanut butter and jelly, for lunch, so one child who is different can feel ‘special’.
I understand the danger of allergies all to well. I have experienced anaphylaxis too many times. I learned to protect myself, to be cautious. I take allergy medication before I go to a restaurant, just in case and I always have medication with me in case of emergency. The allergies are mine and my body is my responsibility.
To this day, I get so embarrassed to say, “Can you please cook my food separately.” Next week I have a Press Club luncheon and it is being held at a Red Lobster. Red Lobster is like a death trap for me but I really want to go. Someone actually said I should call and ask to have the meeting moved to another location. I would be mortified. Instead, I will call Red Lobster ahead of time and ask them to discreetly, cook my food separately.
I believe we are doing these children a huge disservice. They are growing up without a clue of how to take care of themselves. Because their parents were too lazy to teach them how they cannot help but expect everyone else to look after and provide for their well -being.
I believe this culture of ‘I’ is creating an epidemic of depression in young adults. They arrive at college and expect to have help with homework, someone to do their laundry, their bills paid and all the peanuts to be banned from the entire campus. When that doesn’t happen and life becomes work they cannot deal with the ‘stress.’
Our time-out generation has never experienced pain, discomfort or want and we wonder why they have no empathy.
