-TORIE PATTERSON
CHAPTER 2 - GENERATIONS
WE WALK BY OUR FUTURE EVERYDAY. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD LIES ON THE SHOULDERS OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE SO INNOCENT AND SO HAPLESS? AS CRUEL AND DARK THE WORLD IS, AND CAN BE; HOW CAN WE EVEN FATHOM GIVING IT TO THOSE WHOM WE ALL LOVE THE MOST; OUR CHILDREN?
"HOW YOU DOING?" COMES A LITTLE SQUEAKY VOICE THROUGH THE PHONE. "IM DOING FINE GIRL, HOW YOU DOING?" I REPLY. “FINE. WHAT-CHA DOING?" SQUEAKS THE VOICE AGAIN. "HAHA, IM TALKING TO YOU." I CHIME. "OH. SO, WHATCHA DOING?" REPLIES THE VOICE AGAIN.
EVERY TIME I TALK TO MY NIECE, OUR CONVERSATION STARTS LIKE THIS. SOME TIMES IT CAN GO ON FOR A GOOD TWENTY MINTUES, WITHOUT ANY AWKWARD FEELING. SOME TIMES I CANNOT EVEN BELIEVE THAT THIS LITTLE GIRL WILL GROW UP TO BE A WOMAN SOME DAY, JOINING THE RANKS OF THOSE WHO WORK TO SURIVIVE AND PROGRESS THEMSELVES FORWARD. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I CANNOT FATHOM THAT THIS IS A PERSON WHO WILL BE ACTIVELY PURSUED BY MEN, FOR GOOD OR EVIL RESONS. HOW CAN I LET OR WANT SOMEONE I CARE FOR, SO INNOCENT OUT INTO THIS WORLD THAT WOULD LITERALLY SUCK THEM DRY OF ALL THEY ARE?
I LOOK BACK AT MY PARENTS, THEIR PARENTS, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. THE ART OF PARENTING, IS THEIR TRUELY A MORE DIFFICULT, IMPORTANT, YET REWARDING AND ENSPIRING WORK? THE VERY FUTURE OF HUMANITY RESTS ON THE SHOULDERS OF PARENTS, OR ANYONE WHO IS STRONG ENOUGH TO SHOULDER THE TASK, YET NOT ONE SET OF PARENTS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, ONLY HUMANITY AS A -WHOLE- PROGRESSES FORWARD -TOGETHER- IN RAISING THE YOUNG. ONE GENERATION MAY TAKE A STEP FORWARD IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, AND ANOTHER MAY TAKE A STEP BACK. THE IDEALS, EVENTS AND ACTIONS OF ONE CENTURY OF PEOPLE; SHAPE THE WAY FOR THE SUBSQUENT SET, AND LEADS ON, LIKE A SNOWBALL DOWN A HILL.
I STAND HERE ON THE EDGE OF ONE GENERATION, AND I LOOK DOWN AT THE ONES OF THE PAST, WHILE PREPARING TO HELP HANDLE AND PROTECT THE NEXT ONE COMING. WHILE IM NOT A PARENT, I AM A HUMAN BEING; AND WITH THAT; I AM HELD WITH THE RESPONSBILITY OF THE CONTIUNATION OF MY SPECIES. BY THAT, BY ANY MEANS NESSECARY WITHIN MY POWER I WILL DO WHAT IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FUTURE CARETAKERS OF EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE SO FAR, AND TO KEEP THE PROCESS GOING. BUT THE PROCESS IS SO FRAGILE, SO PRECIOUS, AND AS TIME GOES ON, IT SLIPS OUT OF OUR HANDS MORE AND MORE; AND INTO THE CLUTCHES OF THOSE WHO EXIST RIGHT OUTSIDE THE REALM OF THE LIVING. THOSE WHO CARE NOT ABOUT THE YOUNG THE OLD, OR EVEN THEIR BRETHREN. ONLY THEMSELVES; I HAVE TROUBLE EVEN CALLING THOSE PEOPLE HUMAN; FOR WITHOUT A HEART, HOW CAN ONE BE ALIVE?
AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH OUR LIVES, OUR DAYS DRAW TO A CLOSE AND THE NEXT DAY OF THOSE COMING BEGINS TO RISE. I WISH TO HAVE MY FINAL SLEEP KNOWNING THAT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN NEAR ME SHALL BE EQUIPPED WITH EVERYTHING THEY CAN POSSBILIY NEED TO SURVIVE IN THIS DISMAL WORLD WE GAVE THEM, SO THEY CAN LIVE AND PERHAPS RISE IT UP TO THE NEXT AFTER THEM.
CHAPTER 2 - GENERATIONS
WE WALK BY OUR FUTURE EVERYDAY. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THE VERY FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD LIES ON THE SHOULDERS OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE SO INNOCENT AND SO HAPLESS? AS CRUEL AND DARK THE WORLD IS, AND CAN BE; HOW CAN WE EVEN FATHOM GIVING IT TO THOSE WHOM WE ALL LOVE THE MOST; OUR CHILDREN?
"HOW YOU DOING?" COMES A LITTLE SQUEAKY VOICE THROUGH THE PHONE. "IM DOING FINE GIRL, HOW YOU DOING?" I REPLY. “FINE. WHAT-CHA DOING?" SQUEAKS THE VOICE AGAIN. "HAHA, IM TALKING TO YOU." I CHIME. "OH. SO, WHATCHA DOING?" REPLIES THE VOICE AGAIN.
EVERY TIME I TALK TO MY NIECE, OUR CONVERSATION STARTS LIKE THIS. SOME TIMES IT CAN GO ON FOR A GOOD TWENTY MINTUES, WITHOUT ANY AWKWARD FEELING. SOME TIMES I CANNOT EVEN BELIEVE THAT THIS LITTLE GIRL WILL GROW UP TO BE A WOMAN SOME DAY, JOINING THE RANKS OF THOSE WHO WORK TO SURIVIVE AND PROGRESS THEMSELVES FORWARD. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I CANNOT FATHOM THAT THIS IS A PERSON WHO WILL BE ACTIVELY PURSUED BY MEN, FOR GOOD OR EVIL RESONS. HOW CAN I LET OR WANT SOMEONE I CARE FOR, SO INNOCENT OUT INTO THIS WORLD THAT WOULD LITERALLY SUCK THEM DRY OF ALL THEY ARE?
I LOOK BACK AT MY PARENTS, THEIR PARENTS, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. THE ART OF PARENTING, IS THEIR TRUELY A MORE DIFFICULT, IMPORTANT, YET REWARDING AND ENSPIRING WORK? THE VERY FUTURE OF HUMANITY RESTS ON THE SHOULDERS OF PARENTS, OR ANYONE WHO IS STRONG ENOUGH TO SHOULDER THE TASK, YET NOT ONE SET OF PARENTS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, ONLY HUMANITY AS A -WHOLE- PROGRESSES FORWARD -TOGETHER- IN RAISING THE YOUNG. ONE GENERATION MAY TAKE A STEP FORWARD IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, AND ANOTHER MAY TAKE A STEP BACK. THE IDEALS, EVENTS AND ACTIONS OF ONE CENTURY OF PEOPLE; SHAPE THE WAY FOR THE SUBSQUENT SET, AND LEADS ON, LIKE A SNOWBALL DOWN A HILL.
I STAND HERE ON THE EDGE OF ONE GENERATION, AND I LOOK DOWN AT THE ONES OF THE PAST, WHILE PREPARING TO HELP HANDLE AND PROTECT THE NEXT ONE COMING. WHILE IM NOT A PARENT, I AM A HUMAN BEING; AND WITH THAT; I AM HELD WITH THE RESPONSBILITY OF THE CONTIUNATION OF MY SPECIES. BY THAT, BY ANY MEANS NESSECARY WITHIN MY POWER I WILL DO WHAT IS REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FUTURE CARETAKERS OF EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE SO FAR, AND TO KEEP THE PROCESS GOING. BUT THE PROCESS IS SO FRAGILE, SO PRECIOUS, AND AS TIME GOES ON, IT SLIPS OUT OF OUR HANDS MORE AND MORE; AND INTO THE CLUTCHES OF THOSE WHO EXIST RIGHT OUTSIDE THE REALM OF THE LIVING. THOSE WHO CARE NOT ABOUT THE YOUNG THE OLD, OR EVEN THEIR BRETHREN. ONLY THEMSELVES; I HAVE TROUBLE EVEN CALLING THOSE PEOPLE HUMAN; FOR WITHOUT A HEART, HOW CAN ONE BE ALIVE?
AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH OUR LIVES, OUR DAYS DRAW TO A CLOSE AND THE NEXT DAY OF THOSE COMING BEGINS TO RISE. I WISH TO HAVE MY FINAL SLEEP KNOWNING THAT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN NEAR ME SHALL BE EQUIPPED WITH EVERYTHING THEY CAN POSSBILIY NEED TO SURVIVE IN THIS DISMAL WORLD WE GAVE THEM, SO THEY CAN LIVE AND PERHAPS RISE IT UP TO THE NEXT AFTER THEM.