No. 215: Thinking Cap

"Toby" by Tom Wills, August 2013

Looking at the current crop of young people makes me grateful for growing up in the 1960s and '70s, before hand-held video gaming and other toys of the mind came into vogue. Granted it was my generation that ushered in the problem, starting simply with Pong, then Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Who at the time could have foreseen World of Warcraft, Mortal Combat, Grand Theft Auto and all of the other mind-suck out there now.

  

Somebody call the boys 'cause there's no men in here

My g-g-g-generation had to use its imagination.  We had tree forts, went fishing, rode bikes long distances, ice skated on ponds, caught frogs and turtles, read books, built (and lost control of) the occasional fire, swam, canoed, watched trains ...   Basically, we breathed air.

The Young Lion

Sure, our parents and grandparents dressed us in garb that seems goofy now.  At the time, however, it was special stuff. We were cowboys, indians, soldiers, sailors. We felt like heroes.  And we were damned cute doing it, too.

The idea of spending untold hours, and full nights, in front of a glowing screen seemed impossible then, and horrifies me now.  There are a lot of sluggish movers and thinkers out there, exercising their minds and bodies only though right clicks, toggles, left clicks, joysticks (do they still call 'em that?) and other waka-jawaka.

It scares me that wars can now be fought this way.

Listen to me my friend
What you will not defend
Somebody else will end up takin'
And when the famine comes
You think they'll just give you some
But if you believe that
You're mistaken 

I admit to being guilty, to a point. My kids watched a lot of Ren and Stimpy in their childhood years. And they do have PlayStations and Wiis and all of that. But they also had dogs, cats and bikes and I always made sure they got outdoors.  Still, I think as adults they would prefer to stay inside and stare away, which concerns me greatly. 

And that's why I like this picture so much. The kid is decked out and putting his imagination to work.  He's getting out into the air and putting some sunshine on the skin.
I have seen people who are nearly transparent from lack of pigmentation. Mole people!
I know people who punish their kids by taking away their games and making them play outside.

Both the old guy and the young kid still in me are glad to know that there are still boys who will put on a cowboy hat and a bandana. It's a relief to know that these things are timeless.
Young people and young adults, put on your own style of thinking cap and go out and do something, for God's sake. 
While you still have time.

The New Lion. Unfortunately he is examining a hand-held device.

The lyrics are from "Manup" by Todd Rundgren, MPCA Humanoid Music, 2008.