We have an entire generation of folks who have no idea how to change the own oil in the car.
When one of my grandkids asked me if I could sew a button on for her, I was amazed. Don’t you have a needle and thread I asked? No, she told me and I am not sure how to do it if I did.
I wondered if my eighth grade sewing teacher, Mrs. Barnes, was rolling over in her grave. I can remember hemming a tea towel over and over again when I was in school because I couldn’t get the stitches even enough to please her.
When I think how many things my grandkids have never learned, I realized I was glad that sewing was a requirement when I was in junior high school. It was certainly a pain at the time, but it gave me a skill I may never have had otherwise.
And while no one has ever asked me to prepare a Rosy Apple Compote, I remember that was one of the first requirements in my cooking class. Our cooking teacher also taught us the presentation was as important as the food itself.
We had to prepare a special breakfast for Easter and I added a little red and blue food coloring to my scrambled eggs. My teacher was very impressed and I got an A, probably the only one I got in that class.
My dad was much less overwhelmed when I prepared my special dish for him on Easter morning. He thought it was the most disgusting mess he had ever seen and looked more like liver than eggs. Needless to say, I didn’t cook for my dad again until after I was married.
And I can’t remember which class I was in when I was in high school, but one of my teachers taught us all how to balance a checkbook. I have discovered that is a lost art. Even my own kids bank online and accept whatever the bank says as their balances. I am still not that trusting.
I’m not sure how long ago schools stopped teaching basic life skills, but it’s a shame they did. We have an entire generation of folks who have no idea how to change their own oil in the car. Of course, most people would rather have someone else do that anyway.
But what if the handle on your toilet breaks? Do you really need to call a handy-man for such a simple fix? I’m not one to preach about repairs. If it can’t be fixed with Duct tape or Super Glue, I am lost. But I can sure iron a crisp white dress shirt.
I know I am somewhat of an anachronism, but we Baby Boomers may be the last generation that was prepared to take care of ourselves. Hopefully, at some point, the millennials will realize there is no app that can do the laundry, sew, cook and create a budget. Maybe those chores will have to be revisited.