Parents and schools NOT preparing their kids for the real world?

[Guest ultimauw@hotmail.com]

I came across this very interesting post on a web forum dealing with

the issue of homelessness:

 

http://www.ihatemylife.us/cgi-bin/webbbs_config.pl/read/11626

 

"TO EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD THAT IS/WAS HOMELESS...When you were

growing up, did your parents ever tell you the following? "Don't worry

about fitting in, dating, partying, or having too much fun in high

school. Just do your homework and be good, and you'll be the one

getting the last laugh someday, when you'll be getting whatever high-

paying job you want! You can be a doctor! a lawyer! an astronaut! the

president!"

 

And for all of those that have been told this, how many of you WERE

good-behaved, got decent grades, abstained from drugs or having babies

at a young age, and STILL struggled to find a job or (financially) get

by on your own later in life?

 

I was one of those people. Good grades, worked "honest jobs" like fast

food and dishwashing at age 14 up, was a total geek. Where did I end

up at age 22?...HOMELESS, still working for $5.15/hr. Didn't even have

the college degree I'd worked so hard for, b/c I owed the school

tuition money before they'd let me finish the very last semester

towards my BA.

 

So just curious...of those that have/are homeless on here, did you

guys "do everything right" growing up? Did you guys think you would

ever end up "being a homeless person" when you'd grow up? Any stories

or experiences? Do some of you agree that the line parents tell their

kids has little truth, and might be used as a simple disciplinary

method similar to Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy?"

 

My response?

 

I agree, that's the standard spew parents regurgitate to their kids

without stopping to

really think about it. What really bothers me is that schools don't

teach kids what

to do in case they can't find a job or when the s it really hits the

fan. They act like that the worlds almost perfect out there and you

will get some kind of job when you graduate high school or collage.

Sadly, the reality these days is very different, especially under

Bushanomics. (outsource outsource outsource)

[Guest Beliavsky]

On Jul 18, 6:48 am, ultim...@hotmail.com wrote:

> I came across this very interesting post on a web forum dealing with

> the issue of homelessness:

>

> http://www.ihatemylife.us/cgi-bin/webbbs_config.pl/read/11626

>

> "TO EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD THAT IS/WAS HOMELESS...When you were

> growing up, did your parents ever tell you the following? "Don't worry

> about fitting in, dating, partying, or having too much fun in high

> school. Just do your homework and be good, and you'll be the one

> getting the last laugh someday, when you'll be getting whatever high-

> paying job you want! You can be a doctor! a lawyer! an astronaut! the

> president!"

>

> And for all of those that have been told this, how many of you WERE

> good-behaved, got decent grades, abstained from drugs or having babies

> at a young age, and STILL struggled to find a job or (financially) get

> by on your own later in life?

 

In the real world, behaving well and getting an education IMPROVE

one's chance of finding a job, especially a well-paying one, but there

are NO guarantees.

>

> I was one of those people. Good grades, worked "honest jobs" like fast

> food and dishwashing at age 14 up, was a total geek. Where did I end

> up at age 22?...HOMELESS, still working for $5.15/hr.

 

Why can't you move in with family? Your earnings can pay for part of

the rent. Alternatively, many young adults share apartments to reduce

expenses.

 

Instead of blaming the "system" for your problems, think about the

jobs you could realistically do and how you can prepare for them.

[Guest Chris]

On Jul 18, 6:48?am, ultim...@hotmail.com wrote:

> I came across this very interesting post on a web forum dealing with

> the issue of homelessness:

>

> http://www.ihatemylife.us/cgi-bin/webbbs_config.pl/read/11626

>

> "TO EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD THAT IS/WAS HOMELESS...When you were

> growing up, did your parents ever tell you the following? "Don't worry

> about fitting in, dating, partying, or having too much fun in high

> school. Just do your homework and be good, and you'll be the one

> getting the last laugh someday, when you'll be getting whatever high-

> paying job you want! You can be a doctor! a lawyer! an astronaut! the

> president!"

>

> And for all of those that have been told this, how many of you WERE

> good-behaved, got decent grades, abstained from drugs or having babies

> at a young age, and STILL struggled to find a job or (financially) get

> by on your own later in life?

>

> I was one of those people. Good grades, worked "honest jobs" like fast

> food and dishwashing at age 14 up, was a total geek. Where did I end

> up at age 22?...HOMELESS, still working for $5.15/hr. Didn't even have

> the college degree I'd worked so hard for, b/c I owed the school

> tuition money before they'd let me finish the very last semester

> towards my BA.

>

> So just curious...of those that have/are homeless on here, did you

> guys "do everything right" growing up? Did you guys think you would

> ever end up "being a homeless person" when you'd grow up? Any stories

> or experiences? Do some of you agree that the line parents tell their

> kids has little truth, and might be used as a simple disciplinary

> method similar to Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy?"

>

> My response?

>

> I agree, that's the standard spew parents regurgitate to their kids

> without stopping to

> really think about it. What really bothers me is that schools don't

> teach kids what

> to do in case they can't find a job or when the s it really hits the

> fan. They act like that the worlds almost perfect out there and you

> will get some kind of job when you graduate high school or collage.

> Sadly, the reality these days is very different, especially under

> Bushanomics. (outsource outsource outsource)

 

Honestly, I have no idea why you'd be so mad at your parents for

sharing that; sheesh, it isn't literal but instead meant to part a bit

of wisdom as to where the "bad seeds" are bound to wind up compared to

the "good seeds." The passages you quote above are just the beginning

of a life lesson. It is up to you to follow it up, follow it through,

and that lesson should also be accompanied by another great life

lesson -- you can do anything you want to do if you put your mind to

it, even without college, (that is not a literal statement but one

left up to self-interpretation as to what one needs to do to get

there) and another is that there is nobody to blame for where you are

but yourself and only you can change the circumstances. Starting at

the bottom and working one's way up without college is not a terrible

thing either. Too many people feel entitled these days, and that is

one thing I intend to make sure my kids don't feel. My dad left my 22-

year-old mother with 3 children under the age of 3 and she fought

tooth and nail to ensure we didn't end up homeless; came pretty close

a couple of times too. I learned the greatest life lessons just having

her for a role model. Oh, and that one about not treating anyone like

dirt because you may wind up working FOR them or wanting a job FROM

them some day is a good one too.

[Guest lorad474@cs.com]

On Jul 18, 3:48 am, ultim...@hotmail.com wrote:

> I came across this very interesting post on a web forum dealing with

> the issue of homelessness:

>

> http://www.ihatemylife.us/cgi-bin/webbbs_config.pl/read/11626

>

> "TO EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD THAT IS/WAS HOMELESS...When you were

> growing up, did your parents ever tell you the following? "Don't worry

> about fitting in, dating, partying, or having too much fun in high

> school. Just do your homework and be good, and you'll be the one

> getting the last laugh someday, when you'll be getting whatever high-

> paying job you want! You can be a doctor! a lawyer! an astronaut! the

> president!"

>

> And for all of those that have been told this, how many of you WERE

> good-behaved, got decent grades, abstained from drugs or having babies

> at a young age, and STILL struggled to find a job or (financially) get

> by on your own later in life?

>

> I was one of those people. Good grades, worked "honest jobs" like fast

> food and dishwashing at age 14 up, was a total geek. Where did I end

> up at age 22?...HOMELESS, still working for $5.15/hr. Didn't even have

> the college degree I'd worked so hard for, b/c I owed the school

> tuition money before they'd let me finish the very last semester

> towards my BA.

>

> So just curious...of those that have/are homeless on here, did you

> guys "do everything right" growing up? Did you guys think you would

> ever end up "being a homeless person" when you'd grow up? Any stories

> or experiences? Do some of you agree that the line parents tell their

> kids has little truth, and might be used as a simple disciplinary

> method similar to Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy?"

>

> My response?

>

> I agree, that's the standard spew parents regurgitate to their kids

> without stopping to

> really think about it. What really bothers me is that schools don't

> teach kids what

> to do in case they can't find a job or when the s it really hits the

> fan. They act like that the worlds almost perfect out there and you

> will get some kind of job when you graduate high school or collage.

> Sadly, the reality these days is very different, especially under

> Bushanomics. (outsource outsource outsource)

 

Bush sez.. 'Gotta be prepared for the jobs of the future!'

'Dontchknow'..

 

I say, 'Then quit sending our jobs overseas.'

'And quit replacing us here with illegal mexican labor!'

 

I know a little about what the article speaks of.. summer jobs,

scholarships, grants, school jobs, cheap housing, losing 30 lbs a

semester by eating cheap... just to try to get through university (as

fast and inexpensively as possible).

 

And it all came down to family backing, connections, and luck as to

what happened after the graduation.

 

My friends from rich families had their futures handed to them on

platters; european or world tours, maybe a year or two off for some

creative 'discover yourself' artiste retreat, and then some nice

starter office or studio in a relative's business. The rest of us had

to wade through the interview jungle and a tough slog up the ladder

 

...and all of this was before the neocons started to destroy decent

paying jobs with outsourced and illegal foreign labor.

 

Moral of the story is simple. Be born in a rich family.

 

And if that's not possible.. don't be a sucker when it comes to

continuing to allow the rich (neocons) to appropriate (steal) more

than their fair share of wealth. If you don't care to do so for

yourself, do so for your kids.