If today’s youth could smile a bit more freely

If today’s youth could smile a bit more freely, it would have all been worth it. But they can’t. So was it worth it? We continue to engage in wars that the public doesn’t understand, and then we move forward through the history lessons as though they don’t apply to us. We expect today’s youth to be happier than we ever were, and yet they aren’t. No war, no economic development plan, and certainly no increase in homeland security can make the youth of today smile more. They are scared and are being pushed into growing up way too fast. They now have to balance out their own needs and desires in a world that can barely support the long term dreams of their parents. Some of the youth of today see the military as their only way out, and nobody is really counting body bags. In today’s youth, there is a reflection of worry where the look of hope should be. Today’s youth already know the realities of their tomorrow and they know that tomorrow is going to be harder than ever. We haven’t given them a better shot at being happier or more prosperous, we have simply burdened them the expectation and forgot to give them the tools. The youth of today know that there is no fairy tail waiting for them, and after all the sweat and blood of their parents, they sure aren’t interested in letting anyone know just how scared they are to take it on.