This is my first blog. I'm probably going to bounce around quite a bit and ramble on and make no sense. If you think I'm an idiot or you don't want a long read full of scattered thoughts then you might want to leave now.

I'm a simple man from simpler times. I grew up with three channels on TV, no internet or cell phones, and everything powered by an internal combustion engine was carbureted and got bad gas mileage.

My two younger brothers were my best friends and we did everything together. We played outside most of the time as we had no video games and were usually too rowdy to be indoors anyways.

I was disciplined by my parents in any way you can think of. I often got the belt or the paddle when I was out of line and don't feel I was abused in any way. We're my parents perfect? No. Did they do what they thought was right to raise me into a responsible adult? You bet. They new their job was to be a parent and not my friend. I love them both dearly and appreciate everything they did to try to raise me right.

I grew up in a simple time. People were true to their word. Everyone did their best to stay out of trouble. People respected authority figures. People worked to achieve their goals and weren't under any impression that anyone owed them anything. Those who worked hard thrived and those that didn't suffered.

It's a different world today. Everyone feels a need to be connected all of the time- cell phones, Internet, email, Facebook, Twitter, forums, etc. Kids don't play outside like they did. They bury themselves in video games and television. Twelve year olds have cell phones because somehow somebody thinks it's important for them to be in constant contact with their friends. There are people driving who have never driven a stick shift and couldn't parallel park if their life depended on it.

There re is a growing part of the population that feels somebody owes them something. They feel life should be fair for everyone. Why should people who work hard and apply themselves be better off than those that don't?

It it seems as the years go by the intelligence and common sense of the average person just continues to decline.

I realize more and more every day why older people don't fear death. The world just isn't the same place they grew up in and they look forward to getting out.