When did I become such a stinkin' crotchety old curmudgeon? More and more, I find myself complaining to myself (no one else wants to listen to me whine) about the latest styles, music, tattoos and whippersnappers who treat us like dinosaurs still stuck in the Stone Age. Bah!
Just the other day, I caught myself grumbling about some of the clothing choices kids are wearing. I'm baffled by the jeans full of holes thing; a style that came in a few years ago and hasn't died a merciful death yet. Back in my day, (Oh, dear, did I say that? Now I know I'm OLD.), if any of our peers came out in public wearing pants full of holes, we'd have taken up a collection to buy them a new pair. I was watching one of the national news stations and I was amazed at the show's consultant's idea of children's back-toschool fashion. A couple of cute grade school-age girls were trotted out while the lady talked about what they were wearing. There, for all the world to see, was a child who had her shirt with one button buttoned in the wrong hole making her shirt askew which made her look like she had dressed in the dark. The other child sported jeans way too long. I guess I can be grateful there were no holes. As I was tsk-tsking to myself I started reminiscing about my childhood. I'm sure our parents and grandparents thought the very same thing about our styles. What I remember wearing frequently was blue jeans and a sweatshirt that I'd cut the sleeves off and turned inside out. If I had even thought of wearing that around my grandparents, my mother would have locked me up .
Don't get me started on what passes for music. It sounds like bad screeching with a lot of bad words thrown in. At least in my day (there I go again), the musicians had the good sense to disguise their activities with innuendo. I find myself listening with new ears and thinking to myself, 'I can't believe I didn't realize what that song was about!' One popular male singer wants to convince his gal that it's normal for him to run around and she's supposed to stand by until he decides he's ready to settle down. Oh, heck no! Maybe it's better that I can't understand most of these modern songs. Probably better for my blood pressure, not to mention my ears.
I've also noticed a big trend in body art aka tattooing. Call me old-fashioned (and I am) but what happened to a tasteful little flower or something like that? I wonder what is going to happen when they get old and their 'art' turns into graffiti?
And now for my last gripe: I have a fairly new smartphone and smartwatch. I can Cash App with the best of them although one of our grandsons had to talk me into it. I'm reluctant to link my bank with anything. I use my smartphone to scan and pay for groceries. I pay my bills on a computer yet the wet-behind-theears whippersnappers think we're still living in the Dark Ages and insist on a paper receipt. Like we've never evolved beyond paper checks. I try to keep up with the newest trend so our grandkids don't think we're dinosaurs with the exception of any tattoo beyond a tiny flower or butterfly.
I am a curmudgeon; hear me gripe.