Manchester High School - Somanhis Yearbook (Manchester, CT)

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SOMANHIS EVENTS 31 A VINDICATION OF MODERN YOUTH Does the youth of today need vindication? Each generation sees the birth of new ideas which distinguish it from the preceding one, and the habits and customs of modern times seem little more radical to the parents of to day than did theirs to the preceeding generation. Che mothers and fathers of today could tell how their parents regarded their youthful impulses and de sires with disapproval and horror similar to that which they in turn pass on to their children, There are, however, events that occur which perhaps influence or direct the course ba change more than other contemporary occurrences. ‘The great- est of these affecting our modern life is undoubtedly the Great War. Although no one enjoys the recollection of this, its influence on modern customs can- not be denied. The young people of today are living under its shadow with- out recognizing it as such. In their happy carefree lives, they have thoughts as remote from the horrors of war as possible, even while they enjoy the lax- ity resulting, unfortunately, from the lack of convention which the war has brought about. The young people are, for the most part, unconscious of this. They only recognize that they are enjoying a wonderful freedom that permits them to indulge their impulses without a sense of impropriety. OF course they are cer insured, but most impulses or actions, whether virtuous or not, meet with opposition, Thus these last few years have seen a great change in the attitude of men and women, and incidentally boys and girls, toward one another. ‘There is an obvious lack of restraint and the presence of a familiarity that is being de- plored. Perhaps this sense of intimacy which does not in any way include the embarrassment and self-consciousness that young people used to feel when in the presence of both sexes, is not so deplorable as one may be led to believe. The young people do not show the fear, distrust, or suspicion that for- merly characterized them; rather are they reckless and self-confident. © Of course this may be carried too far but in the majority of cases the developing of self-confidence is guiding people, even towards success in life, more than any other characteristic, in that it removes timidity and doubt which are the greatest obstacles to progress in life. The home influence on the life of the young people cannot be overesti- mated. Home training has been subject to modification or change and it has been said that the youth of today has revolutionized the home. Has the home ceased to be as essentially valuable as in former times? If it has, there is something wrong. — If young people have left their homes or seem to be drifting into channels which lead away from the home, it is because they have failed to find there the sympathy, understanding, or r reasoning that should es- sentially comprise the home, In the search for sympathetic companionship, young people will stray out into the world mistaking for sympathy, a similari- ty of tastes in a companion. Failing to find understanding in their friends, they become resigned to the idea that understanding has ceased to exist, and they submit to this resignation that often occasions recklessness or despair. Such circumstances are more pitiable than censurable. We hear a great deal about the modern mother; but considering how many old-fashioned mothers have new-fashioned daughters, we cannot lay the blame, universally, on the modern ideas that have robbed many girls of a mother’s care and thoughtfulness. More than ever is there need for compan- ionship between mother and daughter, and father and son. Do not condemn young people because they converse unblushingly and rather naturally on sub- jects which would have horrified and diszusted your parents, had you acted similarly in your youth, It is better to listen and endeavor to interpret them, as they truly represent the age, remembering that young people are now more self-conscious before their own parents than before a crowd of strangers of both sexes. ‘They are not so unreasonable, not so headstrong as parents take for granted. A little investigation would prove this. Young people would

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30 SOMANHIS EVENTS of calling this one well behaved. After a time, Father, at the end of his pa- tience, wigwagged to Howard by the umbrella rack, “For the love of Mike, put something under that confounded chair!” Howard deciphered the code mes- sage and placed a cane, an umbrella, and a handy volume of the encyclopedia under the rockers. Grandma rocked calmly over these obstacles for several minutes before she finally discovered that something was wrong with her chair, She thought that the things had been carelessly dropped there and picked them up with the greatest care. While she was busy replaciag them in their proper places, | diplomatically placed a non-squeak chair for her to sit in and removed the one that caused all the trouble so far away from the radio room that it has never again strayed there. That is just one example of our perfect agreement! Jloward takes vio- lin lessons and Carrie, piano. Those two can never agree as to who is going to practice when! As they both are away all day, the only time for practice is in the evening. We finally settled it that Carrie should practice in the music room, while Hloward should go to his den on the third floor. Thus harmony was restored to its former order (it was not close enough to jar anyone's sen- sitive nerves) and peace reigned once more. ‘That was not any of my ideas, but Mother’s. She thought that perhaps it would be less painful to the acoustic organs if the proximity of the two instruments of torture (agonizing enough in themselves) was decreased. She was right, as Mother always is. Another typical controversy arises whenever we want to take an auto ride. Almost everyone will agree without much persuasion that an auto ride would be just a fine way to spend a nice warm evening like this. Father and Howard go out to tune up the engine while Mother, Grandma, Carrie, and I gather together the various wraps. By the time we are ready, the car rolls up to the door and Father says, “Hop in! Where'll we go?” The usual thing happens. There are as many suggestions as to where to go as there are peo- ple in the car. One by one the suggestions for our destination are climinated as too far or not far enough and it remains to choose between a run out to Coventry Lake or over Farmington way. As the time is flying, we decide to draw lots. Two slips are put into Howard’s cap and I draw one. It says “Farmington”, whither we go in perfect peace, our little discord settled again. Each of us has his own particular likes and dislikes when it comes to food. For instance: Father, Carrie, and Howard have three distinctive lunch- es to take to work. Carrie likes sandwiches filled with cream cheese and dates; Father, with persuasion will eat cream cheese and olives but balks ab- solutely when it comes to dates ; Howard, however, looks with scorn on cream cheese and will be satisfied with nothing short of ham or real cheese. Poor mother surely has a task to put up lunches for those three. At meals at home it’s the same way. Grandma has a particular aversion to prunes for break- fast. Ordinarily none of us cares especially for them but since we have learned of Grandma’s dislike of them we have taken a sudden longing for prunes. We pine for them, in fact nothing but prunes will satisfy us. How- ever, for the sake of peace Mother has suggested that, whereas our slogan has been “Prunes will win the war’, we dispense with the prunes and the war and have peace. Please don’t get the impression that our life is all chaos and disagree- ments, for it isn’t. After all you will find that these are only the “Love's Minor Frictions” about which Frances Lester Warner writes and that they only serve to bring us into closer and better understanding with each other. Unless a family has its slight disagreements its members can never really know each other. So I would not exchange my family, discords and all, for any other in the world. , Katherine Purinton ’24.

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32 SOMANHIS EVBNTS open your eves to the impulses and the ideas that tend to direct their actions. You would be surprised to find how nearly they coincide with your own for- gotten ideas of youth. A few wise parents realize this. The fundamental idea is, after all, the pursuit of happiness. There should be some outlet, some vent, for youthful impulses. It is natural. The only difficulty is the control of the directions which the impulses take. The mod- ern ideas of recreation or amusement should not be compared with those of former times. Progress has caused us to change our ideas of amusements. If the modern ideas of convention seem slack and accommodating, it is be- cause modern customs have rendered it necessary to alter our standards of propriety. The reaction of our behavior upon our fellow-beings is one of res- ignation to the customary. Even the most extreme conduct is regarded with indifference, if not amusement. Is it that we are becoming immune to any antipathy to the personal and familiar freedom of thought which seems to pre- rail today? Rather is it a striking example of adaptability. We no longer evade temptation. Rather do we accept it, the majority sweeping by in an in- spiring self-confidence. The young people of today possess their own ideals as vividly as any gen- eration has ever done or may ever hope to do. However theid ideals are not marred by suspicion or doubt. Their standards are as high as any standards could be. The solution might be expressed best in the words of the “Golden Rule”, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Following this, your attitude toward young people would be one, not of censure and despair, but of sympathy and patience. You will find them to be simply accentuated types of your own souls, a confusion of impulses, emotions, and desires, needing your sympathetic guidance. The response to such an attitude would readi'y prove its value. ‘Vhrough such efforts, youth and age would come to a better, clearer understanding, a compromise that would tend to bring about a lasting faith in one another, a hope for the future and an uplifting spirit of love born of a feeling of sympathy and understanding. Annie Strickland '24, AS ENGLISHMEN SEE US A century and a half ago we Americans declared our independence from England, and started out a “new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Our manners, our customs, in fact, all things have so changed from the manners, customs, and habits of our mother country, England, that now sometimes we are hardly recognized as being derived from that nation. However, we are still mother and daugh- ter. The one, aggressively young, resents criticism and comparison; the oth- er, being older and having knocked about the world, is perhaps inclined to as- sume an attitude of superiority. England criticizes us on several scores. You all know what they are. In the first place, the size of America amazes the Englishman. Its vast- ness, its great lakes which are huge inland seas, its gigantic waterways, its mountains, its colossal size and immense population, (not immense for its area, for in places it is sparsely populated, but numerically immense) make it seem stupendous. And yet, despite this sense of vastness, a widely known Englishman once said, while visiting in America, “There is no scenery in the United States.” Our coast line with one or two exceptions, it seems to him, is thoroughly tame and uninteresting. The character and grouping of our Rocky Mountains are not “scenery in any proper sense”—and so on. We can see that this critic had in mind the varied magnificence of Switzerland, with its splendor of color in snow, verdure, and water effects.