OVERKILL

YEARS AGO, AS A CHILD GROWING UP IN NEW YORK, I EXPERIENCED A DIFFERENT WORLD, THEN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.

I GREW UP IN THE 1950'S AND 1960'S. MOST MOTHERS WERE STAY AT HOME MOMS, AND THE DADS WENT OUT TO WORK. OUR PARENTS HAD EXPERIENCED THE GREAT DEPRESSION IN AMERICA AND WERE MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE IN THEIR FINANCES THEN PEOPLE ARE TODAY.

MANY COUPLES BEFORE THEY WOULD MARRY WOULD BUY HOMES AND MOVE INTO THEM AFTER THEY MARRIED, AND SPEND THE REST OF THEIR LIVES LIVING THERE. MOST PEOPLES' MORTGAGES WERE THE EQUIVALENT OF ONE WEEKS PAY. MY OBSERVATION IS MOST HOUSES WERE TWO OR THREE BEDROOMS WITH ONE BATHROOM. THERE WERE NOT A LOT OF HOUSES WITH FAMILY ROOMS OR DINING ROOMS.

MOST FAMILIES HAD ONE BLACK AND WHITE TELEVISION THAT WAS IN THE LIVING ROOM. THE FAMILY WOULD SIT DOWN AT NIGHT AND WATCH THE SAME SHOWS EVERY WEEK AND NO ONE SEEMED TO BE UPSET ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE WATCHING. THERE WERE THREE NATIONAL STATIONS, ABC, NBC, AND CBS., AND THERE WAS WPIX, AND WOR WHICH WERE LOCAL STATIONS. ONLY FIVE STATIONS TOTAL.

MOST FAMILIES HAD ONE CAR, THE MOM TOOK DAD TO WORK AND DROPPED HIM OFF AND PICKED HIM UP IF SHE NEEDED THE CAR FOR SOMETHING. THE FAMILY PURCHASED NEW OR USED CARS ON PAYMENTS IF THEY COULD NOT AFFORD TO BUY THEM FOR CASH, ALWAYS THINKING THAT IF THE FATHER LOST HIS JOB THAT THEY COULD PAY FOR IT ON HIS UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE. THE CHILDREN EITHER TOOK THE YELLOW SCHOOL BUS OR WALKED TO SCHOOL. PEOPLE BOUGHT MADE IN AMERICA SHOES, CLOTHES AND COATS, ETC. MANY CHILDREN GOT THINGS THAT WERE A LITTLE BIG SO THE CLOTHES WOULD LAST LONGER.

PEOPLE BOUGHT WHAT THEY COULD AFFORD. PEOPLE FELT IF THEY DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR SOMETHING THEY WOULD EITHER SAVE UP OR DO WITH OUT. IMAGINE NOT USING CREDIT CARDS. PEOPLE BELIEVED IN SAVING MONEY (ALTHOUGH MOST PEOPLE HAD VERY LITTLE MONEY IN THE BANK).

HAVING THE MOTHER HOME FOR THE CHILDREN, COOKING MEALS AND MAINTAINING THE HOUSE WERE IMPORTANT. FATHERS BEING HOME AT NIGHT WITH THEIR FAMILIES WERE IMPORTANT. DOING WITHOUT SO THE FATHER COULD BE HOME WITH THE FAMILY WAS A GOOD THING.

MY GENERATION, GAVE MANY THINGS TO OUR CHILDREN, WE WANTED BETTER FOR THEM THEN WE HAD. WE USED CREDIT CARDS. WE BOUGHT NEW CARS ON CREDIT. WE BOUGHT HOUSES NICER AND BIGGER THAN OUR PARENTS. MANY OF US GOT OURSELVES INTO SERIOUS DEBT. BOTH PARENTS STARTED WORKING, MORTGAGE PAYMENTS WERE NOW ABOUT 1/3 OF OUR INCOME. THERE NEVER SEEMED TO BE ENOUGH MONEY FOR EVERYTHING. CHILDREN CAME HOME TO EMPTY HOUSES (BOTH PARENTS WERE WORKING). THE CHILDREN HAD THINGS BUT THEIR PARENTS WERE NOT THERE. IT BECAME ACCEPTED THAT THIS LIFE STYLE WAS OKAY.

MOVE FORWARD, TO TODAY. WHAT DO WE FIND? EVERYONE HAS A CAR. THE MOTHER, THE FATHER AND TEENAGE OR ADULT CHILDREN LIVING IN THE HOUSE ALL HAVE CARS. MANY ARE NEW CARS, WITH PAYMENTS TO GO ALONG WITH THEM. SOME PEOPLE HAVE EXTRA CARS (MORE CARS THAN DRIVERS).

MORTGAGE PAYMENTS ARE NOW USUALLY ABOUT 1/2 OF THE MONTHLY INCOME. SOME PEOPLE TO GET BY FINANCIALLY, HAVE TAKEN OUT SECOND MORTGAGES ANN PUT THEMSELVES FURTHER IN DEBT. MANY FAMILIES WITH BOTH PARENTS WORKING CAN NOT AFFORD EVEN TO BUY A HOUSE.

MANY TIMES THE HOUSES ARE TOO BIG, WITH EXTRA ROOMS THAT BARELY GET USED. (SOME ARE ROOMS THAT ARE ONLY USED ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS). TODAY THE AVERAGE HOUSE IS AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR BEDROOMS WITH TWO OR TWO AND HALF BATHROOMS. MOST HOUSES HAVE FAMILY ROOMS AND DINING ROOMS.

IN HOUSES TODAY, YOU FIND EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE HAS A COLOR TELEVISION SET (USUALLY ONE IN EVERY BEDROOM). MOST FAMILIES HAVE AT LEAST ONE COMPUTER, SOME HAVE TWO, THREE OR MORE. TELEVISIONS ARE REPLACED FOR THE LATEST FLAT SCREENS, ALTHOUGH THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TELEVISIONS BEING REPLACED. THE CHILDREN NEED Wii's, PLAY STATIONS III REPLACING PLAY STATIONS I AND II. HOW MANY PHONES ARE IN THE HOUSE? HOW MANY VCR'S OR DVD RECORDERS? TODAY, WOULD IT BE OKAY WITH JUST HAVING FIVE TELEVISION STATIONS? WHO COULD LIVE WITHOUT CABLE OR SATELLITE TELEVISION?

WHAT ABOUT CLOTHES? HOW MANY PAIRS OF SNEAKERS DOES EACH CHILD OR ADULT HAVE? HOW MANY PAIRS OF JEANS, SHIRTS, UNDERWEAR, AND SOCKS, ETC.? HOW MANY CLOTHES HARDLY EVER GET WORN? HOW MANY NEVER GET WORN?

MANY PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE SAVINGS ACCOUNTS ANYMORE. PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MUCH MORE THEN THEY CAN EVER REPAY.

HAVE WE CREATED A FEEL GOOD SOCIETY? HAVE WE AN OVER ABUNDANCE OF THINGS? HAVE WE LOST WHAT IS TRULY VALUABLE? HAVE WE MADE THINGS MORE VALUABLE THEN FRIENDS AND FAMILY? HAVE WE LOST OUR WAY?

MAYBE WHAT WE ARE DOING AS PARENTS AND GRAND PARENTS IS OVERKILL. WHAT DO YOU THINK?