By Will Santini

This generation is soft. Last night, my daughter and granddaughter spent hours making some fancy box so that all her little friends could leave Valentine’s Day cards for her. I thought it was strange because it’s not like she’s cute enough to be getting a whole bunch of cards. Maybe one or two, but nothing that requires a whole box with glued-on hearts and ribbons. I thought to myself, “Oh, is she going to have a disappointing day.” Then they pulled out a package of 24 cards, and my little grandbaby signed every last one of them for all the kids in the class. And the teacher! And I’ve met that lady. She’s no looker.

I couldn’t be quiet any longer, so I asked them what on Earth they were doing. “Grandpa, we do cards for everyone!” And that’s what’s wrong with this generation. In my day, we gave them to the little cuties. The girls did the same: only the toughest little 7-year-old fellas in the class got them. Life had a way of telling us our roles. School wasn’t a free-for-all where everyone loved everyone. It was a cold, brutal hierarchy where the strong survived and the weak were hardened, lonely little weirdos. Nothing like this confusion that happens nowadays. Can’t even give out candy because little Dylan may have a nut allergy and his throat will close up, or he’ll get ADHD. People got to learn their place in society. And kid — for most people, it’s not on the receiving end of a bunch of little heart-shaped cards.

By Emily Sanchez

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