The role of parents to teach, guide and nurture their children is an ongoing process and never a perfect art.  There is no book of instructions that comes with a newborn baby so we are left to our own devices to raise our children.   The way we were brought up is the basis for what we do with our own children.  Our community is the other component in the rearing of our kids.  We live in a society where there are expectations as to how we conduct ourselves.  It is what makes us ‘civilized’.  Throughout history there have been many society’s that have grown to greatness and then fallen.  All that remains are ruins and relics.  archaeologists try to piece together the ‘puzzle’ of what kind of life its’ citizens had lived, and what caused the eventual downfall.  I wonder what legacy our society will leave for future generations of people to find?  The greatest country in the world, the stability and strength of the United States has been admirable.  Life as we once knew it and our society however, are at risk.  The growing disparity between the rich and the poor, the uncontrolled growth and spending of a government that is run by those who have lost touch with everyday people, the shift of mindset of people who now believe government should provide for them instead of being responsible for themselves, and a government that is compelled to protect its people from themselves with lots of laws .  Today our so-called ‘entertainment’ is made up of people with no talent, just bad attitudes and behavior.  Song lyrics filled with hate and profanity are ‘hits’; reality TV is stocked  with talentless, self-centered people with nothing more than bad attitudes and these people we call ‘celebrities’.   I call this new mindset the ‘devolution’ of our culture.  Slowly we are changing and with it our children’s values are changing as well.  We have lowered the bar for ourselves and our society and the impact of it will alter the course of history. I am an optimist and always try to see things in a positive way however, turning on a radio or television lately just scares me and makes me wonder, will this madness ever end?