As an appendage to a previous article I wrote about the decline in standards around the world, I just have to add my latest concern.
These all have to do with children who I believe we are letting down big time, not only for their sakes but for future generations.
Today, I had lunch with a group of my vintage friends, yes, we're senior citizens, and one of these lovely friends of ours works in the bedding department of one of our city retail department stores.
In the course of righting the wrongs of our country's political leaders, and our government in general, the conversation naturally turned to our children and grandchildren, their futures, and the stresses of modern life on all of them, plus the continual lowering of standards.
And just when you thought standards could not drop any lower, our friend shocked us to the core with incidents that happen in the course of her days at work.
Between 3PM and 4PM weekdays when the bedding department is quieter than at weekends, she told us that on a regular basis three teenagers in school uniforms, will wander through her department, mostly two girls and one boy.
They find a quiet cosy corner with a nice bedroom setup, and I can't even go into detail here of what she said goes on, before she or someone else spots them and calls security.
The extra girl in the scenario is recording the scene taking place on the bed, on her mobile phone, and in doing this, they are too innocent to know, that, that recording will be there to embarrass and shame them for a very very long time to come.
I realise that many parents are single and trying to do the very best for their families, but shouldn't rules, limits and some boundaries be applied? Shouldn't parents know where their children are going to be after school, and shouldn't they know who their friends are? I know this can be done, because I know of two single mothers who did a wonderful job.
I have four beautiful and so far, innocent grandchildren, and I cannot conceive of any one of them stooping so low in a department store or anywhere else for that matter.
I am very happy that their mothers make it their business to be home when they are, at the expense of that extra money they could earn with a full time career, outside their homes.
I believe the evolution of women having it all, that is career and motherhood, has in some cases, been to the detriment of children.
The "career" of motherhood should never be taken lightly, it's such a short noble one, and of course a "labour of love" but a most enjoyable, satisfactory one, especially for the children we love.
It is always worth much more than money!