How Responsible Are You?

What a day,
At lunch today whilst tucking in to a chicken, tomato and onion sandwich on multi-grain bread with an iced coffee, and reading the daily paper, a person pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down.

I didn’t raise my eyes, but thought how rude, he could have at least asked if I minded, Then I heard him say “Simmo (yes I am called Simmo in real life) you old son of a gun’ (actually he said you old bastard).

Well, well, here was my best mate from years and years ago. Rosco, I haven’t seen him for about 15 years. (not surprising seeing as he lives in Tasmania and I in Victoria) (Bass Strait separates us).

We were as close as mates could possibly be. There were times when we didn’t see each other for months at a time when I lived in Tassie. That didn’t stop me from asking for a small loan one day, ( I was just divorced and raising my 3 children alone at the time and had to give away work for a period of time) without batting an eyelid he handed over the required amount to help me out knowing it would be quite some time before I repaid him. (I did and he refused, saying that one day he may need an equally big favour from me).

Anyway that’s not what I am meaning to blog about,
We started reminiscing, things like how as kids we played with yo-yo’s and hula hoops, played ball games outside until it was dark.

We then started talking about music and how the music of today is a far cry from yesteryear.

Today we have reality shows, “place your own country here) Got Talent, or “the Voice” even the X factor and so on.
We have songwriters now churning out tunes so fast for the winners of these shows that they are very forgettable.
Not like when “Queen” ruled the world, fat bottomed girls, we are the champions, Bohemian Rhapsody (what an all time classic) the list is almost endless, of course there were the Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Beatles, AC/DC (Australia’s own) and when a little older “ABBA” Madonna, and Cher, The songs these sang and recorded are classics, recorded 20-30 years ago and still standing the test of time.

Today, Leona Lewis, Kelly Clarkson, Tim White are winners of such shows as mentioned above, all good singers, but will their songs be classics in 10-20 years.

What about 1 Direction? OMG, now as parents we vet the type of shows our children watch and even vet the sites they can access on the net. So why don’t we vet what type of music they listen too.

Growing up my daughters were in to the Back Street Boys (that’s where they finished up I think), Boyz to Men, (when they got to manhood they disappeared) and other such boy bands, as well as The Spice Girls. These performers didn’t even play their own instruments, not like the bands and singers of my day.

One day when taking my kids for a drive I put in a cassette of Queen, to my surprise all 3 of my kids were bopping and jiving in their seats loving “Freddy, Brian and the others that made Queen.
My kids had loved them and wanted to hear more from my collection, you beauty I thought, no more rubbish boy bands. They will be listening to real music now.

So I point out, it’s not too late to swing your children around and be a responsible parent,
don’t give in to today’s music,
it is about as real as Milli Vanilli.

And back to my Chicken, Tomato and Onion on Multi-grain bread sandwich, with an iced coffee..........