New York ain't the same no more

My father said, "New York ain't the same no more. His father said, "New York ain't the same no more. And his father said, "New York ain't the same no more."

I have been reading one of the library blogs I read and saw a criticism of some of the blogs that are both a little on the cynical side and promote negativity. Admitedly, there are more than a few that wouldn't exactly be described as boosterish and I suppose mine is one of those.

I know I hinted in one of my postings that children used to have more respect for their elders in the old days. When I was a kid, my parent's friends always said. "When I was a kid we had respect. Why if I had said half the things that kids say nowadays, my mother would have slapped my face." I heard that all through childhood and always felt vaguely guilty about all the things I was doing that I should have had my face slapped for.
Ten years ago I was at a party of people my age and someone in my group said, "When I was a kid we had respect. Why if I had said half the things that kids say nowadays, my mother would have slapped my face." At the time that scared the bejessubs out of me. It meant that I was finally an adult. It meant that I had become my parents, or at least that my friends had become my parents friends, which is even more scary.

Judging from the only documentary evidence I could find of children's behavior in the 40's, Our Gang, and teenager's behavior during that time period, the East Side Kids, I guess I will have to say that young people's behavior hasn't changed that much, except for the obscenities.

But the truth about work is that chronic complaining and bellyaching is the supreme pleasure of having a job. And talking about how things used to be better than they are now is a hard won pleasure that can only be gained with years of service to the profession.

At least now we know that such talk can frighten potential librarians in graduate school. Well, they'll find out anyway. Why in my day...