Things aren't the same for kids these days as it was when I was younger.

No, I'm not about to go on a tirade about what's wrong with today's youth, because they're doing the best they can. But there's things that just seem missing today.

I was on my out to get my mailbox, and an oversized dump truck was barreling down my road. I don't know what prompted me, but I pumped my arm so the guy would blow his horn. Yes, maybe I did have a couple of beers before I went to get the mail, but that's not the point. The driver more than happily obliged my wishes.

Maybe it still happens sometimes, but I've never witnessed it.

I think I saw it in a meme somewhere, but it occurred to me, I've never seen a kid do that any time recently. My nephews had no idea what I was even talking about. But I'm sure you remember when big rigs would go by, all us kids would pump our arms up and down so the driver would give us a blast on the horn. It was the highlight of our day.

Maybe they like Instagram better than big trucks now?

I'm sure there's a ton of factors that have changed the landscape of kids lives today, versus ours back then. Maybe it's the fault of the internet. Maybe it's the trend of satellite parenting, I'm not 100% sure. But I also know kids today have to face a lot more day to day pressure then we did when we were young.

I'm sure you remember when big rigs would go by, all us kids would pump our arms up and down so the driver would give us a blast on the horn. It was the highlight of our day.

I suppose maybe every generation thinks the era they grew up in was the golden age, but I know a lot of these things I miss about mine, were taught to me by the older folks around me. So maybe today, take your kid outside, and stand by the side of the road, and show them the thrill of getting a big toot from a big rig.

You just might be teaching them way more than you think. You'll be teaching them that memories of your childhood are just as important as anything else they're doing. Once those childhood years are gone, you can't get them back. We all know that's the toughest part of adulthood there is.

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