"We're raising a bunch of wimps and cry babies!"
This was the final assessment from my riding instructor after a short rant about the "Love Me" generation as he called it. The conversation began with him giving a bit of grief to the other girl in my lesson last night. Not real grief mind you, but just enough to make you happy you're not on the receiving end of it. I know because last night I was able to chuckle at his jokes about being a big chicken on a small horse. He wasn't talking to me this time which was amazing in itself. Let me give you a bit of background so you can appreciate the humor of it.
The place I ride is owned and operated by a husband and wife team. Katie teaches my Sunday lesson and Jamal takes on the Thursday night group. Jamal is also a horse trainer and competes internationally on the Grand Prix circuit. Years ago when I first came to Boston Equestrian I was terrified of the guy because the only time I saw him was when he was training the jumpers and he was always yelling at the riders. He's mellowed considerably since then and I have found he's more amusing than frightening. Imagine a Moroccan Arab with a French accent and you're nearly there. Add a hefty dose of "reformed" ladies man and political incorrectness and you've got him. He's always quick with a joke and gives his view on life quite freely. If, as a woman, you have a problem being called "sweetheart" "cutie-pie" or any manner of silly pet name you might as well go home. Stuff like that has never bothered me anyway and I would think it foolish to expect someone who grew up in Morocco to conform to our overzealous sense of appropriate.
Anyway, back to his Love Me generation and here I must paraphrase:

"...these kids, the first thing they hear in the morning from their parent is 'I love you!' (and here he is pulling a silly face and cooing as if talking to a baby)
and at night the last thing they hear before bed is 'I love you!' And what happens?? The first time someone tells them "no" they wrap a cord around their neck and hang themselves. We're raising a bunch of wimps and cry babies!"

Funny thing is Katie is American and they've got three young children. I can only imagine (and laugh) at what it must be like on parent night at school or some other social situation where they've got to mix with your usual bunch of suburbanites dead set on raising mindless and soft consumers. I'm sure there's a sitcom in there somewhere and it sure as hell wouldn't need a laugh track.