The times, they are a' changing

Since we last spoke... I have a kid.

Catriona is now 6.5 months old, and is quite something.

I could get all philosophical about it, but let's just say that I am slowly becoming one of "those Dads", with the pictures and the stories and all that.

You know. One of those Dads.

Fall has finally arrived in Richmond, and it's about goddamned time. Summer was unbearable, and seemed to last forever. Anybody who doesn't think that global warming isn't a reality is living a lie. The debate is no longer about how it happened or who or what caused it. It's here, now. We must no longer sit by and just let things continue in the manner they are going. We must change.

I owe it to my child (hopefully, children) to give them the best possible future, and that means a planet they can still live on without fear of catching an industrial disease when they take a walk down the street.

One of those Dads.

My generation will go down as the ones that fixed the massive issues our parents brought on us. Lifestyle diseases, horrifying suburban planning, runaway polluting... this is what my parents generation (yes, you Baby Boomers... you "Me" generation) has given to their grandchildren. My children.

I look outside of my house here in Barton Heights, and see the older houses that absentee landlords own and rent out on a monthly basis to people that seem to have an enormous amount of time on their hands. Where are they getting the rent money? Your guess is as good as mine. But the landlords don't care, as long as they are making money. Meanwhile, their properties continue to run down, as none of that cash goes towards upkeep.

Hope you choke on that cash.

And when those landlords finally get cancer, it'll be my taxes that will help pay for their final drug-induced (for comfort) days. And my taxes that will buy their condemned rental properties. And my taxes that will have to knock those houses down. And my taxes that will fence off their shit-infested pile of trash. And my taxes that will clean up their fucking mess.

Because if I don't, my children will have to. And that is just irresponsible.

Okay, I went off topic a little there. I'll try to reel it in now.

It was once remarked that my generation, Generation X, is known to be more conservative than the Baby Boomers.

I completely agree. But it's not the kind of conservative one expects. I honestly feel we are a socially liberal generation, but conservative of our traditions. Consider gay marriage: I strongly suspect that the average Gen Xer will say that they have no qualms with gay marriage, as it helps strengthen the social order through the building of family units. It's not a political issue, but an issue concerning social cohesion. This is a truly conservative view, preserving the underlying concept of what marriage is supposed to be about: family unit, which is the basis of all great societies.

We are conservative in that we are driven to preserve what we still have, before it is frittered away by our parents. Very soon will come the day of reckoning when Gen X stands up and takes this world away from the Boomers.

And fixes it.

Teach your children well, my fellows. They will be responsible for taking over what we rebuild, and if we do it right they will be able to go even farther than we have... since they don't have to take a backwards step and clean up our crap.