Things have changed dramatically

Things have changed dramatically over my 80 years of living. Some of the changes have been good -- such as the life expectancy has increased. Some of the changes are not so good -- we are witnessing political and social unrest all over the world almost daily. And, there are many changes that affect others, but not me personally, such as international travel in hours as opposed to ships taking days to cross the oceans. Really, those things that have changed, and their actual impact on my life is a matter of my own judgment about good, bad, or no effect. What I do know is that as I look back over the years and attempt to determine the value of my personal choices, I can now better understand how our nation has "allowed" certain situations to exist as they do today. We have "allowed" our nation to grow into a two party political system because it is easier than fighting the system to evoke change. We have "allowed" entertainment to dominate our lives and blur the satisfaction derived from hard labor.

Even though sports were important to me growing up, the prospect of a career as a professional player was not considered as an option. Reading about the famous industrial leaders such as Henry Ford and Thomas Edison prompted a desire to contribute to society through the means of industry rather than entertainment. Professional baseball players' salaries apparently were not as important as the desire of the players to participate for the love of the game. Football players' salaries were seldom mentioned and professional basketball barely existed in sports headlines. Of course professional sports were not "Big Business." The contributions of the great industrial leaders, not financial whiz kids, seemed much more important in my formative years than the guitar-strumming Hollywood productions that fill the television entertainment channels that we see today. Maybe my focus was limited to a realm of rural small-town exposure, but work and the contribution one made to society through that effort was regarded with high esteem, not belittled.

When I reflect on my own experiences and the decisions that ultimately brought me back to Northwest Arkansas, there are some satisfying moments and a lot of "what ifs." I would change very little in my education and professional life if I were doing it over. Changes to my personal life certainly would benefit from 20/20 hindsight.

My sons and their generation must make very difficult choices today not knowing if the decisions will prove in the future to be positive or negative in the sight of their children. Given the seemingly unlimited choices facing parents today, I am happy not to be put into a decision of choosing for them. If they must decide between church activities (whatever denomination or name), going to a child's sports practice or game, playing golf with the guys, taking the family to an entertainment park such as Disney or Sea World, or just relax at home, what do they choose? Not mentioned in the list is furthering their education for their jobs or to prepare themselves for future work/business opportunities, repairing minor problems with the dwelling, teaching the kids to do something like change the oil in the car or paint the house. Also of concern is keeping current on what is happening in the (corrupt?) political world and who is determining the future of our nation and the world. Confusing! I would think so.

Where, and on the basis of what personal goal and experience, do they make their decision? A recent sports article quoted a professional basketball player signing a contract that will pay him $153 million over five years -- an average of over $30 million per year. Contracts for professional athletes guaranteeing $50 million over the life of the contract is not unusual today. Does the parent help the child to prepare to become the one in a million athletes that will earn millions of dollars per year -- or does he or she guide the child through a boy scout type program to make him a better citizen? Or, does the parent show him how to scrape the peeling paint on the house or repair the leaking kitchen faucet and introduce him to the art of working with his hands ?

These questions could also apply to a daughter as easily as a son in today's world where women fly the newest generation of Air Force jet fighter aircraft and compete in every professional sport -- except maybe the National Hockey League. The world has made some major shifts in priorities in my lifetime. Women's salaries in professional sports do not match those of their male counterparts, but they are gaining.

If we turn our attention to the field of entertainment the wealth accrued by the superstars is like the sports arena. Prince had an estate estimated at over $300 million. A recent list compiled by the "Democrat-Gazette" staff gave singer-songwriter Taylor Swift the number one position in the list of the 10 highest paid celebrities. Forbes lists her income at $170 million. Pop star Adele was listed at $80.5 million. What impressionable day-dreaming young teenager wouldn't prefer that reward to doing "regular work?"

The question to be answered however applies to both males and females -- how do we determine what direction to prepare them to follow? The mother of this year's Republican presidential primary candidate and world renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Ben Carson, chose wisely. He became very successful outside the realm of sports or entertainment. When I received my degree at the University in Fayetteville, it was partially a result of the incentive of General Electric's President Ralph Cordinor's professional success. I grew into my adulthood reading about Mr. Cordinor and Edward Cole of General Motors.

Ralph J. Cordinor was born on a wheat farm in the state of Washington and studied economics at Whitman College. He became president of General Electric in 1950 and was chairman of the board and CEO from 1958 until 1963.

Edward Cole was the son of a dairy farmer and attended GM Institute and became an engineer. He became general manager of the Chevrolet Division of General Motors in 1956 and president of General Motors in 1967.

Do young people today look to industrial business types as role models? Or do the computer whiz kids make the prospects of developing the next multiple billion dollar computer app, such as Facebook, too attractive to consider a career outside of the internet? How do we make a career as an auto mechanic or an electrician more appealing to young people today? At what odds of success do they, and their parents, choose today?

In my career I met a man who left his position as an engineer in the company to work in the machine shop of that same company to expand his knowledge. When I met him he was the president of the company which was a major international manufacturer of machine tools. I met yet another individual who was an automobile mechanic who turned his love of working on imported European cars into a company that became the largest importer of German cars in America. I cannot help wondering how they would feel about our obsession with today's entertainment and pleasure.

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Editor's note: Leo Lynch is an award-winning columnist. A native of Benton County, he is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. He can be contacted at [email protected].