Expectations - A Thought

According to the dictionary, expectations are the probability of a thing happening.

In the past century, expectations were to live to the ripe old age of thirty years; the realization that many babies would not see one year old; that one’s belly would more often growl with hunger than sigh with contentment; that children would have rickets and most people would go to their grave without a full set of their own teeth.

Conditions gradually improved. People lived longer; babies had a better chance of living past their first year and fewer new mothers died during child birth. The cause of rickets was discovered and the expectation was to grow up without the bowed legs of deprivation. Many of today’s seniors may not die with their own teeth but with education and preventative measures, the expectation of young people is that they will.

More recently the dream was to have a small plot of land and a modest home. If they were able to have a car, they considered themselves the lucky ones. They worked long hours and if no catastrophe befell them, they managed a week vacation in the summertime. Their children did not have music lessons and likely ran barefoot in the summer because shoes were expensive. People lived in fear that if the father, usually the primary wage earner, fell ill or died, the family would become destitute. People had less; wanted less and were satisfied with less because they had few expectations that there could be more.

Today our expectations are higher. We expect that we will have fancy, big houses; the best of furniture and two relatively new cars. Our children likely have designer clothes; more than they will ever wear and none they will ever wear out. They have more toys than they even know they own and the latest and greatest of everything. They have lessons in everything but no time for family. The work day is shorter but the time to relax less. The feeling of gratitude for what life has given us no longer exists.

We expect higher wages and faraway and exotic vacations – going camping is no longer considered to be an enjoyable holiday. Family time is valued less and adult time is valued more. We have fewer children because we do not have time for more and large families are expensive. Our expectations are to be successful so we work towards promotions and the next rung in our chosen field.

With our new expectations, we have lost close family connections; the joy of spending fun time with a child; spending a rainy afternoon reading a book or having a relaxing meal with family without the necessity of rushing to a game, a meeting or a lesson. There’s been a swing of the pendulum. We are more self-centered – we are the ‘me’ generation. What will our expectations bring us next?