When you have lived for nearly three quarters of a century, you begin to see how much life has changed. The morals that were in place in the 1950s would seem almost prudish to today’s teenagers – assuming they have them at all. Prior to color television, we watched The Donna Reed Show, I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Father Knows Best in black and white; where couples were never seen in the same bed together. Fast forward to movies in the 2020s and you will see intimate scenes on your television screen that rival that of porn. Sex was just as prevalent 75 years ago. Marital affairs, incest, and rape were just as common; but the taboo was in talking about such matters. The sexual revolution, which began in the 1960s, has kept rolling, seemingly gathering momentum over the years. The pendulum between the sexual denial of the Victorian era and the promiscuity of today has swung further than could have been imagined.
Clearly, the human race is undergoing a moral upheaval, especially where family values are concerned. Rebellion against organized religion, that for centuries had suppressed and hidden many human behaviors, has created a fissure in the stability of our culture.
Roughly fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. The average marriage lasts only seven years. Still, there are a surprising number of people who still believe in the lies they tell themselves. Thousands of dollars are spent on elaborate weddings, for marriages that often end in the first year or two. Still, many cling to the fantasy of “happily ever after.” Others live sexually active lives without ever considering marriage.
Life continues to change and each new generation views the world through a different lens than the previous generation. In 1969, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young recorded Teach Your Children. We have very little control over the code our children choose to live by. We can only look at them and sigh.
