Taking it easy is not the answer to a healthy society

I spent the Fourth of July sitting on the porch of our cabin on the river thanking God we had a cabin on the river. I tried to ignore the roaring jet skis and speedboats pulling kids on inner tubes. I groaned inwardly as they churned the water of my favorite fishing hole into a white froth.

One interesting boat towed an inflated contraption that looked like a large living room couch. It carried three or four riders in a sitting position, no training or effort required. You could even include the family dog if you wanted.

I was mildly surprised when a boat zoomed by pulling a person on old-fashioned water skis. The skier looked fairly skilled, leading me to believe she was somewhat older than the riders on the air divan.

I remember trying to learn to water ski when I was a youth. My girlfriend’s parents had a cabin on a lake and the requisite speed boat. After a 15-minute dockside lesson, I was ready for my first real ride. We went to the middle of the lake, and I assumed the position: skis up, bottom down, rope between the skis. I gave the appropriate signal and the boat shot forward pulling me out of the skis. I forgot the part in the instructions about letting go of the rope and I went down like a deep-running bass plug.

When my girlfriend’s dad finally retrieved me, he decided I wasn’t cut out to be a water skier. Water skiing is a skill that needs to be learned before you are rewarded by the pleasure of skimming across the waves. We don’t do that anymore. Why spend the time and effort to learn a skill when you can just plop your bottom in an inner tube and have instant fun?

I tried to get my high school English students interested in Shakespeare by telling them that it would make their lives fuller. Many didn’t understand the concept of a fuller life. Those who did said they were fulfilled by sitting alone and playing Game Boy on their phones. I have never read a help wanted ad seeking someone skilled in playing Game Boy.

I tried everything I knew to encourage my students to read. I quit requiring outside reading when they turned in movie synopses for book reports. Some even included the list of actors. Getting them interested in math concepts was even more difficult. It is impossible to think mathematically without fluency in the multiplication tables. I was told by my teenage experts that hand-held calculators made multiplication tables obsolete. When I banned calculators form my freshman algebra class, it almost started a riot.

A few years ago, I had occasion to research the criteria employers use to screen applicants. Among applicants with the requisite skills and experience, employers want three basic characteristics.

The first is social skills. They value employees who get along with others.

Second is reliability — those who show up on time every day.

The third is a willingness to learn.

I also found it interesting that the leading reasons employees are fired is not showing up on time or not getting along. Added together, these attributes become work ethic. I wonder if we are teaching our youth these skills. Are we raising a generation unwilling or unable to apply themselves to difficult challenges?

Americans prize ourselves on being at the leading edge of technology. If we hope to remain there, we must train our replacements. I am not talking only about our public school system. Our schools teach the values of our society. Our society must expect our children to succeed in the face of adversity. If not, we will continue to import doctors and engineers from other cultures.

Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free-lance columnist for over 19 years.