Thursday

Today is Thursday and as such it is the last day of school for the New York City schools before Spring Break. This means that the little girl will be home from now until a week after Monday. First day back in school, I think is April 13.

Her mom goes off to work so I will try to keep her entertained. I asked her what she wanted to do or see but as of now no definite plans have been developed. These kids are funny. They are perfectly happy staying indoors and skype-ing or playing computer games or watch kids' movies.

Thinking back when I was at this age (13) I don't think I was or we were any different. With the exception that we had no skype, no computer. It's was not that we didn't have it, it was because they were not yet invented. Looking back those were really the dark ages of civilization.

But we were never bored. There was a funny thing that kind of entertained us in our spare times. They were called BOOKS. We read and read and read. We read all kinds of books: adventure, literature anything that was available.

My parents had a series of encyclopedias. I loved to read those volumes. It never mattered which volume I picked up or where I opened it there was always something interesting to find.

Today's kids, now that I see them close up, are totally different. My only hope is that as the years go by they change because now their sphere of interest is about the size of a pea. There is no world existing outside of playing. Helping at home is unheard of, being serious just for seriousness' sake is unheard of.

In a way they are so lucky to be able to live this easy life. The sad thing is that they don't know how lucky they are. Everything they get is coming to them and they are entitled to nothing less than the best.

Maybe I am envious of this life. I went through the war and when I was at this age we just survived the ghetto in Budapest and I was glad for the food I got. I never demanded anything and I think that stayed with me for the rest of my life.

I really like this little girl and I wish nothing but the best for her. I also wish that she would never know the sorrow we went through in our lives.