I recently heard a song on the radio called Orange County. It talks about a couple who live there and fall in love and then the girl gets pregnant and has to quit school and the guy gets a job, ect. Pretty much their lives go downhill. To me this does not represent Orange County, at least not the one I grew up in. I remember going to the beach a lot with my family. Dad introduced us the the water. We would have so much fun making sandcastles and playing in the water. Dad would get some lunch for us on the way there so we wouldn't have to leave for lunch. Usually KFC or Weinerschnitzel. Then we would go home and take baths and when I got in my pajamas, I was so tired. As the years went by, I would still go to the beach frequently, in highschool we had cookouts, and parties there. In college I would go by myself after school and just sit there and enjoy my surroundings. Sometimes I would bring my journal and write in it. The beach is something I love about Orange County. It feels like my second home, or even sometimes my first. So that is what I think about when I hear the words Orange County. Not teenagers ruining their lives with sex, popularity contests, and prepaid minutes from AT&T. I'm glad that things were the way they were when I was growing up there and not the way they are now.
I think they may have been somewhat that way while you grew up. A lot of our perspective of a place comes from our attitude, choices, and the situation we grew up in.
ReplyDeleteGood times!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. Ben, but it's definately gotten worse compared to 20 years ago.
Seems like too many kids having kids, or people who aren't kids who still shouldn't have kids. There is definately a lot of pressure on young girls to have sex in order to "keep" their boyfriend.
I think we run so fast in our lives now, we live in a world where it's a requirement for most families to have 2-incomes, and the sacrifice unfortunately for most is proper parenting because parents don't have the time to give their kids!
Anyone who can work part time, like me, or be a FT stay at home mom are very fortunate.
I fear raising a daughter in the Britney/Paris era (or whomever comes along next). I wish kids had more respect towards others and their possesions, I wish kids didn't have so much given to them and not learning the value of a dollar.
Boy, I'm getting old. Guess once you become a parent your outlook on life definately changes.
Jennifer you are funny. I agree though, things have changed a lot in the last 20 years.
ReplyDeleteI love those pictures of us at the beach with our grub and our Strawberry Shortcake suits.
ReplyDeletethis is mandy by the way- all of my posts are coming up as ben and mandy:) I loved growing up in orange county- it was the best- I don't like songs like that- and that's why I refuse to watch laguna beach or the OC because they are soooo dumb and don't portray orange county correctly- it's all in the eye of the beholder.
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