Re: Job ,house or Baby
Things certainly were different back then. My brothers seemed to be work orientated from the age of about 13. One of them used to make himself absent from school (Catholic) the same day every single week. He loved helping the same farmers who brought their livestock to the market and hired him as a herder. He was always paid cash in hand (they used to walk all livestock from their farms through the town back then).
My parents were at the end of their tether with trying to get him into school on that particular day of the week. They had visits from the Priest, the Mother Superior in charge of the school, even the Truant Officer!! Mum even marched him to the school gate on that particular day of the week to try and prevent him leaving, all to no avail, he would stay just long enough to have his name called for the register, make an excuse to go to the loo and away he would go. In the end, the Mother Superior completely gave up and said to him quietly "just make sure no-one else sees you leave". (imagine that happening today!!). Mind you, he put every penny he earned away and started his own business removing railway sleepers when he was 17, employed two of my other brothers, made enough money to be able to go to Catering College, went into Catering for himself and never looked back.
I do feel terribly sorry for the youngsters of today.though. They certainly don't have the opportunities we had by the virtue of hard work back then.
They have to have it in them to get up, get out there and make it happen, even though it is far harder nowadays.