Marrying the Game: 2011

Hello All!
I would like for this post to be an interactive one. Below are the lyrics to the song "Homeboy" by Erick Church. Under the lyrics I will write my thoughts on the song and I would love to hear yours in the comments. I want to know if you feel like this song is a good representation of what we are seeing in today's youth, or just another country song bashing on the hip-hop culture.
~
You were too bad for a little square town,
With your hip-hop hat and your pants on the ground,
Heard you cussed out mama, pushed daddy around
before you tore off in his car…

Here you are running these dirty old streets
Tattoo on your neck, fake gold on your teeth
Got the ‘hood here snowed, but you can’t fool me
We both know who you are

Homeboy, you’re gonna wish one day,
That you were sittin’ on a gate of a truck by the lake
With your high school flame on one side, ice cold beer on the other
Ain’t no shame in a blue collar forty, little house, little kid, little small town story
If you don’t ever do anything else for me, just do this for me brother,
Come on home, boy.

I was haulin’ this hay to Uncle Joe’s farm,
Thought of us barefoot kids in the yard,
Man, it seems we were just catchin' snakes in the barn
Now you’re caught up in this mess
I could use a little help unloading these bales
I could keep you pretty busy with a hammer and nails
Ain’t a glamorous life but it will keep you outta jail,
Not worry us all to death

Homeboy, you’re gonna wish one day,
That you were sittin’ on a gate of a truck by the lake
With your high school flame on one side, ice cold beer on the other
Ain’t no shame in a blue collar forty, little house, little kid, little small town story
If you don’t ever do anything else for me, just do this for me brother,
come on home, boy,
Come on home, boy…

You can’t hold back the hands of time,
Mama’s goin’ grey, and so is daddy’s mind
I Wish you’d come on back and make it all right
Before they’re called home, boy…

Homeboy
Come on home, boy
Homeboy
Come on home, boy.
~
My Review:
I first heard this song riding in the car with Travis. He turned up the volume and told me to listen to the lyrics, and afterwards asked my thoughts. I think it's sad that these days kids think that you have to be bad to be cool. I remember the fashion fads of the nineties, believe me, and I know 21 year olds were looking at us pre-teens wondering what in the world we were thinking. But seeing thoughtful and kind pre-teens and teenagers walking around with pants under their bums and talking back to adults, makes me shake my head. I wasn't brought up in a southern home where "yes sir" and "yes ma'am" were frequently used, but I can assure you that I never spoke to my parents the way I see some kids do now.
Though this song can be seen by some as a poke at hip-hop culture, which, for the record I completely respect; I also see it as coming from somebody like me. As a coach's future wife, I see kids coming from different backgrounds come together to play a respected team sport. One thing that frustrates me more than most anything else, is seeing a respectful athlete on the field, turn into a wanna-be thug when they come out of the locker room and walk to their mom's van.
"Homeboy" is coming from a country view, but I know there are frustrated parents in middle income America that try hard to make their child's life everything they could wish it to be, and watch their child walk in the door from school with a bad demeanor and no respect.
I would like to note that I don't feel this is to be blamed on any specific kind of pop culture, but a mixture of in your face violence and world events that shape today's teens. All I am asking for, is a respect for adults and authority figures, but most of all, respect yourself for who you are and where you came from.

Please comment, thanks all!

Alright, my cooking skills have been as advanced as grilling frozen chicken breasts on my George Forman and mixing that with alfredo sauce and pasta. So tonight, I ventured into a new era, roasted chicken.
I found a recipe in, of course, a Martha Stewert magazine... (have I mentioned that I strive to be like her: excluding the legal troubles of course, orange is not my color). This recipe called for a small whole chicken, resting on a can of Guiness with sprigs of thyme. I made boiled potatoes and green beans for the side.
One hour and a smokey house later, The Bird emerged victorious. It was like winning the state championship! I served the meal with the sides and homemade gravy made from the drippings, and it was the best thing I have ever made! Travis and a mutual friend ate all but two slices of breast meat, which helped me soak up the remaining gravy.
Travis will be doing the dishes tomorrow, by the way.