Problemative- Lanyard by Billy Collins

In the poem, "Lanyard" by Billy Collins, it was interesting to see the author try and match his mothers love to a "two-tone lanyard". Many young people today are this same way they try and down grade the love of her their mothers and realize they can never pay her back for everything she has done and will continue to do. The problem here is that every time we think about one of the simplest things as even giving us medicine when we are sick, nothing we give can ever measure up to that. But yet we still must try, not try to pay her back but to show her that we appreciate everything and that we are grateful.

That is the issue that I see we are faced with in today's culture, that not many young people are grateful for what their parents are doing for them, and some even take the stand that parents should do certain things for them. And they clearly have it twisted especially when young people are not doing everything they should to excel there is no way kids should get anything extra than what is needed. But our generation youth have the best technology, clothes, fancy this and that. And yet, they are disrespectful, do not get good grades and do not really have any goals in life. But parents see these things yet they do not address them, so they handicap kids and then they grow up with the worthless, useless mentality and do not make anything of themselves.

But the author clearly shows that even his trying will never measure up to the level of love that his mother has shown toward him. He calls his lanyard, "useless and worthless", maybe this is reflective of how he may see himself and everything he has done for her over the years. And now that he is reaching a place of understanding mentally that he must do better.

So many young people do not come to that realization until it is too late and they find themselves in despair over the loss and now lack of a mother in their lives. If they would only even try and show their mom how much they care if they would only try and make a card or a meal, or give a hug or a smile. Or even a lanyard.

Blog # 6