My son doesn’t eat cereal, but if he did I bet he would not appreciate it to the same extent as those of us who grew up prior to the Video Game Age.  Back in the day  (yes…one of my favorite phrases), parents showed their Jenerosity by buying the cereal that contained the best prize or contest to enter.  Opening up the cereal and digging to the bottom to get the goods before your siblings woke up was the highlight of every new box.

Nowadays, kids don’t care about cereal like we did.  It is just that…cereal.  It is not a toy or a component of pop culture.  It is not something you talk about at school.  It is not worth switching brands to something less desireable just to experience the joy of discovery.  Those were the days of eating two bowls just so you could open the new box sooner. Those were the days of studying the milk carton to see if you knew the person on the back. Those were the days of fewer choices and less pressure to buy Organic, fat-free or low-carb.  We didn’t have fancy video games or expensive forms of entertainment.  We had rollerskates, bikes, chalk, Cracker Jacks and cereal boxes.  Life was simpler and cereal was appreciated…a symbol of Jenerosity from parent to child.

While I appreciate so many of today’s conveniences, I find myself often longing for the days when Jenerosity was less complex and when people were more appreciative of the simpler things…the days when something as simple as buying the cool box of cereal pleased your kids.  Mine wants bacon and eggs everyday.  Does that tell you something?