‘Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all.
Tennyson wrote this in 1850 as part of his poem, “In Memoriam: 27”. Probably, it served as good advice for most of the next century. But we’re in the 21st century now. Times have changed. The next generation faces stuff. Big stuff. Would not a more timely update of this sage advice read something like this:
‘Tis better to have loved and lost / Than to have been tied up, tortured, and cut into pieces by your lover, and then have your life turned into a direct-to-DVD movie.
If you, too, “believe the children are our future”, don’t just teach them well, show them the necessary survival and evasion skills that will be required when the insurrection is fabricated online.
Give them organic poetry for breakfast.
Grill them fresh, local literature for lunch.
Prepare them dinners of free-range prose.
Tomorrow is always too late.