Monday, November 22, 2004

Setting the stage, and other things we don't want to do

As time marches on, we experience many changes in the world. What was once thought taboo is now common. What was once an acceptable practice is now persecuted. The common denominator is the older generation’s disgust in the situation of society. They fail to realize the vital part they play in catalyzing the loss of values and the liberation of what was once denounced .

The alarming rate of children’s desire to wear sexy clothing at earlier and earlier ages, causes much concern for the older generation. The fashion statement escapes them. Many people have shown disappointment in types of language they see and hear in everyday life. They can’t understand the obsession with young adults paying for breast implants. They can’t believe that things that were once free of charge, now cost money. They show despair for the lazy attitude and lack of work ethic in the young generation. They are appalled at the violence portrayed in the video games kids play today. It used to be very shameful to live with a member of the opposite sex, unless they are married. Today many couples have children together without getting married. They can’t believe the amount of money professional sports players earn today.

Less than two hundred years ago, slavery was still an accepted practice in the United States. During the abolition of slavery, many white people had a very difficult time dealing with the freedom of the men and women from Africa. Later still, people had a hard time accepting them as Americans, today we still call them African-Americans. There was a time that it was perfectly acceptable to smoke marijuana, which has now been prohibited. Children could ride their bicycles down the street with out a helmet. The people could speak freely with their opinions on the government, without fear of being targeted as a terrorist. There were less taxes, more freedoms and a more united spirit in the world amongst the citizens. In fact…only the governments of the world are experiencing more unity as they try to gain control of the entire world. The more land to cover, the more government officials will be needed to control the world, so there is no fear of losing power.

After all this, our grandmothers and grandfathers are frequently asking the rhetorical question. “What is the world coming to?” What the world is coming to is the train station at the end of the railroad they put us on. Everything that we do today, we learned from our elders, applied knowledge and learned more to provide the future with the new platform. If we like wearing sexier clothing, getting plastic surgery, and starving ourselves, we learned that from the older generation. Directly or indirectly, The elders showed us how important is was to look good. They taught us racism and judgment. They showed us that humans could not handle marriage the way humans did in the older days. They proved how we can not be trusted with our own safety, or our own opinions. Whether we follow their advice and examples or rebel against them, it was the elders that failed to guide us into positivity by example. It may be too late for them to do anything, but instead of blaming it all on them, we need to correct the problem. Starting today, understand that everybody that follows you, will reflect you. You can refuse to believe it all you want, but without our direction, humans would be wandering around the Earth, picking fruits and nuts for food, playing and procreating in the sunshine. Embrace the future, and set the stage for all of those that come after you. You will see the fruits of your examples before you die, so make sure you will feel satisfied when that day comes. If you aren’t satisfied, nobody wants to hear you say, “What has this world come to?”

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing your take on the never-ending "Dance of the Generations."  It is a dance that has been going on now for about 30 million years; or as long ago when our grandfathers to the 1,000th power evolved to homo erectus- human animals who stood erecte....homo sapiens (thinking humans) with brains 15  times the size of the brain in our nearest cousin - the chimpanze...men and women with thumbs (chimps haveeight fingers, no thumb)s that allowed them - and us - to write, to draw, to sculpt, to hold a scalpel, to hold a  phone, the build things.

Seventy five years ago, all women wore dresses down to their ankles "to hide their shame."  Forty five years later, girls were wearing mini dresses and bikinis - without shame.  

Fashion changes.  It is fashionable to change.  And change is always good.  People's habits change constantly.  That is the nature of the human.  But  we ARE animals.  Of the family mammalia (breast feeding).  So we have inbred in us some traits that never change from generation to generation, eons to eons.

The left-brained among us- the male animal - is very territorial and very selfish.  Men can be ruthless in business or on the football field or in Iraq.   Men can be arrogant, cruel, indifferent to the plight of others.  George Bush for example.  He  is sacrificing those young 18 and 19-year-old boys we  see  at the end of the Jim Lehrer News Hour every night just to justify a wrongful war.

Generational change is NOT fashion change.  It is a change in the way we see ourselves and the way we treat others.  Before Reagan, we all got along pretty well in this country.  We had had 26 years of un-segregated society, we were all assimilating nicely until Mr. Reagan made the '80's the beginning of a new era in American life.

The beginning of the Age of Greed.

Will be get back to caring for