What don't I know? I don't know lots of things. Particularly in silence and math, where I am still trying to comprehend quadratic equations or those annoying mathematical problems re two trains coming at each other! Or in understanding of the circuitous roads and byways we have been traveling on of late - in fact, the entire world seems to have gotten lost somewhere and are proving incapable of discovering a way out. Nor can all the technology within our navigating devices direct us to safe harbor. Nor how to explain that failure.
That failure to navigate ourselves and those accompanying us to a place of relative safety is actually the failure of ourselves and the most incompetent leaders we have foisted upon all of us. So much so that there is a dearth, perhaps a complete condition of such, that we cannot find a single one with the knowledge, the charisma, the wisdom, the courage and nobility within and the ability, desire and strength to do so. We seem to be bereft of any such candidate, not even coming close. Better yet, where have they all gone?
That certainly is a question of the day which begs an answer. Which demands an answer. And unless we do find an answer, we will not be able to address the matter with any kind of meaningful success. Asked a question yesterday, as to why the older generation feels so strongly about the current world situation, particularly within America, why so, yes, afraid, my curiosity was piqued.
Truly. How the hell did we arrive at such a place. Rife with anime. Of strong emotions. Of demands so loud, thundering within our ears and hearts, that we do not hear each other. In fact, perhaps we do not want to hear each other, certainly not anything which might change some of our preconceptions and long held beliefs which stand as steel walls against all intruders.
However. This is not a problem unique to the older generation. It is a problem of all the generations of the world today. We don't want to hear each other. We refuse to hear each other. We refuse to share with compatibility and patience. Mankind has been here so often, and it boggles the mind that we still have no idea as to how to solve this ever recurring disconnect among the generations. Such a skill would save us a whole lot of trouble and allow for a much better functioning world and citizens within. Who would not only see and think of the me, me, me, but rather of the you and me.
So, from whence does this ever-recurring division, this conflict of emotions and attitudes among the generations derive? It breathes and grows, I believe, from the normal differing viewpoints of the generations. The oldest generation, the most life experienced generation, grows impatient with the next generation or two down the line. Here they are, ready and willing, eager even, to share the knowledge of the experiences they have lived, even as those younger generations do not want to hear. They know best, they feel, for themselves,
It goes into a situation of a we have seen it, lived, know it, and all its foibles and wobbles, how so instantly things can change. From wonderful to OK. To just bearable. To too awful. How society becomes a motley collection of hate bearing people who know not why they scream invective at others but do so because all else are doing it. The division and misunderstandings grow apace, deepen beyond repair, and here we are in one aspect of this generational war.
However. In the midst of this attention grabbing and conflict, constant arguments, tempers rising and falling, but always at a higher pitch, enters yet another variable. The younger generation. Those who think they are capable of thinking for themselves. Of knowing better. They are not the people, the generation which has lost its idealism, starry-eyed people who have outlived their usefulness and ability to make things right. Their wisdom? Useless in the current world. And the generations between have lost their Ideals. If they ever even had them to any meaningful degree. Ever. They discarded their morals alongside the roads, into the ditches to be ignored. These in between generations gave up the right and engaged in other arenas of combat: material success. The youngest generations scorn them for this desertion. Even as their parents are hurt, for hasn't it all been for their families?
This greatly bothers the younger generation. But. standardly, the young challenge the older in society. The current conditions they have been given without any input upsets them and offends their arrogance of the young. Certainly, they feel, we know better. We have not lost our enthusiasm. We have not lost that sense of idealism. And we know we can change the world for the better. But to do so, we must first tear it down. And rebuild from scratch. And so out they throw themselves. Biting, kicking and screaming. Impatient with those older than they are who do not see the true structure of society, who resist it. Enter stage ...
And the interplay and the rivalry and alliances grow more complex and divisive. At times a compatibility between the older and the younger generation can grow. Once upon a time that generation was also full of vigor. Considered themselves to be the forefront of a new world. As soon as they got rid of the old one. And so, the two generations commiserate with each other. Both untie in wonder at the vices and faults of the in between generations.
However., as the world turns, as it tends to do, until we finally toss it off its axis, the older generation tries to moderate their younger partners, their compadres in the efforts to fix the world. They know that nothing happens overnight. It all takes time. However. These kids have no patience with this. They want it now. As they have gotten everything now throughout their lives. All they had asked for or felt entitled to. Their enthusiasm was commendable but illogical in thermal world.
Reality punches its way in, and trouble grows between these former allies. Disillusionment and impatience grow as they realize others do not realize nor accept how different and special they are. But it was obvious to all, was it not, how they would create success where before others had only failure. They would engender enough force to instill all their idealistic thoughts and goals within the societies of the day. Just watch!
Their allies, the older generation, wishing to save them agony. tried to moderate their goals. To channel their enthusiasm. And to lose their arrogance. They could not fix the world. Certainly not in one vast single effort. Begin the changes, move them further along. Aoid all that agony of the soul which came with the conceit of youth, their know-it-all attitudes, and the inevitable deep hurt of an inevitable failure to do it all.
Their attempts to make the world a better place arrived exactly where all overblown attempts go, only perhaps worse, as it is right now. Every day we seed more woes and disagreement. Threats of war and war itself. A world finishing itself and endangering itself. Carelessly, sans forethought. The older generation becomes concerned, as this ugliness grows and intensifies. With one vital difference. They feel and remember all from when they were the younger generation. As I do.
For much of our rebellion we wished to include all. Throw a blanket of acceptance to all. Invite them into the tent rather than cast any out. As they became disillusioned, impatient, and impotent in any forward movement, at least to their satisfaction, their anger grew and intensified. Why were their idealistic viewpoints not accepted? In their weariness at fighting for something that appeared to be unachievable, this older generation, (when young), simply opted out.
Some tuned out. Some got lost in the drug fog, or in the hippie movement and some just realized they had to get on with life. Until such time came that they found themselves suddenly those middle generations and wondered. Where had it gone; why it had gone? But then, never mind, for it is the today we must pay attention to, rather than the past. As for the future, perhaps as we go along, or perhaps just leave it to the younger ones coming up. We were there, did our part, and now it is their turn. Leave the improvement of the future for the young; we did our part and now it is the today we must address. And so, the seemingly critical issues faded away in the pressure and concerns of the todays we then faced and got on with what was the immediate needs to be addressed.
Ignored was the fact that this younger generation is not buying into that way of life, that evolution of the generations. They do not tune out. They do not grow a sense of brotherhood and unity. In fact, those values have never actually been very much present at all. Instead, has been a unity of hatred, a most divisive unity. It is a frightening contradictory, oxymoronic agreement within to unite in ways and means and actions of hate, pure, ugly hate.
Whereas we, the older generation, began our revolution? Rebellion? Quest for Change? as did most of the generations before us, as we all moved at different paces with achievement of our goals - equity, brotherhood, an end of war, especially the brutality of Vietnam, that of this younger generation is highly different. This version began in a world of ugliness, of acceptance lies. With a resurgence of all the ugliness of our yesterdays. All that the world had learned and vowed to spurn, for the horror that it perpetrated upon humanity was too awful to contemplate. We hoped that the proponents of this terror had been kicked out of the door and forbidden to return. But they have, have they not? Worse - they have returned via a path never thought to be open for them - the supposed to be idealistic youngest generation, those who fought traditionally for positive and humanistic change. For a better mankind. Not for a new generation of hate and violence.
So, we have a tripartite segmentation of the societies within the world today. Actually, there is a 4th. The youngest of all. Children absorbing what is around them. Confused. Wondering. And the oldest generation sees these occurrences and trends, observes the youngest turn sour when exposed to the ones just above, and are frightened by what appears to be a terrible repetition of history, one they never wished to see ever again.
The world of dictators and violence. Of hate and destruction. They wish to share all that their lives have taught them but find not an open door, only ones tightly shut and locked. the world remains hostile to their knowledge and their fear and apprehension grows by leaps and bounds. For they have lived the changes which come about under similar circumstances. The change from democracy to autocracy. To situations of sudden arrests and disappearance. Of violence from those who are supposed to ensure safety for the citizens of the land. They have seen and know and lived the loss of rights, the ugliness and hopelessness of corrupt individuals and groups at the head of the nation.
They know. Firsthand, many of them. They wish to help. They fear its return - here, in America and round the world. And so few wish to hear their words.
The middle generation does not want to hear. They saw how their parents wasted the years. How they had to juggle to support families. How they had to spurn old beliefs, lose their idealism and crush their dreams. Thus, most probably in reaction, they directed their steps in other directions. They turned off the dials connected to the outside world and its concerns and blemishes, the concerns of the day. They are too busy. Striving. Seeking more and more success. More and more things. Outdoing the competition. They don't know and they don't want to know and feel they are above it all. I believe the older generation finds their indifference more fearsome and worrisome for they have lived through the consequences of people playing unaware and uncaring of the truth under the sun. Indifference burns all in the end.
And finally. Once again. History repeats itself with that younger generation. Demanding change? Demanding not hope but instant obedience to their wants. To what they 'know'. To fix the woes of society only their way. Through their vision. For all the other ways have failed, have they not? And in their arrogance. In their impatience. They embrace stronger emotions. Of hatred and violence. And here we are today. With crowds of young, screaming for the deaths of those they disagree with. They cry out fiercely against the people of the Jewish nation. They hear lies and propagate them. Never mind that they are incompatible with each other, with the truth.
And here we are. The kids who are watching? Confused. What is the matter with these adults? And so, they take their first steps down the road of their own rebellion, their own conflicts with others. The Next Generation. And we wonder. Have they reached the point of disillusionment? Will the world survive until they do? Or has the toxic acidity of their world already overcome and destroyed much of their chances to understand the importance of keeping the links between generations alive and healthy.
The generation we had such hopes for; such dreams and expectations have never outgrown their disillusionment. They have remained tuned out in various manner and instead turned their might and mind, their attention and efforts to much of self-aggrandizement, selfish goals, along with intermittent realization that there is more to life than this. They are becoming wiser and less self-focused as they age and grow older and wiser. Better able to understand the sum of their experiences and their life learnings and begin to engage in more altruistic thinking and actions.
However. even as they do that, we continue to wonder about that generation below, as their violence and invective grows. Even as they seem to espouse worse rather than better. We wonder. Will they too grow into their parents, cut the connections to violence and grow more peaceful and indifferent?
We, the older generations, do not know those answers. We can hope for what we believe. We can be optimistic. There is a path for change and that one day we will all get it. All the people of the world will get it. And the waste of this anger and this conflict will disappear. At least some of it. But until that happens we worry here.
Now back to the original question. Why is this older generation seemingly more worried than ever before? Because we have never had this kind of. deep conflict, these boiling, roiling emotions. This adoption of hate by a generation that should be more idealistic. In fact, we wonder where is their idealism? There appears to be none. They have skipped steps, broken barriers and do not portend nor foretell of a better future.
So, we wonder. Will the horrid yesterdays return to taint our todays? Fractured as they are already, is there a realistic possibility for a willingness and strength to reconnect with their idealism and manage to build for better tomorrows? Their tomorrows. When will they realize that? Or is it already too late?
That is why we worry.
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