It was good to hear what a youngish person really thinks, unfiltered.
Looking forward, I am reminded of how careful I need to be about presenting as a useful and friendly old clown, rather than as someone pretty grim and fearful myself.
What could I have done differently? Maybe I could have started started my own personal rebellion when it became obvious how ratfucked our politics was, back in the 1990s.
Like your father, I was diving under a Formica veneer classroom desk to prepare for threatened nuclear attacks. These drills were not of hypothetical concerns or political stunts. A couple of nuclear bombs had already been dropped on human populations, albeit from us. We took the threat seriously and we’re reminded of possible imminent annihilation constantly. Our experience (including your father’s) should be respected as such and not demeaned.
Bob, at age 77 I believe our children watch and emulate us. Sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. Your daughter need not listen to any of your podcasts to have heard where you "come from". She both benefits and is cursed by your outlook on life. You have the benefit of experience. She does not yet.
Bob called me out - I was thinking that he is likely the principal fear-monger in their household and had inputed his hates, fears, and worries onto his poor children. But hearing her talk... she doesn't sound like a Bob. She sounds like a bright young person who unfortunately spends too much time on social media and consuming the click-bait of Slate and Huff Post. Or, maybe it's the university.
As a semi-young person myself (of 36 or 37) I share a lot of her frustrations at older generations who undercut the futures of humanity. Yet, I have no illusion that my life or those younger is arduous compared to our forbearers. I'm glad to be alive now. I wish Bob's daughter felt the same.
I didn't care for this discussion because as much as they said they didn't want to get into generalizations, the conversations kept going into generalizations.
Technically, I'm a boomer, but I'm also a veteran, Black and from a housing project. So, when she talked about Boomers having it easier, what I remember was Ronald Reagan making it ok to hate poor people, and GHW Bush's war on Drugs. Not easy.
I will say that I'm glad I didn't grow up with the internet. Embarrassing things that I did in 7th grade aren't still following me around. I've also been able to move to different places, make new friends, and not have old stuff hold me back. Around 1995 I thought I was going to be a great painter, on the level of Joan Miró. I look back at those paintings--in the privacy of my home--and see that they were awful. Gladly, no one can go see that stuff online and keep bringing it up.
One thing I can somewhat agree with is her statement about each generation having their own trauma. But, again, they hit different for each person based on so many variables. I vaguely remember Vietnam as a political/social phenomenon but I vividly remember growing up around lots of Black men who were missing arms and legs.
We've gotta get away from speaking so broadly because it reduces us all to cartoons, and makes a lot of people invisible or irrelevant.
Yeah. She imagines that all Boomers were white middle class in swimming pools full of money. FWIW, her biggest rage is the history and present of racism. She's afraid of a LOT of shit
This is the mother of a 27 year old bright, extraordinarily articulate and precise young woman, responding here. Today's conversation is bone deep familiar to me. Rather than put on my own disappearing cloak ('Harry Potter' reference), which is what I want to do, I hope for us all peace as we continue moving forward inch by inch, facing this amazing and astounding world.
Thanks for your honesty and lucid discussion with "Sweetheart".
So, that really singed.
It was good to hear what a youngish person really thinks, unfiltered.
Looking forward, I am reminded of how careful I need to be about presenting as a useful and friendly old clown, rather than as someone pretty grim and fearful myself.
What could I have done differently? Maybe I could have started started my own personal rebellion when it became obvious how ratfucked our politics was, back in the 1990s.
Dear Sweetheart,
Like your father, I was diving under a Formica veneer classroom desk to prepare for threatened nuclear attacks. These drills were not of hypothetical concerns or political stunts. A couple of nuclear bombs had already been dropped on human populations, albeit from us. We took the threat seriously and we’re reminded of possible imminent annihilation constantly. Our experience (including your father’s) should be respected as such and not demeaned.
Bob, at age 77 I believe our children watch and emulate us. Sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad. Your daughter need not listen to any of your podcasts to have heard where you "come from". She both benefits and is cursed by your outlook on life. You have the benefit of experience. She does not yet.
Bob called me out - I was thinking that he is likely the principal fear-monger in their household and had inputed his hates, fears, and worries onto his poor children. But hearing her talk... she doesn't sound like a Bob. She sounds like a bright young person who unfortunately spends too much time on social media and consuming the click-bait of Slate and Huff Post. Or, maybe it's the university.
As a semi-young person myself (of 36 or 37) I share a lot of her frustrations at older generations who undercut the futures of humanity. Yet, I have no illusion that my life or those younger is arduous compared to our forbearers. I'm glad to be alive now. I wish Bob's daughter felt the same.
I didn't care for this discussion because as much as they said they didn't want to get into generalizations, the conversations kept going into generalizations.
Technically, I'm a boomer, but I'm also a veteran, Black and from a housing project. So, when she talked about Boomers having it easier, what I remember was Ronald Reagan making it ok to hate poor people, and GHW Bush's war on Drugs. Not easy.
I will say that I'm glad I didn't grow up with the internet. Embarrassing things that I did in 7th grade aren't still following me around. I've also been able to move to different places, make new friends, and not have old stuff hold me back. Around 1995 I thought I was going to be a great painter, on the level of Joan Miró. I look back at those paintings--in the privacy of my home--and see that they were awful. Gladly, no one can go see that stuff online and keep bringing it up.
One thing I can somewhat agree with is her statement about each generation having their own trauma. But, again, they hit different for each person based on so many variables. I vaguely remember Vietnam as a political/social phenomenon but I vividly remember growing up around lots of Black men who were missing arms and legs.
We've gotta get away from speaking so broadly because it reduces us all to cartoons, and makes a lot of people invisible or irrelevant.
Yeah. She imagines that all Boomers were white middle class in swimming pools full of money. FWIW, her biggest rage is the history and present of racism. She's afraid of a LOT of shit
Bob, you really need to cheer the F up.
This is the mother of a 27 year old bright, extraordinarily articulate and precise young woman, responding here. Today's conversation is bone deep familiar to me. Rather than put on my own disappearing cloak ('Harry Potter' reference), which is what I want to do, I hope for us all peace as we continue moving forward inch by inch, facing this amazing and astounding world.