Reciprocity

[degringolade]

 

One of the most difficult things about writing on a routine basis and complaining about human nature is that a bunch of the time, there is a solid chance that people who are dear to you and relationships that you value could well take offense at what is probably considered an accusation and a judgment on them in particular.

We all live in glass houses.

When I discuss things here, I am looking at my life in particular and the nature of American society in general.  That is a pretty broad spectrum to address and for the most part, almost everyone out there has lives that reside in the middle ground between those two poles.

As a whole, as a populace, Americans are some of the most missionary bastards in the history of the planet.  As a people, we tend to think that our way of thinking is the ethical and moral model for how everyone should think.  Every American does this.  Judgment is passed on others by everyone (and don’t think for a moment that this commentator is free of this extraordinarily bad habit).

The hard part about this is that we are in a time of massive political, monetary,  and environmental change.  And to think that the three are not interrelated is just plain silly.  What is going to be the problem is that the way that the society moves on any of these issues will leave a major portion of the body politic without their fondest desires being fulfilled.  

Now, when an individual (me) takes it as a given that things are changing and has modified views and lifestyle to accommodate what is anticipated to be the nature of the future, it is critical that I understand in my inner thoughts that 1) that I might well be wrong, 2) that nobody else is required to do what I do, and 3) and that no one who does things differently has to answer to me.

I think that, as a country, right now we are so divided and hostile that the desire to judge others is perceived as the only way to go.  I am trying desperately not to be a part of this.  I make my decisions and stay in my lane.  Other folks have gone a different way and do things that make me think “that is going to leave a mark” but I will try to keep remembering that, if I run my own life right, it won’t leave a mark on me.

Because you see, the whole world is an experiment.  A big one too, with no one keeping track of the results and what is sauce for the goose is not always sauce for the gander.  We boomers are the cusp generation, the decisions that brought the world to the point where we are now are at the point where the consequences for the actions are coming to bear.  

Us boomers are going to be blamed for the mess.  There is a bit of truth to that sad little fact.  We were the first generation to notice that the path of our society looked to be heading the wrong way.  Hell, you could even say that bitching about the way things were (and are) done is the defining characteristic of the boomers.

But the vast majority of the boomers only superficially questioned and bitched about the status quo.  As soon as we could, we were purchased by a system that predated us and they turned our rebellion into a marketing tool.

Now we are fading away.  I suppose that you can blame us, but overall I think that pity would be a better choice of emotions.  We failed in the most basic sense, we left the place worse than what we received and now all we have is our possessions and our failed dreams.

I am trying to restart my book.  It is the rainy season and my time of the year to write.  Since I am still trying to write a non-horror book in the horror genre, I am writing/inventing  some of the time worn “props” of the Cthulhu mythos. 

 All decisions that are meaningful cause pain. Any decision worthy of the name will cause change. Those are the costs of any meaningful decision. What is needful to remember is that the greater the decision, the greater the change and the greater the pain.

The converse of this truth is that the decision will bring an equal reward.  The reward is independent of the pain.  There will be those who see all pain and those who will only reap the reward.  There will be mixtures of pain and reward.

To serve the truth then, those who have the duty to make the decision must never try to convince others of the decision. The effort must simply balance the pain and the reward, we cannot and will not make our decision based on who receives the pain and who receives the reward. Our decision must be made simply on the judgment of what will achieve the greatest result and the choosers will attempt to achieve the balance.

The Pnakotic Manuscripts

Fragment Twenty-two

Comments

Staying in my lane

[(Anonymous)]

I agree with your observations but feel you have overlooked the part that boomers parents played in their thoughtless disregard for what will affect future generations. Grandparents of boomers were shocked by their behavior but the parents of boomers who had lived through the depression only wanted to compensate for what they missed, so showered their children with stuff. Did not show boomers the power of saving, why save when there is easy credit, why control your urges when there is the pill. The list goes on.
Yes, I know, easy to blame parents for one's own failures, yes one has to take responsibility for ones own actions. I say this as a boomer, born 1949. Hindsight is great for excuses, foresight is more practical.
Sorry for the rant, I have been pondering your essay for two days.

Also enjoyed your picture too, you have a sensitive eye for framing your shots. I wish you would label your pictures.
OLfromNC

Re: Staying in my lane

[degringolade]

Good Morning:

I think that the hard part of life is realizing that you aren't the be-all and end-all cause of whatever it is that is going down.

I had my kids when I was relatively old, I am the same age as most of my kids friends grandparents(I didn't want to have children until I was finished being one myself, it took a while). I think that every generation contributes to entropy. The boomers contribution just happened to occur at the peak of the industrialization curve and the concurrent kickoff of the financialization of the economy.

I am coming to believe that boomers and the subsequent generations, being caught up with the idea that money can in fact buy happiness are the product of the great depression and the nature of the "American Way". They aren't aberrations, they are the logical outcome. Success is found only in relative displays of wealth and happiness is only found in the places where material success provides an easy metric.

Nope, us boomers are no more or less guilty than any other generation, we just happened when the worm turned.