“...death is programmed into our DNA.
Nature seems to want us to reproduce and then fall by the wayside.
Yet the Boomers want to hang onto its youth well into its 80s, on the
theory that if you have enough time, maybe you can get your life
together.”
--by someone, probably a biologist.
*****
I was chatting away with an
acquaintance at the pub last night, who was near my age and she
commented on the young ones who were standing near us. “They're so
damn lucky. They have time, health, good looks...and look what's
happened to us!”
“Yeah, true, we spent through our
20's long ago.” I say.
I tell her though they aren't
blissed-out happy in Nirvana either. I ask her to remember when she
was that age and if she was always bitching, complaining about “not
having this” or “if only I had a better
job/partner/stereo/apartment/house..then my life would be great!”
I did. She did too. I tell her today's youth is no better and does the exact, same thing. I see it
daily. The fact is no one is completely satisfied forever.
I've known young women who fell on the
Earth pretty. They were born with a Royal Flush. The eyes, skin,
subtle curves and from family backgrounds that whispered of old
money...and still I found them to be wanting. Even with all life's
nicer facets, they never were satisfied.
There are moments, even months of more
satisfying times, then of course, life interferes with good amounts
of slop to besmirch your cheeriness. In fact, if you look at it, most
people are neither happy nor miserable, they tend to float around
neutral most days. If I could be eternally elated I'd sure choose
that, but while I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony too. The simple fact
is life isn't perfect and things change all the time.
Now back to that quote from the
beginning.
I've been guilty of it, as most of my
generation has been. We came from the Era of Self Improvement right
after the 60's spent itself out. If we couldn't change the world, we
could change ourselves instead.
Primal Scream Therapy, Est, “I'm OK,
You're OK” and “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” books, Lose Weight,
Gain Muscle, Sy Sperling toupees, Rogaine and Viagra. The woman’s
movement of “Having it All,” Equity mortgages and Montessori
schools. Our generation really did take to heart Jefferson's Pursuit of Happiness to the extreme.
But there is a problem at
times...REALITY.
I don't care how much you try, you
cannot become a dolphin, nor turn back the hands of time to when you
were 19. Even if you fake it. If you wear lycra sports pants,
moonboot sneakers and have an iPhone strapped to your arm with buds
in your ears, the younger generation will never fully accept you into it's
ranks. As you pass from one age to another, you are forever banned
from the previous one.
The funny thing is each generation has
to learn this. Ponce De Leon, in some stories, searched northern
Florida looking for the Fountain of Youth. This back in 1513.
So, where does this leave our Boomers?
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the
things I can,
And wisdom to know the
difference.
I have a theory I've toyed
with that may be proven out. The day Paul McCartney dies will finally
herald to the Boomers what they actually are...old. When this reality
sets in, perhaps they can manage things they can manage, and leave up
to nature and time what they cannot.
And if you did have this in the beginning, then what?
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