The Fundimental Problem With The Youth Of Today
by
gorgon
Sometime ago, I was asked what I felt was fundimentaly wrong with the
youth of today. This is one of those questions that gets inside you and
eats you. It's something you've been asking yourself for years but never
translated those thoughts to words, and more specificly, to one simple and
concrete answer, or question for that matter.
I've often felt that my quest in life was to not become one of those
grey suits you see leaving office buildings around the noon hour in search
of the nearest bistro or small downtown coffee shop to get a break from
their eight hours of monotony spent in a cubicle or office. I felt that
living that life, joining the system, was hell. Until I realized that it's
not. It can't be. Thanks to my mother opening my eyes, I realized that I
know nothing of the people under the grey suits. I started to wonder if
they were really that different from me. They were once twenty years old,
in search of their lives and themselves too. Chances are they are leading
the life they chose for themselves, or at least on their way to it. Who am
I to say that their lives and their goals are monotonus? They obviously
enjoy their existance to some degree. So, to bring this statement to a
close; my quest in life has changed. Thank you mom.
Back to the question at hand. The more I think about it the more I
realize that what I used to think was wrond with the youth of today is
infact wrong. Thinking that somehow I and people I thought were like me,
were somehow right where as all others are wrong. Constantly complaining
about authority, doing things for shock value. What's the use in that. I
think I realized a big part of this when I came to the conclusion that punk
rock is really just fashion and music. It is NOT a way of life. I say punk
rock because that has been my angle on things. It really could be anything
though, any way you use to classify or catagorize people. Sure, people are
different, people have different tastes in things: music, clothing, art,
activities, ideologys. However, we are all ultimatly similar. There is one
and only one way of life and that is the breathing way. That being said I'm
starting to feel everything else is trivial, or at least it should be. This
has now become part of my Self-Betterment Plan. To become accecpting of all
of humanity and everything entailed there-in. That means, for me
personally, not judging someone as a mindless sheep because they listen to
pop music or wear trendy clothes. Granted, I still think that lyricly pop
music is devoid of any relevant content to me. To me being the key words.
I can only hope that society can one day achieve this goal as I am trying as
well. That one day where getting a tatoo isn't punished by societhy deeming
it unfit for the workplace, or where wearing name brand fashionable clothing
is punished by the so-called hardcore anti-conformist punk kids (again I
use punk only from a personal angle) and I use the formentioned term
lightly, those kids have no idea what punk is about.
For now I think I have my answer to the question of what is wrong with
the youth of taday. The answer is far less complex than I'd hoped. The
youth of today, by comparrison to past generations, really have no common
rallying point. We have no great depression, or Vietnam War. Out of envy
of our parents who had something to stand and fight for we blow up small
problems into causes for extreme action. We fail to realize that our fight
needs to be a personal one for ourselves. Instead of squabbling amongst
ourselves, we need to work for ourselves. I was told by my father that the
best revenge is living well. Think about that, rather than retaliation if
harm comes upon you, just live well. For me personally, I have four
excellent role models for this. Who up till now I never realized how it all
goes together. My mom and Roger who have each undergone resistance in life
to the upmost. My dad and Barb, who in their own right have battled life to
sucess. Whin I see any of these four, I now realize that it is possible to
build something from nothing, and on top of that, it's realatively simple to
do. It's a choice, a choice to suceed and a choice to work for your
personal sucess. So, what is fundimentaly wrong with the youth of today
comes down to a simple answer. The indecision is what is wrong.