Doom, Gloom, Despair. These are the things that confront me as soon as I arrive on campus everyday. I've heard people talking about the stock market crashing, of Great Depression levels of unemployment, endless war, and even the destruction of the world.
And I'm tired of it. I'm sitting in my apartment, on my computer typing away, just like I was six months ago. Nobody I personally know has been affected by the sub-prime mortgage loan crash. My bank still runs like it always did, though it didn't invest nearly as heavily in something so stupid as the other banks did. My life has not been changed at all right now, and unless you were working for one of these companies that collapsed, or were in dire need of a loan or planning to start a new business than I'm guessing neither have you.
This isn't to say that people haven't been affected, certainly many lives have changed drastically because of these events, but I know for a fact that none of the young men and women I have talked to on my campus are among them. Yet they still proclaim that America is doomed.
I ask why?
What is this fascination of our youth to see the world in such an apocalyptic view; to claim depression and stress is making them contemplate suicide when they are having some of the most fun and stress-free times of their lives? Why are these young people afraid to be happy, to enjoy life?
Perhaps it's because I have several conditions that at the very least make me aware that my body is in pain at all times, or that I know that I've suffered far worse; but these youths all seem like wimpy children to me. I feel like I could make them divulge their deepest secrets with nothing more than an indian rug burn. Am I just that skinned, or are the young men and women of my generation really this unable to withstand the difficulties of life?
My current theory is that they didn't get enough of three vital things as children. One, not enough milk and dirt in their diet, yes dirt, it strengthens the immune system (also has iron and some other stuff at times). Two, not enough rough-housing. I blame that whole safe-parent culture that developed and decided that kids weren't allowed to hurt themselves anymore. Three, not enough saturday morning cartoons.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go study for a latin quiz while watching an old saturday morning cartoon, in this case Digimon.
P.S. It's not really an apocalyptic view because an apocalypse simply a prophecy of the future given by a divine being usually involving some sort of judgment and life after death, and an apocalyptic worldview... forget it, you get that idea.
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2 comments:
Incredible post! I think people are too used to reality shows and how they make news out of nothing. Wimps and whiners because at the end, all you have is yourself and your own motivation to propel you. They are throwing away the most valuable aspect of their life... hope.
Your grandparents lived through much, much worse than this.
B
I guess a lot of my generation hasn't been able to talk to their grandparents (what with the delay for children at their age compared to the baby boomers and the losses of WWII), so they haven't heard the real stories about having to walk up the hill to school both ways in the snow.
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