Monday, January 26, 2009

For Better And/Or Worse

Dear Avid Reader,

Eye Of A Hurricane, Listen To Yourself Churn

Video games have now outsold DVDs. People still bought DVDs, just not as many video games. What does this mean?

This kind of event usually elicits a reaction of wistful "how-it-used-to-be" feelings. Some common remembrances: monochrome TV/film, prominence of stick-and-ball/cardboard-box gaming, corporal punishment, longer guitar solos in pop music, agricultural summer jobs, et cetera.

Generally the thought is that previous generations had a more difficult time than current and future generations. But I don't think that is true. I think that problems experienced in each era are merely different, not harder or easier.

With The Furies Breathing Down Your Neck

This can also be applied when thinking about differing families. Typically single people are thought to have an easier time than married people. And going further, those with children have an even more difficult time than anyone. This, at first, seems self-evident. If you have kids, there are more people that that require food and attention, and they can't get jobs to help with the bills.

But perhaps we should rethink this. Sure children require money, but isn't loneliness a problem as well? What if having extra money and time leads to emptiness? Are these problems easy?

Every Motive Escalate

I think that not allowing singles to have hard times, genuinely hard times, leads to a comtempt of their lives. I believe that when agreeing that folks on their own have simpler problems, we offer a troubling admission: that having a family and children is more meaningful that being single.

This is becasue, generally, when something is arduous we believe it to be more consequential. So when we say that living on your own is easy, are we saying that it is less consequential? I think we do it more often than we are aware.

A Tournament, A Tournament, A Tournament Of Lies.

This thinking can also be applied to the earlier look at reminiscing. While "kids today" don't appreciate how easy it is, adults are much more thankful and were much more gracious growing-up. But this isn't true. All were snot-nosed brats, all were spoiled, and all were unappreciative. In a sense, all were children. We all know this to be true. But we still play out our role and point to baggy pants and hip-hop and cry out "The sky is falling!"

We fail to realize that none of these people have a job or bills or responsibility. None of them have ever had their hearts broken. None of them have failed. If none of us have ever endured these things, we would act invincible too.

Mount St. Edelite, Leonard Bernstein

The fact is, no one has a harder life than anyone else. Sometimes we act like Atlas, and feel like our silent martyrdom makes us better, but it is a lie. The whole idea is arrogance. Our struggles are human, our problems can be solved, and that is why we should have hope. The trials of today will become the memories of tomorrow. We can only connect the dots in hindsight.

When looking back, we shouldn't feel as if things were easier or harder. They simply were. FDR didn't know if the Nazis could be beat. The folks who ran on their banks didn't know they were fueling the crash of '29. We think that folks in the past have all the information, but they don't. They were just making it up like we are.

And I Feel Fine

The same can be said for anyone walking around today. Rather than assume they could never understand our tremendous burdens, maybe we drop the sufferer act and assume they probably have a hard time too.

It's a tough world out there already for all of us; past, present, or future. So let's ease-up on each other.

The Next Post Promises To Be Better,
James

1 Comments:

Blogger John Batchelder said...

You have identified a universal truth as once told by the Wise Man:

Ecclesiastes 1:9
"That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun."

You my friend have reached the third level - you may proceed...

10:06 AM  

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