It's funny. In a world that I often am amazed is so beautiful, there seems to be a lot of ugly lately. Maybe I've been affected by this neverending cold, but I cannot help feeling that the beauty that I often see has been overshadowed by ugliness.
On Saturday, I walked down to the local transit exchange to catch a bus and was surrounded by ugly youth. This particular group was standing around on the icy sidewalk talking at - and not to - each other, and just being generally annoying. The thing I noticed though is that these young people looked scruffy, some with brightly-coloured hair, and most had dark circles and puffiness under their eyes. It kind of looked like none of them had slept in days. Their skin was dull and their eyes lacked the shine that young people should have. After all, they have their whole lives ahead of them.
Unfortunately, I can't help feeling that these same young people have no inspiration to do anything but party. In fact, that's all they talked about while standing at this bus stop. Is this something to do with living in the suburbs? Or, is it human nature that young people seem to have no ambition beyond talking on their mobile phones, spending hours texting their friends or partying themselves into oblivion?
The funny thing is that I don't remember the people that I hung around in my late teens/early twenties with being like that. I didn't really drink that much, if any at that time and when I went out clubbing, it was to dance and not to party. The important thing was to express ourselves creatively and we always dressed for the occasion when we did.
This post is not to complain or even sound like my parents did when they are the age that I am now. I simply want to understand what is happening to the world and if the results of today's society are negative upon the planet and humanity, what I should be doing to ensure that won't happen. It really is the responsibility of this generation to take care of our home (the earth) and our family (humanity). There are times that I need a reality check to see if I am fulfilling that responsibility.
I have posted about this before, but I often lament the death of flirtation. On the weekend, I was talking with a friend about the disappearance of the ability to flirt in today's society. All of our emailing and text-messaging lacks the subtle nuances of this kind of communication and makes it easier to tell untruths or to give someone bad - or what we consider honest - news because we don't have to look them in the eyes. We don't have to break-up with our love interests in person any more because we can text it to them without having to experience the heartbreak on their end. In our world of hyper-technology, along with our penchant for all that is politically correct, we have forgotten how to truly communicate.
Does that make you as sad as I am about this?
Don't get me wrong. I am by no means a luddite but I feel like technology is "improving" so quickly that the human creatures that we are, don't have time to catch up with this ever-changing world on both an emotional and intellectual level. We are not animatrons that can instantly adapt to change. Humanity needs time to reach the levels of "maturity" to deal with the changes.
I wonder if this is why the young people that I encounter on a daily basis seem so lost. Sure they are young and adapt but it seems that no matter how hard they try to keep up, they are always behind on the newest technology. It's a situation in which we just give up because no matter how hard you try to stay ahead, you are always behind. Why try or aspire to something when it doesn't really get you ahead anyway?
Back in the days of my youth, we felt like we held the world by the tail. Creatively and personally, many believed that they simply needed the desire to express ourselves and we did. If we were inspired, we simply needed to act on it. I just don't see that nowadays. Maybe, as I mentioned before, I live in the suburbs and that is part of it. However, I don't think so. I just see ugliness. And, loss.
No wonder I turn to nature because nothing, not even the increasingly violent storms we've been having, seems to be ugly when it comes to this amazing force.. Nature has the power and the absolute beauty to amaze me on an everyday basis. Like the beautiful red sunrise we had last week with the sun a huge flaming red ball and the pink lining the underside of the clouds.
Thinking about it now, perhaps the ugliness exists because we have such beauty in the world...
On Saturday, I walked down to the local transit exchange to catch a bus and was surrounded by ugly youth. This particular group was standing around on the icy sidewalk talking at - and not to - each other, and just being generally annoying. The thing I noticed though is that these young people looked scruffy, some with brightly-coloured hair, and most had dark circles and puffiness under their eyes. It kind of looked like none of them had slept in days. Their skin was dull and their eyes lacked the shine that young people should have. After all, they have their whole lives ahead of them.
Unfortunately, I can't help feeling that these same young people have no inspiration to do anything but party. In fact, that's all they talked about while standing at this bus stop. Is this something to do with living in the suburbs? Or, is it human nature that young people seem to have no ambition beyond talking on their mobile phones, spending hours texting their friends or partying themselves into oblivion?
The funny thing is that I don't remember the people that I hung around in my late teens/early twenties with being like that. I didn't really drink that much, if any at that time and when I went out clubbing, it was to dance and not to party. The important thing was to express ourselves creatively and we always dressed for the occasion when we did.
This post is not to complain or even sound like my parents did when they are the age that I am now. I simply want to understand what is happening to the world and if the results of today's society are negative upon the planet and humanity, what I should be doing to ensure that won't happen. It really is the responsibility of this generation to take care of our home (the earth) and our family (humanity). There are times that I need a reality check to see if I am fulfilling that responsibility.
I have posted about this before, but I often lament the death of flirtation. On the weekend, I was talking with a friend about the disappearance of the ability to flirt in today's society. All of our emailing and text-messaging lacks the subtle nuances of this kind of communication and makes it easier to tell untruths or to give someone bad - or what we consider honest - news because we don't have to look them in the eyes. We don't have to break-up with our love interests in person any more because we can text it to them without having to experience the heartbreak on their end. In our world of hyper-technology, along with our penchant for all that is politically correct, we have forgotten how to truly communicate.
Does that make you as sad as I am about this?
Don't get me wrong. I am by no means a luddite but I feel like technology is "improving" so quickly that the human creatures that we are, don't have time to catch up with this ever-changing world on both an emotional and intellectual level. We are not animatrons that can instantly adapt to change. Humanity needs time to reach the levels of "maturity" to deal with the changes.
I wonder if this is why the young people that I encounter on a daily basis seem so lost. Sure they are young and adapt but it seems that no matter how hard they try to keep up, they are always behind on the newest technology. It's a situation in which we just give up because no matter how hard you try to stay ahead, you are always behind. Why try or aspire to something when it doesn't really get you ahead anyway?
Back in the days of my youth, we felt like we held the world by the tail. Creatively and personally, many believed that they simply needed the desire to express ourselves and we did. If we were inspired, we simply needed to act on it. I just don't see that nowadays. Maybe, as I mentioned before, I live in the suburbs and that is part of it. However, I don't think so. I just see ugliness. And, loss.
No wonder I turn to nature because nothing, not even the increasingly violent storms we've been having, seems to be ugly when it comes to this amazing force.. Nature has the power and the absolute beauty to amaze me on an everyday basis. Like the beautiful red sunrise we had last week with the sun a huge flaming red ball and the pink lining the underside of the clouds.
Thinking about it now, perhaps the ugliness exists because we have such beauty in the world...
6 Comments:
These days, I guess society has changed before our very eyes, or have we lagged behind? People want the lastest and the greatest, and for what? To what extent? There's no end.
I also think that you're right about the ugliness in the world only because there is such a thing as beauty. The kids may not have been 'pleasant', partying all the time... but maybe if someone asked them if that's truly what they want out of life, they might have said otherwise. Maybe they just don't know any better. I'm not sure, least I'd like to think that.
Yet again, your perceptive on things never cease to amaze me Lola! I love what you said about nature, it's so true. Somewhere I read that, if all else fails, always, always return to nature. And it's so lovely.
Thanks Robert. I agree that there seems to be no end.
I was very much inspired by the CD that you sent to me that discussed Sadness and it's important existance. One cannot have happiness without sadness and, in turn, beauty could not exist without ugliness.
I agree with what you say of these kids. Perhaps one should take the time to ask these questions of them.
Nature is our goddess Robert and I suppose that I've been lucky in my life to experience places that seem untouched by humans. It taught me a huge appreciation of it as a force. Even a small grouping of trees can make me smile.
Did I evey mention that when I was a child, I wanted to become a forest sprite that would live amongst the trees and protect animals. I would sit out behind my yard and listen to the wind rustling the leaves and sit amongst the trees protecting myself from the cold. Highly romantic, I know but I found comfort in that...
Once, my grandfather told me a funny story. He was sitting on the bus, and a young punk boy sat down next to him. My granny is a kind of old fashioned man, so he turned to the boy, stared at the bush of piercings and purple hair, and asked him: "Why do you do this ugly thing? Does it have any meaning?" And the boy answered uncomfortably: “Why do you care?”
So for my granny, the story was funny, because he proved himself, that “they don’t even know the reason, so it doesn’t have any meaning.” For me it is interesting, because two very different subcultures tried to understand each other – as you and the party youth are so different Lola. (You should be grateful for that…)
I don’t know their real reasons for being ugly and having the party as the highest priority. I only know, that when I arrived to Canada, I wasn’t really a party loving youngster (although I am 21), but I went to parties because my friends were also going there. But why did they go there? I guess because they were told, that party is good for them. Who told them this thing? Maybe the commercials and the surrounding society told them, which is controlled by the money somehow.
Sorry for being too theoretical, I just went through some almost lethal exams at my college.
Hey there, sorry for never commenting, I still read your blog but it seems that I've been in this stupor and haven't really been able to think or communicate in English. I belive I'm coming back from it but if this is full of spelling and grammar error let me know and I'll go back into hiding...
It's so amazing to read this, not only because it's so very insightful and way beoynd anything I would be able to write on the subject but also because I was talking to my friends along similar lines just the other day.
While we're still in our twenties we seem to be out of touch with the youth of today and they seem to be absolutely out of touch with real life. Prefering technological communication instead of a real conversation. After a friend of mine got dumped via voice mail it turned out that everyone knew of someone who had the same experience but through a text message, an email, msn messenger etc. One of my younger sister said that she has friend who prefers to speak to her through messenger because it better conveise the emotion he's feeling. So now emoticons are coming instead of facial expressions, tone of voice, smiles and even hugs and laughter.
It just makes me sad, in a real life furrowed worried brow with a slight frown, a shake of the head and a heaviness in my heart but not in a :( kind of a way...
A forest sprite? How marvelous!!! I don't expect anything less from your wonderful imagination Lola!! I love it! :-)
Back in the day, "partying" meant dancing.
I blame apathetic youth on overstimulation.
For the past 20 years or so, parents seem to have been rushing to give their kids whatever farts into their heads, with no merit.
Want to dye your hair at 6? Sure.
Want to get a piercing at 13? No problem.
Want a cellphone? Okay.
Want a TV and Computer in your room? Sure.
...and many other privileges that require no effort or "working toward" by the kid.
There isn't a requirement to get good marks, or accomplish anything in order to get these things...but merely to exist.
I think that this is part of the reason that there is a rise in teenage depression and suicide.
When there is nothing to look forward to, and you don't have to work for anything...there is no feeling of accomplishment.
I think that this results in apathy and in lack of empathy for others.
Geez, I remember when it was a big deal to get to stay up until midnight, or to be allowed to sleep over at someone's house...it was rite of passage, something I had to earn. Simple examples, but all these little things add up to teaching children about anticipation, and learning about patience, and the pleasure of finally getting what you were waiting for.
There doesn't seem to be much of that anymore. It's all about instant gratification, and a rush to prove that good parents give their kids everything they want.
It's wrong.
Not everyone deserves what they want, when they want it. It gives kids a false sense of importance and I think poorly prepares them for what's out in the world outside their parents doorstep.
I think it leads to a lot of problems that we can't fix once these kids are adults.
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