So many are so traumatized. It’s hard to discern the “friendlies” which may be by design of those seeking to control us. This line from Fitzgerald has come to mind lately:
“The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Wonderful emotionally moving piece. Had a teary eye at one point. It inspires me to write a counter argument that for the GenXers had loneliness as their safety blankets seen in ourselves and in films, shows and books—- ie Latchkey kids (I’m from an inner city single parent minority household), Outsiders, The Invisible Man, Old Man and the Sea, Into the Wild, Rocky, and Rudy—- we were showered with unbelievable powerful protagonists, underdogs, Renaissance Men, Jacks-of-All-Trades, and Lone Rangers. Even the US Army advertised the slogan when I enlisted with steep college debts, “An Army of One!” Was it our passions—- obsessions to be the unsung intellectual activist Rockstars of yesterdays born generations of deprived and neglected children, and children’s children? Did this spur the development of 988? And the Crisis Line for veterans? Inquiring mind wants to know! Sure the POTUS doesn’t help matters, and possibly a byproduct of stoic blind dogmatic Lone Rangers of what I just mentioned. What say you?
I'm quite taken, Julius, by the concept that your generation had "loneliness as their safety blankets" because of the widespread images of loners as protagonists. There has always been a myth of the American individual as hero, and it has been amplified in recent generations even as our need for support and care from others has grown. Thanks for this stimulating idea
Yes! I was thinking did we brought this on ourselves? Made a culture where we avoided people cause ‘they simply don’t understand me.’ So was it the parental abuse from intergenerational traumas or did we made it up—- setting a chain reaction that built a landscape, therefore a backdrop of neglect and the Lone Self-sufficient Jack-of-all-trades. Think of Batman/Bruce Wayne, he went alone to fight crime but did so by sheer will—he chose to, made a life. Some of the best art and compelling Detective Comics/Batman writing came out in the 90s and 2000s. We are byproducts of our environments. So, did we make our undoing? Who should be responsible? As I remembered, rich people were few, dismissed as ‘the enemy/the man/trust-fund/silver-spoons’ and kept to themselves. The public was captivated by the talented struggling middle-to-lower-class artists from modest, even tortured backgrounds. Even to the point of ‘the 27 club’ where celebrities— artist, actor, singer—- died at 27 or younger. As if they’ll be forever young, ergo remembered forever young. When I was a kid, that’s all I heard from our upperclassmen dying young, there was a song too—- forever young. I believe that brought on the ‘Grunge/Emo’ look, and ‘Alternative’ music that depicted black on black, sadness, heavyset emotional works of art, music, and captivating dramas about dying. It was a phenomenon that captured the struggling youths with no attachment to support of their emotions… and dare I say stupidity! lol! —-but what do I know, speculative but I feel it to be true. ——-Jesus Christ! What am I doing ?!?! I must write something! This is great stuff! Thank you so much for responding! Felt good knowing you’ve read it!
So many are so traumatized. It’s hard to discern the “friendlies” which may be by design of those seeking to control us. This line from Fitzgerald has come to mind lately:
“The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Wonderful emotionally moving piece. Had a teary eye at one point. It inspires me to write a counter argument that for the GenXers had loneliness as their safety blankets seen in ourselves and in films, shows and books—- ie Latchkey kids (I’m from an inner city single parent minority household), Outsiders, The Invisible Man, Old Man and the Sea, Into the Wild, Rocky, and Rudy—- we were showered with unbelievable powerful protagonists, underdogs, Renaissance Men, Jacks-of-All-Trades, and Lone Rangers. Even the US Army advertised the slogan when I enlisted with steep college debts, “An Army of One!” Was it our passions—- obsessions to be the unsung intellectual activist Rockstars of yesterdays born generations of deprived and neglected children, and children’s children? Did this spur the development of 988? And the Crisis Line for veterans? Inquiring mind wants to know! Sure the POTUS doesn’t help matters, and possibly a byproduct of stoic blind dogmatic Lone Rangers of what I just mentioned. What say you?
I'm quite taken, Julius, by the concept that your generation had "loneliness as their safety blankets" because of the widespread images of loners as protagonists. There has always been a myth of the American individual as hero, and it has been amplified in recent generations even as our need for support and care from others has grown. Thanks for this stimulating idea
Yes! I was thinking did we brought this on ourselves? Made a culture where we avoided people cause ‘they simply don’t understand me.’ So was it the parental abuse from intergenerational traumas or did we made it up—- setting a chain reaction that built a landscape, therefore a backdrop of neglect and the Lone Self-sufficient Jack-of-all-trades. Think of Batman/Bruce Wayne, he went alone to fight crime but did so by sheer will—he chose to, made a life. Some of the best art and compelling Detective Comics/Batman writing came out in the 90s and 2000s. We are byproducts of our environments. So, did we make our undoing? Who should be responsible? As I remembered, rich people were few, dismissed as ‘the enemy/the man/trust-fund/silver-spoons’ and kept to themselves. The public was captivated by the talented struggling middle-to-lower-class artists from modest, even tortured backgrounds. Even to the point of ‘the 27 club’ where celebrities— artist, actor, singer—- died at 27 or younger. As if they’ll be forever young, ergo remembered forever young. When I was a kid, that’s all I heard from our upperclassmen dying young, there was a song too—- forever young. I believe that brought on the ‘Grunge/Emo’ look, and ‘Alternative’ music that depicted black on black, sadness, heavyset emotional works of art, music, and captivating dramas about dying. It was a phenomenon that captured the struggling youths with no attachment to support of their emotions… and dare I say stupidity! lol! —-but what do I know, speculative but I feel it to be true. ——-Jesus Christ! What am I doing ?!?! I must write something! This is great stuff! Thank you so much for responding! Felt good knowing you’ve read it!