Comic, Playwright, Non-Essential Artist

Is It All Going To Shit?

Spoken In An Old Lady Voice And Prefaced With “When I Was Young…”

I hate to say it (not really), but now seems like a pretty sucky time to grow up. Which isn’t to say that the 70’s was an idyllic haven of stability. What with all the facial hair it certainly wasn’t a high point of grooming in American History. Let’s face it, the 70’s were dirty – and not in a grungy cool hipster way, but in the way you’re dirty after hanging out at the 7/11 bathroom (fyi, I hang out in the 7/11 bathroom all the time). Regardless, that time period seems like was an English rose garden compared to the ruckus of distraction and noise that I pay good money to make part of my life here in the Era of Over-Communication Without Saying Anything. (Note: Here comes the old lady part. You’ve been forewarned).

I never thought I would use the words “peaceful” and “my childhood” in the same breath, but I have been feeling kind of nostalgic for the lack of disruption to my thought process that I experienced in my formative years. I’m talking about a long time ago…pre-VCR (remember those?), pre-Answering Machine, shoot, I’ll just say it, back when the eight track tape was ground-breaking technology (fine, I was 5 or 6, but still I remember being impressed). If I wanted to change the channel on the television set, I had to stand up, pick up the pliers, and with trained skill adjust a couple of notches. In truth, hereditary is a hard levitra on line linked here cause of the trouble. It is found that too much alcohol drinking damages the liver, nerve and other conditions that interferes the generic cialis online sexual functioning. Because of its tiny physical feature, it cialis rx secretes various hormones that have some level of control over their sexual health. discount viagra cialis The HDS can help an employee identify the fundamental causes that discern personalities and decide career success. It required strength and courage, and I still didn’t know that The Hulk or Kermit were green. Technology required heavy lifting and was for rich and smart people.

I grew up borderline ghetto (among other things), but life happened in real time. Divorce, alcoholism, sadness happened in front of you, there were no degrees of separation. If you didn’t have an imagination to retreat to, you were screwed. You either created a fantasy world with yourMarie Osmond Barbie, or GI Joe, or whatever you used to work out your gender identity, or you sat there and just watched life unravel like a bed of flowers in a hail storm (who said nature was gentle or kind?).

And then came boys and the 80’s and the media still seemed hopeful. Sure my home life was chaotic with the occasional hilarious moment, but out there there was this romantic optimism and excitement and things happening like MTV and geometric shapes. I woke up in the morning to the a radio station that everyone listened to hear this or this, or this, or, unfortunately, maybe this and I thought, OK, things aren’t that great but it has be worth it to grow up and be part of American society.

I just wonder if now a12-year-old or 13-year-old wakes up in the morning, and hopes to be part of the world out there. Or just would rather live in his iPod/Mobile Device/Social Networking/FB Land….

I know I do.

Just for today, I feel nostalgic.

2 thoughts on “Spoken In An Old Lady Voice And Prefaced With “When I Was Young…”

  • What gets me is that my eight-year old *wants* to play outside–but parental worry forbids, even in our neighborhood.
    Optimism is in short supply, and perceived dangers are everywhere.

  • Add me to the growing list. The elementary school had to send notices home to parents saying mobile phones are not allowed at Kids Night Out. Apparently, there have been problems with unauthorized photos and texting. A 3rd grader came up with that? I can barely download a pic from my phone and don’t have a clue how to text one. And you know what? The world has not stopped turning because of it.

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