Saturday seems as good a day as any to rant. I try not to do so, but it’s trending today, so I thought I’d get on the bandwagon. What stage of grief are we in now? What’s happening in our brains? Do I have enough toilet paper? What day is it?
I’m part of the “Silent Generation” or more commonly known as a Traditionalist. We all have our pluses and minuses, but many of us old timers seem to think that the newbies are on the road to destruction. Every generation has its good and bad sides.
I grew up in an age of discovery which brought us the first automatic washing machine, the first television set and beautiful gas guzzling cars. Everyone knew all the words to the National Anthem; Coke was something you drank from a bottle; recycling meant taking that bottle back for two cents. Our entertainment consisted of going to a movie on Saturday and spending the entire day watching the same movie over and over for a quarter. Disposable bottles, diapers, etc. were unheard of. Fast food was a sandwich we made ourselves. Our “social media” was getting together at a friend’s house to talk.
Our current younger generation are those who will not experience the pageantry of a real graduation – those who will not go to their Senior prom – those who have been through the good, the bad and now the ugly – those who will be running our country in the next few years.
These unique young people will become a generation of problem solvers, creative thinkers, money managers, inventive and innovative thinkers all because their world was turned upside down by a little germ. They will be the second greatest generation, because they have experienced plenty or at least enough. They have been on the cutting edge of technology. They have seen their nation at its worst and at its best.
These are the kids who were born when a terrorist plot was launched against our country on 9/11. They saw a spacecraft disintegrate in mid-air costing the lives of many astronauts. They were exposed to the dark side of humanity as bombs were set off on city streets. The huddled together as a shooter invaded the safety of their schools and set another kind of terrorism off. These kids watched friends die before their young eyes.
Then came COVID19. Through this event, they were again tested. They came up with ideas. They learned to use their time wisely. They grew compassionate towards each other. This may have been caused by necessity, but that germ grew much more than disease. It grew into a strong, caring, inventive, creative, smart and hopeful generation – a generation that wouldn’t give up.
Instead of focusing on what we’re having to give up through this pandemic, let’s start appreciating what’s happening because of it. I get weary of all this isolation, just like everyone else. I don’t like being cooped up. I refuse to wear a mask. I don’t want to become a nation under Marshall law.
Still, I live in the greatest country in the world. I will stand strong for her, not because of who is leading or making decisions for her, but because I am an American. Our history has been relatively short, but we have had the opportunity to learn from our past and move forward because of it. We began as a nation under God. Let’s get back to that precept and trust that God has this!
Days grow into weeks and weeks into months. Some of those days are filled with optimism while others bring nothing but one bad thing after another. The amount of time and energy we spend on those bad days is really a waste. When we raise our hands in despair and simply submit, how does that bring about any kind of solution?
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