I was fourteen in 1965 when I first heard the protest song, Eve of Destruction coming through on my transistor radio. (Give it a listen!) I was walking home from school past familiar neighborhood buildings that had government issued “Fallout Shelter” signs on their facades. Nuclear war with Russia seemed imminent for all my childhood, and we were taught that when it happened, we should take cover in one of the cellars of the buildings that offered “shelter”. The world was a terrifying place and seeking wisdom from elders never even crossed my mind. Why would oldsters have any solutions or good advice? Somehow, we believed we would have all the answers, and they would reveal themselves as we grew older. Silly us! One of the most placating, condescending, demeaning phrases in western culture today is “OK Boomer”.
I’ve been told that my generation was self-centered, and even hedonistic. That we did a terrible job of repairing the world in which we came of age. In fact, I feel like I’m constantly defending and apologizing for my race, religion, gender, and age. But I sincerely feel like we tried…are trying, to bring in light as we witness victories of the dark forces of our human experience.
Is life worth living? Is life worth giving? Yes! There is so much beauty in this fucked up world.
A principle in physics called critical mass is the threshold point where a seemingly small action transforms a large mass.
We try to be an energy of light. To show, by example, to our children, grandchildren, and everyone we come into contact with, what a decent, empathetic, compassionate person looks like. To stay hopeful that in the precarious balance of good and evil, a new world view will emerge, and light will prevail.
Thank you for this piece, Diane! I don't have any meaningful suggestions or solutions to share, but I appreciate the opportunity to sit with this. I had a similar conversation with a client earlier and we explored what sitting with it entails and sometimes allowing ourselves to be with whatever our feelings or perspective is in the moment without judging gives way to compassion and space for those who we aren't necessarily in agreement with.
I totally agree Kimberly -- it's not always easy, but sitting with our feelings, without judging, is a way to compassion for ourselves as well as for others who we don't necessarily agree with. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Thank you for this thought-provoking piece. I wonder if what we can bring to the party is a show of resilience? I remember as a child hearing all about the experience of my parents’ generation living through the Second World War. We are still here, still striving for good. We can take joy where we can find it.
Hi Nicola -- thank you! Thinking about resilience is so important -- and the living proof that others have gone through and continued to live during terrible times is maybe one of the greatest offerings one generation can give another. Great insight!
I was fourteen in 1965 when I first heard the protest song, Eve of Destruction coming through on my transistor radio. (Give it a listen!) I was walking home from school past familiar neighborhood buildings that had government issued “Fallout Shelter” signs on their facades. Nuclear war with Russia seemed imminent for all my childhood, and we were taught that when it happened, we should take cover in one of the cellars of the buildings that offered “shelter”. The world was a terrifying place and seeking wisdom from elders never even crossed my mind. Why would oldsters have any solutions or good advice? Somehow, we believed we would have all the answers, and they would reveal themselves as we grew older. Silly us! One of the most placating, condescending, demeaning phrases in western culture today is “OK Boomer”.
I’ve been told that my generation was self-centered, and even hedonistic. That we did a terrible job of repairing the world in which we came of age. In fact, I feel like I’m constantly defending and apologizing for my race, religion, gender, and age. But I sincerely feel like we tried…are trying, to bring in light as we witness victories of the dark forces of our human experience.
Is life worth living? Is life worth giving? Yes! There is so much beauty in this fucked up world.
A principle in physics called critical mass is the threshold point where a seemingly small action transforms a large mass.
We try to be an energy of light. To show, by example, to our children, grandchildren, and everyone we come into contact with, what a decent, empathetic, compassionate person looks like. To stay hopeful that in the precarious balance of good and evil, a new world view will emerge, and light will prevail.
Thanks Larry. I remember those shelters too. What a scary world. And what an uplifting sentiment! Thank you for sharing this!!
Thank you for this piece, Diane! I don't have any meaningful suggestions or solutions to share, but I appreciate the opportunity to sit with this. I had a similar conversation with a client earlier and we explored what sitting with it entails and sometimes allowing ourselves to be with whatever our feelings or perspective is in the moment without judging gives way to compassion and space for those who we aren't necessarily in agreement with.
I totally agree Kimberly -- it's not always easy, but sitting with our feelings, without judging, is a way to compassion for ourselves as well as for others who we don't necessarily agree with. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Thank you for this thought-provoking piece. I wonder if what we can bring to the party is a show of resilience? I remember as a child hearing all about the experience of my parents’ generation living through the Second World War. We are still here, still striving for good. We can take joy where we can find it.
Hi Nicola -- thank you! Thinking about resilience is so important -- and the living proof that others have gone through and continued to live during terrible times is maybe one of the greatest offerings one generation can give another. Great insight!