Monday, April 21, 2008

Talkin' bout my g-g-generation

The generation that I'm in - Generation Y, if you want to call it that (and have me shoot myself in the balls!) - is an interesting group. Far from the "Greatest Generation" of WWII era veterans in a hopeful existence filled with tranquility and pink houses and suburbs and all the rest, we're a self-absorbed bunch of self-medicated-and-self-psychoanalyzed idiots, all speaking out loud like we're starring in our own John Cusack film, walking through the narrative of our daily lives like it has any gravity at all.

Not that i'm any better. I analyze every move I make 30 times before I make it, first checking with friends and select coworkers about the best course of action. We're afraid of our own shadow, scared to offend, or stand up, or... do anything on our own. Which seemingly runs counter to the very American idealism we tend to espouse.

We hate ourselves, pray we don't become like our parents, seek immediate answers to long-term problems (dating sites will be the downfall of this nation's relationships... believe it) and live in a culture which places a premium on replacing difficult parts of life, not fixing the problem. Hole in the dam? Buy a new dam! Car have a flat tire? Buy a new car! Problems with the wife? Match.com will give you 6 months at only $16 per! Find a new wife!

I'm just sick of it. Probably because I'm so wrapped in the same cloth that I so despise.

Sigh.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's not dating sites in and of themselves that will destroy our nation's relationships -- it's the internet. And even that's a tough call, because it allows us to hang on to distant relationships for much longer (think of how many "close" friends you have who live relatively far away). I think we each have sort of a relationship capacity, and the more people we're in touch with who aren't part of our face-to-face lives, the fewer neighbors and colleagues we'll get to know. Not worse, just different.

ramblin' girl said...

I actually think you're dead on... online dating sites will be the downfall of relationships.
Many on them always tend to think there has to be someone better, smarter, funnier, slimmer, buffer, richer, etc. just a click away!
And it's not any specific generation.
I'm appalled at the number of much older people I hear about whose spouse met someone else online, now they're splitting.
I think we all have come to believe that if you don't like something, or it isn't working exactly as you want, you can buy a new one. People just don't take the time to fix things anymore. Cars, relationships, whatever...

Wendy said...

I am gen Y and I am not like this at all. But of course I was raised by the great gen, my grandmothers, and was taught to stand on my own and work hard and don't expect gold stars for going pee pee by yourself.

I do whine a lot however on my blog. But in the real world, I am an iron fist decision maker and that is a result of upbringing.

Kit Kat said...

Hello Sam. I was crusing the internet looking for the lyrics to "Layla" and somehow clicked on your site.
I'm in love. Keep blogging.