The Generation of Now

Today there is little reflection about the path behind us. We concentrate solely on the road ahead. In creating a journey in such a way we fall victim of getting lost. Of not contemplating the lessons learned. However, we are in the midst of a generation worshipping the now. It is fortified by elders who think only to push their way to the front with little regard to the consequences. They may just push their way off a cliff.

Past generations rejected the past out of rebellion yet they took the time to contemplate why. They either joined the fight or rebelled against it, there was never any apathy.

Now, this generation shows little emotion for moral issues, political philosophy or anything worth rebelling against. Apathy is their conscience. In some sense, the only thing this generation feels worthy is themselves. Other generations joined together for a cause while this generation celebrates their individualism as if it were a holy grail in which everyone should make a crusade. The myspace pages become altars to their existence.

As we head into a presidential election we have a generation unaware of yesterday, eagerly influenced by a ten second sound bite contrived in the past hour. They are not capable of understanding the struggles of past generations let alone what occurred last week. They are lemmings led into the sea by the bantering pontifications of actors disguised as journalists. The siren calls of politicians inciting the frenzy.

Now is the time of clarity. Yet, we will not have any clear view of where we are headed nor of where we have come from.

If I didn’t know better, the 1920’s felt very much like it does today…but no one seems to mention the similarity. The generation of the time was too busy living the high life, enamored with style, movie stars, and all the trappings they thought would last forever. However, the bell tolled and the market crashed. They couldn’t have everything. Someone told them they could and they lied. Just like those who purchased mortgages with variable rates with the nudge-nudge promise the rates would never go up. Someone lied.

The media was also a shrill for whatever tragic or peculiar event took place. They thrilled to side-show journalism, gangster crime and movie stars. Sound familiar?

Before they knew it, reality hit them hard as the fog cleared and the path was revealed. The Great Depression became a sink hole for a generation to climb out of. The next generation fell into the hole because of the lack of leadership, foresight, greed and apathy. Sounds a bit like today, now doesn’t it?

Instead of building safety nets from a falling economy, domestic terrorism, or natural disaster we just sit and wait for something to happen. Meanwhile, the generation continues to make idols of themselves on myspace pages to enjoy the party. 23 Skidoo Daddy-o.

Where we are headed is up to those we chose but we all need to stop looking at our navels and stop to see where we are, where we are going and find a direction without a hole to fall into.

As I begin to teach students of this generation about film, they do not care about the past.

This is only film, not politics yet they feel the movies before they were born are inferior before they even see them. A sample of how they view this world. The past is inferior and only their view is the brightest.

I was never a big John Wayne fan, but in preparing for the class I have watched more of his films and what comes across is a type of man that seems to be disappearing from society. The ideal that we can change things with our attitude. Be a stand up guy or get out.

That type of person is gone. Wayne represented a generation who fought out of hole to rise to the top of the mountain and no one was going to knock them off. Now we have a generation forgetting they are on the top of the mountain and forget what lies deep below.