When I was young and dumb...
My oldest son, having just reached the milestone age of 13, has reminded me of my self at that age. For me, self awareness began in earnest back in the mid 80s...*old folks* like me remember that decade well. It was a time of cultural polarization with various cliques (at least among teens). I soon began to question the *herd mentality* and decided that I preferred an individual identity to group-think. At the time, in Georgia, the Punk scene was a perfect vehicle for a rebellious kid to challenge the status quo (not without social consequence). But by the time I reached high school, Punk had lost its luster in my estimation. Then, with the discovery of marijuana and LSD, I morphed into a *Dead Head hippy-type*. Now, before you presume that I did a 180, I present my Top Ten list of ways in which Punks and Hippies are in fact fellow travelers:1. Both are social outcasts.
2. Both have an aversion to soap…on principle.
3. Both are left-leaning anti-establishment and anti-capitalist.
4. Both despised Ronald Reagan.
5. Both assume that they are smarter than they actually are.
6. Both bitch and moan more than live productive lives.
7. Both prefer intoxication to reality.
8. Both demand “social justice” without providing a coherent definition of it.
9. Both are ridiculous anachronisms
10. Both are pitied by me.
For the record, by the time I turned 20, I realized that those two *personae* (as well as drug abuse) were irrational at the core. Individual identity was actually that for which I was searching. The fact that both groups are moochers who bitch at the hand that feeds, in addition to *the list*, was enough for me to distance myself from them for good.
Note: my statements are generalizations, but true nonetheless. There are however, exceptions to the
rule.
posted by Robert @ Monday, March 14, 2005
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