My final post

[Not George Lucas]

I was looking through the archives of my web page, and I found an interesting little tidbit about who I am. I thought I would share it with you. This was written on August 30, 2001.

I remember back in the day, when the Web was new to me, I'd sit for hours and hours, just surfing, fascinated by all that information. Now look at me. A tired old pop star in platform shoes.

Isn't that what happens to us all? We each have our glorious, shining moment in the sun, only tbe cast aside for the next big thing. There's always something better coming along. Sure, you were pretty cool, back in the day, but now, you're old news.

This is where you hear the typical well, not me, friend, monologue, but, frankly, it'll happen to us all. A hundred years from now, no one's gonna remember us, our generation, our way of life.

I come from the ass-end of the ill-fated "Generation X". I remember when Pearl Jam first got famous, when coffee bars and goatees were the thing to do, and when Kurt Cobain painted the wall with his brain.

I remember people mourning the guy's death, saying he'll always be remembered.

I remember walking into school and seeing a group of kids gathered around a student with a guitar, playing Nirvana songs.

I had the MTV unplugged album.

I wore the flannel.

There was something oddly pure about it.

Hell, even Woodstock '94 wasn't all that bad.

I'm part of a generation of cynical kids looking for cultural definition, and I think that's how it's always gonna be.

I grew up with heroes like Luke Skywalker and Optimus Prime.

Every generation in the 20th century had some aspect that brought them together and defined them.

They had 2 World Wars, a Great Depression, and a conflict in Vietnam. For years, I'd thought to myself, what about me? What is it that brings my generation together? We had no war, except maybe Desert Storm, but does that even count? We didn't protest. We didn't have brothers going overseas to fight and
never return, well, not all of us. We only had our teen angst and nothing to distract us from it.

And the same question always arose. What about us? What's our defining moment?

I think that our very lack of a moment is what defined us. We're a bitter generation because life was too good. We didn't know conflict. We spoiled ourselves and blamed our parents.

Now we're a bunch of bitter parents, husbands, and wives. The biggest issue we've had to deal with was the fact that Metallica didn't like having their property given away.

What does this say about humanity?

Here, we have a generation that life's been good to. We had no war, no plague, no swarm of locusts devouring our crops, no dust bowl, no depression. But we view it as a bad thing. It's like we need something bad to happen if we want to be good people.

The whole thing is just screwy.

So, we carve our niche into society as a generation and a culture, and we move along. Our fifteen minutes are up; it's time for the next group.

We had our shining, glorious moment, and we didn't know it was there, all the while hoping something would come along.

Now look at us, tired old pop stars in platform shoes.

Farewell. It's been fun.

[elizabeth]

[Kieran McConville]

Frankly, I disagree. Don't fucking try to define me by Luke Skywalker or Nirvana, it won't wash.

We don't all have it good, and if we do we ain't necessarily bitter about it.

Why try to define a generation around some event anyway? It's just not that simple. I've no doubt the Depression had an enormous influence on those who bore the brunt of it, but don't you think they'd have swapped that experience for prosperity in a flash, given the chance? Likewise either of the world wars, and so on and so on.

No offence but you sound like you're living in some kind of cultural cocoon, or have been watching too many gen-x movies or Korn videos and got it confused with actual life. I mean ok, fine, I'll admit that I feel somewhat alienated from most of those around me, but that's fine, I'd probably be the same whatever era I lived in. I don't identify with 'generations'.

If we must talk about shared experience, then what is it that ties us together? I'd suggest unprecedented prosperity married with unprecedented lack of hope. Now there are actual reasons for that, and they're a bit more significant that feeling bitter cause we um, had it good or something. Namely the rise of a dog-eat-dog society, where community-mindedness is seen as naive, and narrow sectional interest is encouraged so as to stop people thinking too hard about the larger picture.

Now, if you feel angst about that, well and good. That's worth being angsty about.

[Dreadsox]

George,

I can only say you have made me laugh. I have not always liked what you typed, but in general, I enjoyed reading them. I especially like what you wrote above.

I grew up on Luke Skywalker too......There is much wisdom found in the original trillogy.

It appears this is going to be my final post as well.


TO those of you who agreed to disagree with me in an intelligent way, I want to thank you for getting me to think about the world in a different light.

To those of you who have similar beliefs to mine it is been a pleasure being in the minority with you on this BB.

TO those of you with blinders on, who ally yourself against one party or the other, who refuse to listen to the arguments coming from the other side, and judge someone by a label.......I pray that the blinders be removed and you become more tolorent of others who have a different point of view than yours. That goes for all on both sides on all the issues.

TO the AMericans who visit here....I hope you begin to think of yourselves as part of the world rather than the most important people in the world. There is a lot of suffering out there and we need to be a part of the solution, not the problem.

TO the moderators of this site.....What is up with the Right Wing conspiracies these Republican friends of mine believe exist? I have found you all to be of open mind and respectful of all on this site. You are truly unbiased and should be commended for your hard work.

TO Diamond.......Thanks for urging me to find my voice. I hope we can hook up for a concert......

NB Crusader and Melon....U two really made me think. I would love to be a fly on the wall if you two ever got together.

Bama...U rock.......

Martha...I will never forget Band Camp....HEHEHHEHEHEH

to U2...thanks for the music and the church.....




PEACE ( TO ALL )

[Sparkysgrrrl]

I'm hijacking this thread too...since I can't post in here after tonight.
I will miss reading many of your thoughts and arguments lol
I didn't always agree with most of you here, but I did enjoy your opinions just the same.
To those who have been so very kind to me when I thought I was considered a burden to this forum, a million thanks.
I can be reached at the email and board listed in my signature....or around one of the other forums I suppose.

(depending on how things are around here anyway, I might abandon it all)

Fare the well

[Rono]

All those free minds leaving,...... damn.

See you around in the free world.


Read you,...

[melon]

Hrm...does this particular forum really block all non-subscribers from posting now? Sigh...but it's the economy, stupid! Shall we call this the New Forum Order?

(Alas...I get more ideas for my thesis every day; but I would be a fool to elaborate...)

I shall certainly miss everyone who shall further be unable to post in here. Take care...

Melon

[melon]

...but, as I read EYKIW, there is nothing stated that will block anyone from posting in this forum specifically, not even non-subscribers! In fact, Elvis has never stated which forums he will block off, and people just automatically assume that FYM will be blocked. Sicy posted that most forums will be available. A bit premature to assume?

Melon

[pax]

Originally posted by Dreadsox

TO the moderators of this site.....What is up with the Right Wing conspiracies these Republican friends of mine believe exist? I have found you all to be of open mind and respectful of all on this site. You are truly unbiased and should be commended for your hard work.

Thank you!

I should put that in my sig or something.

[bonoman]

I can still post

[Sparkysgrrrl]

Originally posted by melon
...but, as I read EYKIW, there is nothing stated that will block anyone from posting in this forum specifically, not even non-subscribers! In fact, Elvis has never stated which forums he will block off, and people just automatically assume that FYM will be blocked. Sicy posted that most forums will be available. A bit premature to assume?

Melon

Sicy said to me in another thread that FYM would be one to go Premium only

[pub crawler]

Originally posted by Dreadsox


TO those of you with blinders on, who ally yourself against one party or the other, who refuse to listen to the arguments coming from the other side, and judge someone by a label.......I pray that the blinders be removed and you become more tolorent of others who have a different point of view than yours. That goes for all on both sides on all the issues.

Can ah get an A-MEN!

TO the AMericans who visit here....I hope you begin to think of yourselves as part of the world rather than the most important people in the world. There is a lot of suffering out there and we need to be a part of the solution, not the problem.

Can ah get a double Amen!



Nice thoughts, Dreadsox

[ultraviolet7]

Originally posted by Sparkysgrrrl

Sicy said to me in another thread that FYM would be one to go Premium only

Yep it was more than predictable. Will miss discussing for days on end with STING2. It's not everyday that you are given the opportunity to hold interesting and civilised debate with someone whose position is diametrically opposed to your own. I've also appreciated debating with Dreadsox and enjoyed reading joyfulgirl's, FizzingWhizzbees' and melon's contributions.

[melon]

Originally posted by Sparkysgrrrl

Sicy said to me in another thread that FYM would be one to go Premium only

Boo.

(FYI, I'm a Premium Member, but I will miss the assortment of people here.)

Melon

[Rono]

Boo to you,....