Monday 23 April 2018

A little less lonely together

Just putting this out there, I love this generation, this period of world existence. I feel like it gets some bad press and more than it's fair share of negative comments (and I've been critical plenty of times), but I think there's a lot going for it. I enjoy the music, the sport, the technology, the desire for unity, the passion to do something that matters, even if only on a small level, and the commitment to not simply accept things the way they are, especially if they are unfair or just plain wrong.

I wonder though, if this generation (and I don't just mean a certain age group, but anyone and everyone currently alive) feels like we've found a method that works? Because it's clear to me we still have our problems.

Previous generations have battled through population destroying diseases and world wars, and maybe pockets of those still exist, but on the whole we live in a time when we have longer life-expectancy, greater freedom of travel, safety, security and more expendable income than ever before, and yet, do we have what really matters? What people cry out for? Are we "Going home together to forget we're alone" (Sigrid - Strangers), or is it "I might hate myself tomorrow but I'm on my way tonight, let's be lonely together, a little less lonely together" (Avicii & Rita Ora).

The lyrics of the lyricists and the testimony of the tech-heads suggest a desire for something else. A true intimacy? A solid identity? A wholesome purpose? These are things people cry out for - most noticeably young people, but maybe that's because you become less vocal with age. And the question is, have we found solutions for these problems - solutions that actually work? Or have our solutions left us further apart and more passionate for personal gain?

I love who we are and what we've done up to this point, but I have hopes for even better. I just don't know if we can get there by ourselves. And that poses more questions.