depressing

  Have we lost all optimism? It really seems that way to me at times as I listen to the news. All I hear about are the injustices of the past. I hear how terrible everything was and how everyone suffered. No, it isn't just the minorities I'm hearing about, this applies to everyone. There is no hope for any of us. The climate itself is plotting against us, it is changing and will kill us all. We have to do something about that. That is, if we can manage to create enough vaccinations and immunizations to keep us going. But perhaps all that will be a mute point as our mental health is deteriorating rapidly. 

  Could it be that with the whole world now connected we are suffering from a sensory overload? Is that what is happening? There are simply too many influences for people to process properly. Everything we experience must be processed in context to the society in which we live. Cultural norms are the biggest influence on our thinking. What was normal in my house growing up may be alien to you. That was true even when we were in elementary school together. 

  In years past however, many of those differences were unknown. We didn't talk about that stuff, post it on social media channels or tweet any of that. We encountered all of that a little bit at a time, as we grew older. I remember well when I was first in the Navy. I heard about things I had never imagined before! Yes, I was called a "hick" and I wasn't "cool" as was the expression commonly in use then. It meant I didn't subscribe to the "progressive" way of thinking although that term wasn't yet in use. No, that was called being worldly. It implied that you had a lot of experience in the world. In short, you knew about all the bad stuff, the sketchy side of things, and things that you just should avoid. It was like a secret knowledge. The forbidden fruit.

  Today however a great deal of that is being taught in kindergarten. There are many insisting that we need to do that and any restriction on that is a ban. Nothing should be restricted from children! They should be indoctrinated into the ways of the world outside of their experience. Other cultures are different and every single one of them is correct. There is no such thing as morality, only legality. That's because if morality exist there has to be a religious component to establish that moral fabric. Science will determine what is real, and what is not real! Additionally, whatever you feel is real. You can identify as anything you like. No one can dispute that. Back in the sixties it was sex, drugs and rock and roll! Much has been added to that scene, man. 

  I'm thinking that we are becoming like children in the candy store, overwhelmed with choices. All this social media, the constant barrage of  information and misinformation and no real way to distinguish between the two. At least when I was a young child I would hear, because I said so, that's why. That answer was sufficient unto the day. I learned the reasoning behind that later on, when I was a bit older and could place things more into context. We knew there was more out there to explore, to learn, and it gave us all something to look forward too. You know anticipation is often more satisfying that the actual event. I have been disappointed more than once by what I thought something was going to be only to discover, it isn't. Like the proverbial child in that candy store, I got sick. 

  I remember being told about people that had made bad choices. I heard about those that became drunks, they weren't alcoholics back then, and how they ruined their lives and those of the ones around them. I didn't hear stories of recovery and how brave those people were. I wasn't told they should be admired and used as a source of inspiration. No, that was simply something you shouldn't do. The objective in life was to not make mistakes in the first place, not to recover from them. I was taught you did a job for the compensation you received for doing that job. If you were fortunate it was a job you enjoyed. You didn't do a job for the glory! Even if you did, you didn't let others know that. You certainly weren't demanding recognition! Recognition was earned, not an entitlement. 

  We have far too many people today demanding all of that. I was taught to expect nothing and you won't get disappointed. That's a problem today as most are expecting everything; no they are demanding everything. I should be getting more money, more vacation, more medical care, more education, more opportunity, and more recognition! I'm doing this job and that makes me a hero! Doesn't matter what the job is, I am a hero because I come to work, even when I'm working from home. Well if all you have to look forward to is others recognizing you, you will be disappointed. Doesn't leave a lot to look forward too, does it? That only leaves one place to look, to the past. Blaming the past for today. It's downright depressing.