As anyone reading my blogs knows - I work on farm. This decision was what I thought (and think) could be my personal quest to "save the world." Many people in my generation have this desire or feel this obligation, but now I am beginning to lose hope. There is so much work to be done.
While time passes and I spend most of my days surrounded by nature, absorbed in my own journey, I recently exposed myself to the current mass media - cable TV. I do not have cable of my own, but while helping my boyfriend watch after his parents' dog I was sure to get my fix of what I have been missing. Before tuning to the History Channel, Discovery, Animal Planet and other loves of mine...I decided to do some personal research and see what the more mainstream channels had to offer (I consider these stations as the ones that are obviously directed towards the most desired age group of 18- to 35-years-old).
As I watched some of the reality shows (whose names I can't even remember) I came to a slight epiphany and realization of my own personal angst that has questioned: What the f#@%* am I doing? Am I crazy because I quit a cushy full-time job to work on an organic farm? Why aren't I interested in conforming? Why have I always felt like I don't fit in? Why doesn't "having things" interest me?
This epiphany includes many factors, but I feel that it can blamed (on a large part) on the fact that the Millennials (my generation) can also be called the "entitled generation." As I watched mainstream media, I saw we were (and still are) raised to believe that life works like this: Graduate from high school, get a degree, after that piece of paper every door will open for you, get a job in corporate America, buy things, make it your life's purpose to look cute (for girls) / make it your life's interest to find a hot girlfriend (for guys), get married, buy things, move to the suburbs where all the houses are the same, let the city chemically treat your tree lawn, have children who are raised by the local daycare and cable TV (because your yard is too small for them to play outside), buy things, give your children everything you never had including a cell phone at 10-years-old and the cycle continues...
For me, personally, those questions of doubt that arise are because this vicious cycle is what I have been exposed to in the latter part of my life (my parents were awesome and I was not overly exposed to this idea of the American Dream growing up). The realization of why I am doubting my non-conforming actions was refreshing, but it doesn't change the fact that American culture is collapsing. So many people in this country still look for happiness outside of themselves. Fulfillment to them is through their personal appearance and possessions. How did we stray so far from the basics? By basics I mean, a happy marriage, just being in love, having close relationships with those around you, eating dinner as a family, and parents turning off the TV, handing their kid a book or sending them outside to play with sticks (don't even get me started on the lack of imagination in so many American kids).
To be frank, if this is where American culture is headed - I don't want any part. I know I might sound like a slight anarchist or even elitist, but I don't care. There is so much work to be done to get this country back on track, but all this work needs to be done by the people (who seem to be on a steady decline). The fact that so many Americans are basically poisoning themselves with genetically modified foods, mass produced meat and bleached bread is a minor detail to a bigger problem - the American culture is in a large part composed of selfish, shallow and weak people. I know there are good people out there...I am speaking very generally and I am speaking from how the mass media portrays us as a whole (it's got to be based on something).
I think "kids my age" and I know that many of us have felt this feeling of uneasiness as the world almost seems to be collapsing around us. There is a reason for this - things are terrible. That "American Dream" that has been pushed on us will not be there in the next decade unless things change. According to the book "Generations" by William Strauss and Neil Howe, it is up to the Millennials to step up in these current times of crisis. All I can wonder as I see our culture, country, and environment collapsing all around me is - Will we all step up? Right now I am worried if the small number of motivated people in this apathetic majority that makes up most of the American population will be able to do enough to turn things around...
I guess I will just continue to do my part - refuse to conform and build a life around love, sustainability, and morals. Will you join me?
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