Blah blah blah

I was reading about a show called "Men Of A Certain Age." I think it's about 3 middle-aged guys talking about how disappointing their life has been, or something. That's what it looks like but I always mute the commercials. I'm not sure who would watch a show like that, but that isn't really the point because if people watch people who can't dance dancing, why not watch living men not really living? The article's point was that adults express themselves more freely than younger people because they've given up most if not all of their hopes and dreams, and therefore feel that there are no consequences to being open and honest.

I don't think that everything about that is false, but the thought is so depressing that I refuse to buy into it. I'm someone who has become a lot more open in the last 15 years or so. This has happened for a number of reasons, including 24 years of marriage, kids, therapy, just growing up and pretty much everything except for self-help books, because even the people who write those things think they're stupid. I haven't had any hopes dashed or dreams crushed. I've got problems like everyone else, but I'm pretty happy. So I'm not more open because I don't care any more; I'm more honest because that's the way you really become part of your world, and what could be a better goal than to be fully immersed in your own life.

And I do think there are consequences to opening yourself up. There are just far more positive consequences than negative ones. And if part of what elders are supposed to do is guide youngers (?), then showing them that it's okay to really be yourself is part of being a good role model. Teenagers and young adults are notoriously insecure, and for a good reason- they generally don't have a clue as to what the hell they're doing or what's going on around them. All I can tell you from my certain age, is that you'll figure it all out a lot faster if you don't spend so much time and effort speaking and acting differently from how you're genuinely feeling.

I think one of the biggest problems people face is disassociation, more now than in the past. We're bombarded with so much information that trying to choose a course of action based on outside sources is almost impossible. The array of choice is paralyzing and I see far too many people teetering on the edge of paralysis. The only way around it is to follow your heart, to say what you mean and mean what you say. I know this sounds like overly earnest blah blah blah, but I don't think a little earnestness ever hurt anyone.