Salon has been running a series of articles in their sex section lately in which one of their authors has requested feedback from modern youth about how they perceive the previous generation. I have to admit I was incredibly dubious about the whole concept when I read the original request for feedback... it's been pretty entertaining, though. It's kind of an odd concept to me because, in a way, you are asking an initially neutral audience to respond emotionally and in whatever way they like. Maybe that's not explicit but after reading the responses you'll see what I mean. It's kind of a personality test in essay form.

The responses range from oddly placatory (is that a word? I dont think so.) to honest anger. The angry responses are especially interesting because I cannot, for the life of me, figure out from whence the anger stems.

Personally I feel very little about the previous generation. In a way I've been to shallow to think about it. The whole built on the shoulders of giants idea never really ocurred to me. Now that I think about it there a whole lot of things, both good and bad, that I owe to the boomers.

A lot of the salon reader reponses mention the sexual revolution (mainly because the original question was phrased in the context of sex) and I certainly have to tip my hat for that one. It's not as if sexual repression no longer exists but things do look a lot better... I mean, I can actually _discuss_ sex with my mom. That's real progress. Not all of the fruits of that revolution taste too great, though. AIDS and the rest of the big STDs come readily to mind. In all fairness, however, who's to say we wouldn't have had an AIDS epidemic without the sexual revolution?

I can come up with a lot more negative things to lay at the feet of the boomers than I can positive. I suspect, though, that that has more to do with my exercised young man mindset at the moment than anything else...

Well. I'll have to come back to that. I'm just not getting anywhere. I guess there are significant cultural contributions, for instance, but the value of those seems to be a hot topic of debate these days. I will come up with a list if I can, though. I hate to pour any more negativity on an already overburned world.

Is there a good word for an atomic element of culture? I'm flummoxed.

I suspect that the current ecopolitical state of affairs can be attributed almost entirely to the boomers. Did any of you predict that consumption would become a primary value? I doubt it. I can't get too angry about this one. Everyone wants to better their lives and those of the people close to them.

Initially, perhaps, I would have thought that the author of the salon article was seeking some kind of weird vindication from the readership. I don't think so now. If that had been the goal a lot of the responses would have never been published.

...

Today has been a wonderful day. The skies are cloudy and the temperature mild. It's fantastic! There is something about the mindset that days like this inspire that I really love. It's a real sweaters and heather thing for me, I guess.

Apparently, according to Dave Barry, it's talk like a pirate day. Arrrr, matey! Etc. Lovin it!

Love ya. -J