BABY BOOMER BABBLE

 

Born to be Wild

 

"Like a true nature child, we were born, born to be wild" Steppenwolf, 1968

A generation that was born to be wild. Wow! I kind of took that to heart. After all, the generation before us seemed born, born to be rule makers. It was our destiny as boomers to break them.

"Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs. Blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind Do this, don't do that, can't you read the signs." Five Man Electric Band, 1970

"No Negroes."

"Do Not Step on Grass."

"Please be Silent."

"Making Out is Not Allowed."

"Join the Army. See the World."

Of course, you have to have rules. The world has to have some kind of order to it, otherwise there would be chaos and anarchy. I always thought those were two pretty good words.

"You say you want a revolution. Well, you know. We all want to change the world" The Beatles, 1968

After all was said and done, it's still hard to tell what was accomplished in the sixties. The one thing we didn't do was sit around and play video games. Still, not a whole lot changed. The military kept getting bigger and recruiting mainly the poor; the rich kept getting richer, and the poor, poorer; corporations took over America; and to top it off, we have to claim President Bush as one of our own. How's that for disappointment?

"Dear Mr. President. How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye? How do you walk with your head held high? Can you even look me in the eye and tell me why? Pink, 2006

At the tender age of 60, I'm an AARP member; have never belonged to a club that anyone couldn't walk in and sign up; have been a long-time advocate of nonviolence; am not prejudiced against anyone (short of right-wing, Christians); believe everyone is equal, in spite of race, ethnic origin, gender, religion, or sexual preference; do not support a strong military presence in the world; and I remain an outspoken critic against capitalism and our misguided attempts at world domination. I hate it that people are losing their jobs, are hungry, and are losing hope in the government. I'm not about to lay down at age sixty and take it. After all, we were born, born to be wild. So let's sit around the table, sip a beer, and talk about how to make tomorrow better.

"The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast. The slow one now will later be fast. As the present now will later be past. The order is rapidly fadin '. And the first one now will later be last. For the times, they are a-changinŐ. Bob Dylan, 1964