Eons ago this might have been the theme song for me and my generation - errr - sorry about the moldy oldie:
The toon even floats around today and encourages our lost youth to seek their identities outside of established traditions and institutions like school and work and church, and maybe find it in rebellion. It was a message that spoke loudly to me and it resonated even more powerfully with my daughter.
I remember also an old church speecher beaking off about it. Something like, “What if you discover that you’re an onion, kid? You go off on your quest for identity, peeling away layers of superficiality, thought patterns, traditions and rules…and ya find there’s nothing there?” His message was that these places and institutions that stressed conformity and traditions and rules were put in place to put something there: experience, problem solving skills, teamwork, work ethic, etc. It was his position that the only way to having an identity was commitment to family, work, and Jesus Christ.
“Piss off, you old fart!” I laughed at the radio - and changed the radio station to something playing music. I knew it all! That attitude cost me in ways that I still pay for today. Had I been able to listen to that old stubfart and take his message to heart… my life would be very different today. It was a lesson I learned far too late but was able to self-correct in time. In time I found and connected with myself and who I was. It only took me about 55 years…
😂👍
Sadly, this message was even stronger for my daughter. Good lord, that kid went right off the deep end… and stayed there. She’s going to be 40 years old in 2025… and she’s an emotionally stunted Cluster B type train wreck. Not trying to get down on the kid, but she never grew up because she couldn’t. There are millions of people just like her out there. Some are my age and many are older, even. Some people just seem to know who they are from childhood, where they’re going and complete their journeys without a misstep or mistake. Others never even start.
Such is what comes of listening to celebs and rockstars rather than old speechers n’ stubfarts I suppose.
I remember also an old church speecher beaking off about it. Something like, “What if you discover that you’re an onion, kid?
ReplyDeleteThen I'll stay away from vegetarians and burger joints, least some line worker lay violent hands on me and chop me up, sauté me, and add me to the main course.
You go off on your quest for identity,
Stop. Just who is paying for this quest for identity? A quest costs money, and a knight errant has to eat. Then, assuming I find the Holy Grail (which is assuming a lot, because no one has found it. Yet.) just what do I do with it? Can't eat it, and it being rare and valuable someone somewhere is going to try his best to steal it.
peeling away layers of superficiality,
If the layers are superficial, they very likely vanish before I get packed.
thought patterns, traditions and rules…
All of which have gotten me to this point, and I'm unhappy enough to want to change.
and ya find there’s nothing there?”
No, there's something there alright. It just isn't the thing that's going to make you happy.
It was his position that the only way to having an identity was commitment to family, work, and Jesus Christ.
Oh yeah, commitment. I tried that. Family was a bitter, torturous experience that taught me all about ingratitude, betrayal, and disaffection. Work demonstrated the abuse of authority, deceit, and exploitation.
That last item, Jesus, was the only way I ever got any peace.