Atypical 60

Hi Society,

Or should I say “High” Society? Seriously society, what the hell has happened to you?  I mean, you used to be so classy and proper and cultured and intellectual!

Baby, you used to care. You had high standards! You used to be somebodies!  You used to be contenders. Now you are all but washed up. And you did it to yourself.

Maybe 60 years isn’t very long to be on this earth to give you some constructive criticism, but I’ve seen so many changes in you.  Trust me, the good changes are few and the not-so-good changes are plenty.  I need to understand. I need you to explain.

Society. I need you to examine your conscience.

There was a time when you were a better people. I remember it well.  I can remember being a child and going shopping or out and about or visiting others in the company of my parents.  Before making sure I was neatly dressed, I would be reminded on how to behave in public.  This was a time when people smiled at each other. Men would give a tip of their hats.  Women would smile and give a polite little wave.  People acknowledged each other. People actually liked each other and enjoyed each other’s company.

People don’t acknowledge any more. They either ignore or text. Or eye roll.  What happened to conversation?

Society, you used to be very aware of what was going on in the world! As young students, we had to watch the news each night because we never knew when we would be “pop” quizzed on current events.  The nightly news on TV reported the news and told it like it was. There was no pandering or dumbing down.  We saw hard footage of the troops in Vietnam. We saw protests.  The news was delivered by serious and real hard-news journalists like Walter Cronkite and Chet Huntley and David Brinkley.

Now we have “fun” news.  Politically correct newscasts with a various number of “friendly” anchors who are botoxed, hair extensioned, toothy veneered and smile and laugh through even the most dismal of news.  Oh…and Society, since when is your idea of “World News” only news that is contained within the borders of these 50 States? There’s a whole ‘nother world to report about. Stop looking at your belly button. Why does every news show have to end with a touchy-feely human interest story? That isn’t news!!!!! Go back to news reports the way they should be!

Hey, Society—here’s a good one.  Do you remember engaging in real conversation? Well, I’ll tell you, I can remember those days.  You were fantastic at both small talk and intense debate.  You could show your charming side by talking so eloquently about the weather, and then change gears to flow into an intense and intellectual debate about the Vietnam War, hippies, or the housing issues in major cities!

Instead these days you engage in shaming and hating over the internet. Fat shaming. Ugly shaming. Gay hating. Trans hating. Black hating. White hating. Yellow hating. Magenta hating. Blue hating. Candy Corn hating.  You don’t come out from hiding behind your computers or phones. Oh you faceless bullies—aww you make me so scared.

There was a time, Society, when you would love to read a book.  Libraries were popular in the not-all-that-distant past.  There was something special about perusing through the shelves of books. Those shiny plastic covers that the Library books were clothed in made them sparkle in the fluorescent light of the building.  Opened books gave away their age, not by the copyright date, but by the distinct scent of the binding—sometimes a bit musty, but nevertheless enticing. Books were food—food for the brain. Growing up, going to the library was practically a social event.  Friends would meet to do homework.  People would become frustrated if they had to be placed on a waiting list for that new novel.  Some seeked solace from their noisy families.

Society. When was the last time you applied for a library card?

Society, there was a time when your politicians were a bi-partisan bunch.  Politicians may have not agreed on everything, but they all had a clear and concise vision of what was needed for the American people. They didn’t have a personal agenda. They weren’t sleeping with insurance companies and lobbyists. They were not filled with hatred.  They respected.  They were passionate.  They wanted to help.

Instead, now we have a bunch of politicians who are filled with the vilest of hate and bigotry. They don’t accept differences in people nor do they accept different lifestyles or ideologies.   Today’s politicians want to bully women.  These men have already started their policies to lower funding to Planned Parenthood because they want control over women.   NO MAN EVER HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL A WOMAN WHAT TO DO WITH HER BODY. PERIOD!  Listen to me Society.  I’ll show these bozos what Planned Parenthood is. I’ll castrate those men. THEN we’ll give you, Society, new meaning to Planned Parenthood!

Society—can you answer me this.  When did God join the presidential race? I mean, I remember when there was an exact boundary line between Church and State.  All the politicians today are speaking about bringing God into politics.

Hey. What about the people in our good country who are not of the Christian ideology? What about Jews? They don’t count?  What about Muslims (and no. Not all Muslims are terrorists) or Hindus, Taoists, Sikhs, Shintos, Buddhists and Atheists?  What about them? They vote. They pay taxes.

My God, and his cute son, Hipster Jesus, have too fucking much on their plates to worry about the politics of this country. Let God do his damn job without having to be involved in your politics.  He wants nothing to do with it. He told me so!

Hey, Society. Do you remember when celebrities were talented actors or singers or all-around entertainers?  These were people who could do everything.  The days of TV may have been younger, but programming was far superior. Variety shows showcasing these talents of the many versatile stars ruled.  We watched well-written drama and westerns.  We had smart comedy.  “Reality” TV consisted of quiz shows like “What’s My Line” or “I’ve Got a Secret.” I remember when Broadway was “The Theatre“..and not a bunch of rehashed Disney films set to a stage production.

These days you have turned network TV into a garbage bin of infantile comedies featuring annoyingly precocious children who turn adults into idiotic buffoons.  Less time is spent watching the show and more time is spent viewing the five-minute commercials about various prescription drugs.  Those commercials cover every nuance of the drugs because people can no longer afford to visit their doctors—the co-pay is too expensive. The commercials do the job instead. That is pitiful. I would rather see a commercial for laundry detergent or perhaps watch The Marlboro Man take someone’s gun away from them.

Society—do you not know the meaning of talent?  You have a reality star that has become a super celebrity all because she made a sex tape and went pee-pee on her man.  Yes. She is now a gazillionaire because of sex and pee-pee. But yet, a woman who breastfeeds her child in public is considered a filthy pig by some.  Am I missing something here? I’m not processing!

Society you are making people who refuse to do their job famous!  We have, in one corner a government clerk who refuses to administer a marriage license because of her “Christian” beliefs. On the other end of the spectrum, we have a flight attendant who converted to a “Non-Christian” ideology and she refused to serve alcohol to a passenger on a flight.  Don’t make these people famous. JUST FIRE THEM! End of story. Over and out! Grow some balls and stop being politically correct!

You were once gentle, my dear Society.  Guns used to be something that only the military and police officers used.  Oh. The hunters had their ammunition too. And others acquired licenses to carry. But, where you were once gentle, your dark side took over and now gun violence seems to be the norm.  Society, you believe we all have the right to bear arms because “guns don’t kill”. Well, you’re right. Guns alone, sitting on a shelf, without bullets, don’t kill. Put some bullets in that gun, hand it to an overemotional person filled with rage and anger  and that gun is gonna murder.  How about we arm everyone with water pistols as a better solution? You’ll still be able to bear arms, only those arms are going to spit water and not bullets!

Society, you need to change your ways.  You believe we need to be the world’s leader? I think you are incorrect my dear. We definitely need a leader—but your arrogance in stating we need to be the world leader is way off.

I’ll tell you why.

How can you, Society, be a world leader when you cannot even provide your citizens with the proper healthcare? How can you be a world leader when the entitled one percent of this country, evades paying the maximum amount of taxes when a lowly paid clerk ends up paying 30 percent of their wages to your government?  How can you be a world leader when you allow the banks to rob people with high percentage rates—and those very banks sit on their monies collected?  Remember, the banks caused our economic demise just a few years back—and not a one paid for it.  How can you be a world leader when our public education system is inferior?  Society, you cut funds for the arts in school. You cut the funds for the space program. These are important programs. Important to not only our society, but our global society.

How can you be a world leader when we have Americans who ARE refugees? Refugees in our own country who go ignored. They are the homeless. They are the un and under employed. They are without health insurance.  They are without education.  So Society, I say to your do-gooders, take a look in your own backyard. Charity begins at home!

Please, Society, don’t be alarmed at what I write. You don’t notice how your personality has changed. You don’t realize you were once a strong, feisty, intelligent, talented people. You’ve regressed.

It isn’t too late.   I still have hope.  Just return to being caring, and genteel. Realize that others are not the same as you. Realize that hate can be cured without going to war.  Realize that our world is smaller and we need world leaders. Not a world leader!

Realize that you have a country full of beautiful people. That beautiful group is the middle-class. They are all but extinct.  And it’s time to bring them back and become the true Society you once were.

Peace,

Atypical60 aka Catherine