THE GYPSY GENERATION
Recently an article came out in the Huffington Post stating that my generation,
Generation Y -those of us born in the late 70’s to the mid 90’s- were self
absorbed, delusional and PUSSIES.
(Yes the author referred to us as that)
I get it. Our generation is pock marked with unabashed
egoists and narcissists, coddled and sheltered by parents, TV, and political
correct-ness; there are those that exist with delusion and most of them deserve
a wedgie- a few even a punch in the face- however violence never solves
anything. The article labels us GYPSYs which stands for Generation Y
Protagonists and Special Yuppie’s or those that :
“think they are the main character of a very special story”.
He believes that because we think we are special and part of
a very special story that we have become delusional in our expectations, that
we don’t want to work, that we don’t want to put in the time.
I’m talking to YOU fellow GYPSYs.
We are not delusional to want a sustainable beautiful earth,
where life is honored and loved and revered. We want to be happy, to self love and love
around us. We desire to work.
According to the author, The generation that raised us- that
one of LOVE-is partly to blame because it was with that pie eyed optimist love
coupled with prolonged upward social mobility and economic prosperity that bred
this coddled generation of GYPSYs that have too high expectations and live in a
constant state of delusion.
Well I agree. I DO think I am pretty special.
Pretty special indeed- Wait, I don’t even think it – I KNOW
IT.
It is an awareness that lives in me.
But
I know it with out any ego or narcissism. I am not self
absorbed, I think of others and community, I am not better than ANYTHING…..and
I am SPECIAL.
How do I know this? How can I be so sure?
Because you are all special too.
Every last one of you.
Even the egoists and chickenheads whose brains are fried
from too many distractions, glued to the shitbox (tv), who feed their delusion
with a barrage of humble brag insta-twit-book flood of updates. Guess what?
YOU are special too. (lets just work on the Ego with you)
I had this brilliant Italian Cinema professor at university
who would start each class by admonishing the group:
“YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL”
“I DON’T GIVE A FUCK WHAT YOUR PARENTS TOLD YOU”.
“YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL”.
This was over 10 years ago yet I still understood then why he was
doing this - it was a preemptive strike against the burdgeoning egotists of
my GYPSY generation - I’d smirk when he
did so, because I knew he was talking to me.
“Im fucking special,
whatever dude “ I would laugh back.
I did this from a place of youthful arrogance / ignorance
(what’s the difference) and not from the
knowingness I have now.
Today I look around at the universe, I see humanity, the
planet, and everything in between and I understand that we are all connected,
we are ALL special. The stones, the trees, the flies, the peasants, the
tyrants, the fire -
WE ALL HAVE A BEAUTIFUL PART TO PLAY in this story.
We have been raised by our parents to believe we are special
and I believe they….were……right. From my
estimation, society has programmed us – through the standards set by
advertising, marketing and modern propaganda- to buy into a definition of
special that is SOLD to us. Which begs the question –
What is the difference between reality and what is for sale?
(and understand this question comes
from a salesman wolf )
The sold version of Special would require some sort of
superlative in social rank based on a myriad of playing factors : wealth,
beauty, possessions, power, popularity, mate, luxury. Then the few that get to those places- that
1-5%- either become deluded into believing that they are special due to some
attachment of ego OR they get there and realize that they don’t really
feel that special at all, and that in the cruelest of practical jokes, what was
for sale has left them feeling empty and cold and unfulfilled.
That’s the joke. That’s the prank. The mystery that is so easy for many of us to
miss is that there is a (lets call it) ‘medicine’
that lives inside each of us- this being which is entirely unique and special
to us. It is always there, but we must look inward to activate it. If you don’t
believe that your thoughts / feelings are energy, that your words carry weight,
that your actions MOVE things unseen to you, then I have great compassion for you……. which
is a nice way of saying :
I feel sorry for you
–
AND –
I invite you to understand and accept this and explore your own
special brand of magic.
Do you not have the power to give of yourself and make a
stranger smile?
Do you not have the ability to brighten someone else’s day
(or turn it awful)?
You have magic.
You are special.
Sitting in a state of simulated psychosis watching
television, doing mindless work, video games, internet, flipping through
pointless magazines that peddle fruitless dreams will not make you happy. Nor
will it make you feel very special. (most of us, including me, are guilty of this)
Let’s talk about the next point - I believe that the story that I am living in IS a
beautiful and unique one.
We are all, each, main characters. (did I really just have to write that, are we
collectively not aware of that?)
And this story, this plot that we live in is EPIC. All the
beautiful and ugly things that have come from times past live on and are
knowledge and art and beauty that we can learn from and love. Times past are great
stories, sure, but all of it – ALL of IT – has culminated into where we are
today. I track that statement, ruminate on the scale of history and feel that
there is NO QUESTION this is the greatest story yet.
This is the best time to be alive and if you don’t believe
that go to the bathroom splash a bunch of cold water on your face, do
your best Don Magic Juan and pimp-slap the shit out of yourself and then ask that question again.
(or)
Plug in, look around internally and externally and track and take stock.
And here we are, a western society (that for better or worse, more or less)
doesn’t have to consider seeking shelter / food on a daily basis. We are protected and have
needs taken care of. Our story is no longer that of mere survival. We are given
the opportunity to play the game and THINK and FEEL (if we choose). I look
around and feel great tension on this earth. Matters of people and planet and
economy have become unsustainable and chaotic. We are either going to eat
ourselves slowly or innovate and change towards an era of sustainability and
enlightenment.
This story is beautiful and I am grateful to be in it. I cant imagine being in a better one, where
the stakes are so high. The opportunity to think and feel and create to
sustainable change- this my friends is a beautiful game- and endlessly more
amusing and fulfilling than being a peasant or a caveman or a king or a pirate
or a vampire.
Am I deluded?
Nah.
--I’m wide awake and making heavy eye contact with the
Earth—
It took time to look around, outside of myself and my
personal story, and that was all I needed and All its takes. To look around and
connect with the story of planet, to understand that
YOU ARE SPECIAL.
The author derides the phrase “follow your passion” and I
understand that there is a trite bit of wear and tear that follows this somewhat
stale quote.
BUT.
YEAH.
FOLLOW YOUR PASSION.
HOWEVER (and this is a really big however)
before you follow anything, it is the utmost importance that
you learn to tune in to yourself, and be able to clearly answer what it is you
desire, or “what is your passion?”
While not impossible, it has been difficult for my
generation to innately tune in and know what drives our desires or even what
our truest desires are. We have grown up inundated and plugged into merchandise
and sales sales sales. The frequency of our own individual medicine often
drowned out and diluted by the constant cat calls of the salesman. Always
someone there pushing some dream, and never enough time for us to figure out on our own.
It takes time, thinking, learning, exploring of self to
understand, and as a shameless iphone addict, I know how difficult it can be to
give that to yourself – outside of what is going on external- Taking the time to
be clear internally.
There is no grand adventure one needs to get in line with
their desires.
You simply need to quietly just ask yourself and Probe, LIVE.
Be aware. Follow one question that might take you to another to another and
another before BAM there it is –
(for now) or
(forever)
There are those of my generation who allow television and
propaganda to make the decision about their desires for them. Some are complacent,
some are controlled, some are ignorant, perhaps even stupid.
are you ? do you do that ?
(…… just asking, not accusing )
There are those that mindlessly use blind ambition to get
that place of store bought desire and get there and then look around and wonder what the hell it
was all for.
Ambition is good, it is the fire that exists in each of us.
It is the fuel that pushes us further and further.
You feel that fire in you ????
(Duh)
>>>>>>>>
You’re special.
But Blind Ambition?
Is there any fire so dangerous as one that rages blindly and
with no real direction?
Nah forget blind anything.
I like to see,
Eyes forever open feeling that…..
…….. feeling that my generation Y has a desire to
see as well. That although our generation has its flaws- riddled with the
deluded ego driven who propagate an inflated view of their happiness through
image - that the even THEY want to see and that we all have a part to play in
this epic story.
WHY?
Because we are fucking special.
That’s why.
*So take time and explore, it could take years but ask and
ask and ask yourself your desires. GIVE
THIS TO YOURSELF. Be open and welcome
clarity through vulnerability.
Community, connectedness, and the ability to activate the
medicine and awareness inside you, the clarity of your desires (not something
you were sold or told) get off your couch (think outside of your work desk) and
happiness and activate that magic in you.
