Whilst away a party was given and a number of young(?) people arrived, mostly men between the ages of 24 and 31.
Taking advantage of this situation which is not a common one at all for one so old I decided to inquire if I could ask questions of them.
There was one 'group' calling themselves 'runners'. The lone female was a lawyer and ran to 'clear her head of the days events in court'.
The 31 year old blonde male was obsessive about his running and was trying to compete professionally but knew his days were numbered. It turned out he had 6 children in all. Three of his own by his ex-wife and one step-child by his first partner and two by his now partner.
He did have a favourite child. His first born daughter. He wanted to teach her to 'run'.
There was not one hint of wanting to teach her about life, love, charity, compassion or curiosity. It was merely 'to run'. Poor thing!
He was droll but absolutely funny because he didn't know his delivery of 'facts' and his telling of his life was done in such a way that the humour was palpable. Needless to say there was three times that I could not breathe for laughing so hard. He was perplexed by the appreciation I had for this type of story telling.
The third 'runner' was 29. He had not had any 'time' for relationships, as he was busy working in a warehouse so he could be free to 'run'. He thought he would give it till March '08 and then give up running, look for a proper job and then a 'wife'.
I was both bemused and gobsmacked.
"But" I said."What if 'she' does not come along?"
He was quite sure she would and that he would have a son.
Why a son I asked.
So I can teach him to run.
So girls don't run I asked eyeing the lawyer now on the other side of the room?
Well it isn't the same, he said.
And a boy?
Well I want him to be like me.
I have never ever understood this totally arrogant and narcissistic attitude of parents. Surely we want our children to be different, nay even better than us?
As he left ( I called him the bear of little brain) I shook his hand and said;
"I wish you many daughters".
He looked puzzled.
I told him that some recent research shows that the more daughters a man has the longer he lives. So in fact I was wishing him a long life.
The next person I talked to was totally blotto. He was a small boy,26 visiting from Canberra. He had never registered to vote. He believed the 'economy' was all that mattered.
"What if you go skiing in the snow fields and you break your back? Wouldn't you like the reassurance ( as in the past of other governments...not this present one) of knowing you will be 'looked after' by our rich and generous nation?"
"OH...I never thought of that..."he slurred.
It turned out that he had never thought of much at all.
He never got 'over' his last break up with his partner two years ago. He was depressed and went off to hail a taxi to aquire some drugs to bring back to the party. We went to bed before we were involved in that little episode.
So I sidled up to another confident, smart, clear faced young'n. He was 28 and an accountant.
He was a conservative, Liberal voter from a sheep farm. He didn't take up his father's profession but was sent off to boarding school and then onto private school and to university. He was arrogant, boring, single and thought nothing of the poor or the possibilities of his future. Only that he would be fine.
The next young fella was the best looking in the room. He had glasses, was tall-ish ( to me who is tall to begin with) and stood easily with his legs apart and a look of calmness.
He was from the country area. He didn't have a girlfriend ( he was not gay) and was not interested in anyone in the room. He worked at the same firm as the other boys and he was around 27. He held no fear of the future, of not finding a wife and of not being employable. He did not show arrogance just a green naevity and callowness. Before I could find out more the flat mate came and swept him away so she could try her feminine wiles on him. She scowled at me as she grabbed his arm and brushed past me.
The other young man who I spent most of the time with was interested in my daughter. He was the right political persuasion, the right religion ( ie none), the right humour ( Monty Python, satire, The Chasers etc) and was an engineer. He was pleasant to look at ( though not attractive in a commercial sense) and was entertaining and good company. He is 28. So what was wrong with him?
He has a girlfriend of 6 years. He does not 'love' her but can't break up with her as when he tried before she threatened self harm. So he ignores and neglects her hoping she will part from him so he won't have to deal with it.
This is not an attractive trait.
This is not a way to live your life..waiting to be free.
All of these young people are wasting their time.
They are waiting for something...another job ( the drugged boy going to leave his job in Canberra and wing it down in Melbourne), another love, another time when they will 'start' to get connected.
I was amazed at the political ignorance of this generation.
I was saddened by their lack of passion for anything let alone another human.
I was confused by their attitude to our society that requires us to become engaged in the needs of others.
I was angry at their waste of time and their youth.
I was confounded that for all their incredible education that they had no idea about the real world.
I was glad I met them.
They are a 'spoilt' and retarded generation. We baby boomers have a lot to answer for. We have dealt them a bad hand. We have let them down. We are only giving them 30 years of real living...between 30/35 and 60/65 ( for they all want to retire early and rich).
What have we done?
