Reader Response (1)

Thank you to my loyal readers. Outside of my followers on Blogspot, I have a small group of 3 women who have been messaging personally about what I write on here. They have been sharing their own stories, advice, and questions. It's nice to know that I have affected anyone in any way. With their permission, I have been discussing some of the problems they have brought up here on my blog, keeping it anonymous of course.
Today, I received another email from one of my readers. I thought it was perfect enough to post as is. For those of you who have been reading, it is from my Generation Gap post on June 18. This refers to that as well as other issues in general.

I've high lighted my favorite parts of it.

"one thing I've come to see is that I have the horrible habit of completely withdrawing from society when I become upset. And that, of course, makes me MORE upset, and it just gets worse until I'm in a horrible depression. So I force myself to be social even when it feels like death, haha, and then before I know it, it's not so bad anymore. In any case - Thank YOU for posting all of your thoughts. It's a helpful reminder that I am not the only person to wonder what the hell is wrong with society and how the heck we'll get through all this crap to turn out OK in the end, haha.

In any case, I've been meaning to comment on your Generation Gap post. I agree - it seems like every person I know (aside from maybe ----- , hahahaha) is dealing with depression, anxiety, anorexia, etc...I DON'T know why this is happening. You said you're concerned about the generation gap...who can you go to for advice?? To be honest...I don't think the generation gap is as bad as you think it is. Of course there are things that seperate us from our elders...things like gay marriage, how we view race relations, clothing styles, haha....

But...these are OPINIONS. Our opinions may be different. Our beliefs may be different. But our HUMANITY...that's the same. They've been heartbroken, just like we have. They've been scared by the prospect of a new job (or by the prospect of NO job - damn economy...), they've watched parents grow older and they've made mistakes and have regrets and memories and all those emotions and fears and hopes and dreams that we've got. Sure, their "utopia" might not be OUR utopia. But they've still got the DREAM that we've got, right?

I'm a camp counselor this week at a music camp for high school kids at ---. All week, I've been watching kids get into trouble, relationships, arguments, etc. It scares the beegeezes out of me that some of them were born in like...1995, or that they have ZERO respect for Michael Jackson (dude - he might've been insane, but he freaking revolutionized music!!!)...

But I watch them, and I saw their nerves when they first got to camp. I see the guys trying to look cool in front of the "chicks," and I see their insecurities on all of their faces.

So, in conclusion: will there be gaps in the generations that surround us? Of course. But...they've all either BEEN in our shoes or will be soon.

Most of all, I watch my parents struggle to figure out their roles in life. I see them worry about their aging parents, about their jobs, friends, money, appearance...I hear them worry whether they're going to regret their actions, and wondering if life will turn out OK for them. In the end...we're all just afraid and hoping that things will turn out OK.

Last thought - I read something that said something along the lines of...One of our mistakes is that we tell our children that it's all going to be OK. But the truth is that bad things WILL happen. We need to tell them that they are strong enough to get through it, even when they feel they won't. That's what will help them - reassurance of their own strength and ability, not a falsehood that life is peachy.

Who knows what'll happen with Brian. Oh - here's a crazy thing that happened. I'm completely unreligous, but this blows my mind. Makes me think there's some sort of equilibrium out there.

My mom's best friend is 38, and he's about to die from colon cancer. My mom actually did her friend's billing for a while, since he owns a landscaping business and he didn't have time to do it himself. They ended up getting in a huge fight about 2 years ago over something to do with that, and she walked out with the intention of never talking to him again. And it worked for over a year. Last summer, she started a new job at a colonoscopy place. HER VERY FIRST DAY, he walked into the office to get tested for cancer. Now she's spending all of her time trying to help him (and his mom and dad - he's a bachelor) cope with this and make his last few months happy. One night, about 2 months ago, she was in his office finishing up billing paperwork for him. She came across some papers that listed his mom's employment - she apparently worked at a mental hospital in the shock treatment ward for a few years in the '80s. Backstory - my mom had an older brother. He was depressed for many years, stayed in various mental institutions, and finally committed suicide when I was 2. Well...according to those papers my mom found...this friend's mom was my uncle's nurse. She took care of my mom's brother...and now, over 20 years later, my mom is taking care of that nurse's son.

Makes ya wonder.

Anywho, gotta check on the campers. Seriously - thanks for the intellectual thoughts I get from your blogs. Hopefully see you at ----s next week!!

------"


Sorry for the obnoxious "censoring." Anyway, I love hearing from this reader in particular because she has tough stories to share, but continues to keep things in perspective and at least HOPE that there is something better.

In any case, I agree with her. There may be a generation gap but we all have a basic sense of living and trying to survive being human: making it through the insane society we have created for ourselves without just going over the edge and finding a little sunshine, wherever possible.


So readers, if you're afraid to comment here, email or message me. The private comments have been increasing and I really do appreciate hearing everyone's feedback or stories.

Friends, family, foe:
Thoughts?
Comment here
or
Email: sketchstephyoung@hotmail.com
or
Facebook me: facebook.com/sketchstephyoung

Read on!



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