A doctor came to speak at our lecture series the other day. Honestly, I don't even remember what kind of doctor he was. I don't remember any of the questions he answered. I don't remember any of the anecdotes he related. I don't remember any of the insight he imparted on us or any of the wisdom he shared. Except for one thing, which really resonated with me at the time.
"The biggest challenge facing you as pre-health profession students," he said before the lecture ended. "Is the overwhelming cynicism of our society."
He's right. He's right, and it's awful. I'm a pretty cynical guy, but at least I know it's a joke. That everything is a huge joke. But everybody is so jaded these days. We just can't stand to entertain the thought that maybe--just maybe--things aren't as bad as we think they are. As we want them to be. That maybe--just maybe--people aren't always selfish pieces of shit.
There have been a lot of little kids rampaging through campus this week. I didn't really pay any attention until somebody pointed out the mobs of highlighter shirts roaming the streets and sidewalks. I guess they wanted to dangle the carrot of success in front of kids early. Some people put together a little carnival in front of the gym, too. A ball pit, some inflatable bounce houses and some other things. Just people doing nice things.
But, instead, we see through the charade. We see a generation of guilty parents and teacher taunting a generation of apathetic, underachieving students with an illusory life of success. We see a generation of underachieving college students reaching out to the next generation of hopeless students in an effort to look like they actually care about somebody other than themselves. The elementary school kids leave with ideas and dreams about the future they'll never aspire to. They leave with unreasonable ideas about college--a carrot that statistics say they'll never taste.
That can't be right though, can it? That feels like a wrong assessment. Even I'm not so hopelessly misanthropic that I actually believe any of that. Those teachers are struggling against a defeatist culture that no longer believes in people. Those college students are struggling to reach out and do something for someone other than themselves out of a sense of community. And, maybe most importantly, those elementary school students are starting to dream about the things they could grow up and do. Things that they could aspire to accomplish. People they could aspire to be. Reasons to justify being alive.
Who the hell are we to berate other people for trying? They're actually getting out there and doing things. What do we do? Make snide comments from the other side of the window and snicker about how shitty everybody else is. When I was a little kid, people took me to a lot of different places and told me a lot of different things. They told me that I could do anything I wanted with my life. Somewhere, somebody is telling those kids the same thing. Maybe they don't realize it now, but they will: it's true. And they deserve a chance and the benefit of the doubt, at least.
Even if not a single one of those worthless little miscreants ever aspires to anything more than a sordid life of generally being a piece of shit.
"The biggest challenge facing you as pre-health profession students," he said before the lecture ended. "Is the overwhelming cynicism of our society."
He's right. He's right, and it's awful. I'm a pretty cynical guy, but at least I know it's a joke. That everything is a huge joke. But everybody is so jaded these days. We just can't stand to entertain the thought that maybe--just maybe--things aren't as bad as we think they are. As we want them to be. That maybe--just maybe--people aren't always selfish pieces of shit.
There have been a lot of little kids rampaging through campus this week. I didn't really pay any attention until somebody pointed out the mobs of highlighter shirts roaming the streets and sidewalks. I guess they wanted to dangle the carrot of success in front of kids early. Some people put together a little carnival in front of the gym, too. A ball pit, some inflatable bounce houses and some other things. Just people doing nice things.
But, instead, we see through the charade. We see a generation of guilty parents and teacher taunting a generation of apathetic, underachieving students with an illusory life of success. We see a generation of underachieving college students reaching out to the next generation of hopeless students in an effort to look like they actually care about somebody other than themselves. The elementary school kids leave with ideas and dreams about the future they'll never aspire to. They leave with unreasonable ideas about college--a carrot that statistics say they'll never taste.
That can't be right though, can it? That feels like a wrong assessment. Even I'm not so hopelessly misanthropic that I actually believe any of that. Those teachers are struggling against a defeatist culture that no longer believes in people. Those college students are struggling to reach out and do something for someone other than themselves out of a sense of community. And, maybe most importantly, those elementary school students are starting to dream about the things they could grow up and do. Things that they could aspire to accomplish. People they could aspire to be. Reasons to justify being alive.
Who the hell are we to berate other people for trying? They're actually getting out there and doing things. What do we do? Make snide comments from the other side of the window and snicker about how shitty everybody else is. When I was a little kid, people took me to a lot of different places and told me a lot of different things. They told me that I could do anything I wanted with my life. Somewhere, somebody is telling those kids the same thing. Maybe they don't realize it now, but they will: it's true. And they deserve a chance and the benefit of the doubt, at least.
Even if not a single one of those worthless little miscreants ever aspires to anything more than a sordid life of generally being a piece of shit.
Comments
Also, good blag, bro.