For those of us who have been through the long journey of the Presidential primaries and campaign as Hillary Clinton supporters and eventually McCain/Palin campaign workers, there was the inevitable let-down of losing the battle. As hard as we tried, the unthinkable happened: the Obama thuggery resulted in victory. And, although there are still mounting challenges to his eligibility as a natural born citizen, we are slowly coming to accept what appears to be the inevitable: an Obama presidency.
In some ways, I am not surprised by the outcome. There seemed to be a sense of inevitability to Obama’s success. Perhaps, it was because of Bush’s abysmal failures; or, the normal cycle of Republican followed by Democratic administrations; or, the people’s desire for change, any kind of change; or, quite possibly, something much larger.
The Last Hurrah of the Baby-Boomers
According to Merriam-Webster, a generation is the average span of time between the birth of parents and that of their offspring. Let’s say, about 25 years. The generation we label baby-boomers is comprised of those born between 1946 and 1971, give or take a year or two. Both Bill Clinton and George Bush, Jr. are baby-boomers. Barack Obama just squeezes in under the finish line.
The baby-boomer generation, of which I am a member, is noted for it’s activism in the area of social justice issues; it’s sense of community; it’s liberal political bent; women’s rights; civil rights; student rights…yep, we all have rights. In the 60’s we created a “revolution” and developed an interest in socialism. We hated big government, while at the same time we looked to it to solve our problems. It is the Age of Pisces, the age of communalism, compassion, spirituality.
As we move from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius, we enter a period of technology, science, and of individual responsibility. Instead of looking for a leader, a Messiah, a savior, we realize we are all, individually, leaders in our own lives. Of course, there is some overlap between the change from one age to another. We may have had a desire to live in a commune, but then, again, a common phrase during the 60’s was “do your own thing”.
What I see right now is the last hurrah of the baby-boomer generation; Obama is riding the crest of the wave of his generation. The good news is he will be presiding over the end of a cycle, not the beginning of one, which we all have feared. The bad news is that, depending on how you ride the wave, it can be a smooth sail down or a crashing disaster. I’m sure many of us have seen how a wave will just break up into a swirling, white cauldron of chaos as it crashes down from its peak experience.
Riding the Wave
I lived on an island off the east coast of the USA for 30 years. I not only watched a lot of waves rise up, crest, and come rolling or crashing down, I’ve sailed on and through quite a few. Anyone who has sailed under a variety of conditions and through a few storms can tell you what the possibilities are for success, or failure. It all depends on how you handle the boat. And, of course, the wave.
First of all, what goes up must come down. After the slow ride up the backside of a wave, you finally reach the top. Ahhh, you can see something other than walls of water. Look! There’s land ahead. That reassuring moment is, oh, so brief.
Soon, the downward flow of water and boat begins. You don’t want to go too fast; that could lead to pitchpoling. The stern moves faster than the bow, which can dig into the wave and flip the boat over, stern over bow. No fun.
Then there is the danger of broaching, or losing control of the boat so that it turns abruptly broadside to the crashing wave. A rollover is possible. Hope you have your safety harness on.
If you successfully navigate down the wave, you will find yourself in a trough. Once again walls of water behind you and before you. Get ready for another ride.
Prepare for Change
My conclusion is that we are preparing for change, not just in our country, but also in our world. And that change will be good. We just have to navigate through the cresting and crashing of the wave that Obama is riding.
I see a move back to individual responsibility; taking care of ourselves and not depending on big government to provide for all of our needs. Those of us who came of age in the 60’s are well prepared. Dust off all of those how-to books: how to grow vegetables; how to make bread; how to chop and burn wood; how to make moccasins; how to make something out of nothing; how to be self-sufficient and “do your own thing” (as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else).
We must use wisely this time on the crest of the wave to prepare for the ride down and into the trough. My prediction is we have two years before the legacy of Obama is fully experienced. So prepare. And remember, in order for something new to grow, something old has to die. Put on your safety harness and enjoy the ride!
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