Good Luck, Grandson

 Suppose there was a highly contagious and deadly plague that killed ppl in their 20s and the coldest elderly ppl said 'If he dies he dies. Not my problem. Good luck grandson.' 

Now suppose the elderly voted for candidates that don't believe in climate change, social safety, or the future. But I repeat myself. 

A few weeks ago a huge party was taking place on the balcony a few buildings down. There was a DJ, drinking games, packed crowds, few masks. I took a picture of the carefree celebration. I was going to post it online. See! See! Look at these monsters! Then I thought 'but why?' What am I trying to prove and who am I trying to shame? Would it shame the parents who raised the kids or the grandparents? Would it shame the society that raised the generations not to care about others? Or would the picture scapegoat the symptom of a larger malady?

We get surprised when teens want to party in the middle of a global plague and don't show respect for others. We get surprised when the elderly take a 'fuck it, burn it all down after me' approach to social safety, the environment, being good stewards of the earth. We are surprised that ppl who have never been taught to care for the earth, their neighbor, Black Lives, the homeless, undocumented immigrants turn out to be the same people who are totally unable to care for themselves or their own country. They party, they get sick, and then they post deathbed confessional 'oops, I guess I shouldn't have done that.' It happens again and again. Elderly billionaires rape/pillage and turn the earth into a wasteland and look out on their empire and feel profoundly empty. They feel the darkness they have unleashed but do not take ownership of the misery. Unable to place the cause of sadness, they rape/pillage/abuse more to numb themselves. Unable to connect to others, they binge to the point of numbness alcohol, drugs, sex, social media. The problem is always 'out there' on another balcony across from mine. It's not me. It's those damn kids. it's those damn inconsiderate elderly. It's those damn billionaires. Damn damn damn. 

It's never the root. Always the fruit. Never the disease but always the symptom. The plague of apathy spreads in the United States of Me. It prevents us from solving anything societal because all problems revolve around my immediate cares and comforts. 

I didn't intend of writing this. This started off as a joke. It's 5 AM and I woke up because of a leg muscle strain and I started off Mark Twain-esque 'but I repeat myself' pun. And then the punchline turned...like a ouija board. The joke turned against itself and revealed the truth lurking beneath the idea of a disease that killed the twentysomething and didn't spark the least bit of concern among senior citizens. The joke is the same as the plague: apathy.

Good luck, grandson. We really fucked it all up for you. I guess it makes sense that you want to party. Play your drinking games. Turn up the music. You won't have to listen to the world scream.