It's a weird paradox, isn't it? I mean, who would've thought baby boomers and their kids would be sharing a collective existential dread? But here we are.
A lot of my friends, they talk about their parents wrestling with questions like, "What's the point?" or "What's next for me?" These are the same questions we're asking ourselves as we start out our careers or think about starting families. It's odd, like two completely different generations facing a mirror and seeing the same reflection.
When I think about my friends' parents, part of me wonders—didn't they see this coming? I mean, what did they think would happen after the kids left and they retired? But then I stop and consider the times we're living in. These are strange days. Most of us, at least in the middle and upper classes, have our basic needs met. We're not fretting over food or shelter. We've climbed the lower rungs of Maslow's hierarchy, and now we're staring at the top: self-actualization, spirituality, all the big, nebulous stuff.
And here's the kicker—our parents are up there with us. Thanks to advances in healthcare, better diets, and all kinds of longevity treatments, they could have decades left. That's a long time to grapple with existential questions. I mean, watching soap operas can only distract you for so long.
The irony doesn't escape me, the fact that it's a privilege for them, and us, to even be asking these questions. A lot of folks on this planet don't have that luxury; they're too busy trying to survive. But privilege or not, these questions can haunt you if you don't find a way to navigate through them.
It's a unique point in history, for sure. Two generations, separated by years and experiences, but united by the same nagging questions. What's the meaning of the rest of our lives? What does fulfillment look like when you strip away the job titles and social roles? These are questions that demand answers, for both our parents and us.
So yeah, it's a curious, maybe even unsettling, alignment of stars. But it's also a powerful opportunity for dialogue between generations. We can actually share wisdom across the age divide. After all, existential dread might be the only thing that doesn't care how old you are. It's an equal-opportunity mind-boggler. And maybe, just maybe, we can find those answers together. What a time to be alive, indeed.