Changing of the Guard.

 

 

"...The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves."  Black Elk

I am faced today with feeling "my age".  You know "feeling" 35 in the way that I used to "imagine" 35.  Usually, I'm pretty sure that I am still 25.  I think the introspection is because I have a birthday coming up. While I love having a day that I can claim is all about me, birthdays now also give me a slight sense of dread.

Aging is awesome because it brings the wisdom, clarity and confidence acquired ONLY by time.  Conversely, it is also a landscape filled with new, and often depressing discoveries. Hangovers last for days, people call you "ma'am", parts of your body crack.  I have even started saying and BELIEVING things I swore I never would. "You will understand when you are older", "Punishing you hurts me more than it hurts you" and the kicker "You need to care about (recycling/ poverty/ politics/ fossil fuels/ the Middle East) because as the next generation, you will have to find solutions to these problems." Man, that line used to piss me off. Why was it MY responsibility to clean up after someone else's mess?  Actually, it still kinda pisses me off. Don't worry kiddos I hold out hope for substantial contributions from my generation.  We are still fighting the good fight. However, the possibilities for my own future are no longer endless. I will not be the President of the United States, and I won't be curing any diseases.  Mostly because I don't want to be the President, and I am too lazy to devote my life to scientific research.  This is not a pity party, this is a just a commentary on my shifting reality. 

Yesterday, two icons from my childhood died. Neil Armstrong, and the voice of The Count from Sesame Street.  It made me think a lot about the importance of heroes and beloved characters in the shaping of the youth.  We learned invaluable lessons about discovery, curiosity and bravery in a world enamored with science.  We learned to have a passion for counting, and vampires.

I realize that children will still learn about Neil Armstrong, and Sesame Street is still on the air.  However, there is admittedly a difference between being able to experience a hero as a living person, and reading about some dead guy.  There is a difference between the voice and vision of an original, and someone who replaces a character. 

It is my fervent hope that the imagination and inspiration sparked by these now departed souls will find new life to lead our next generations into greatness. We sure do need them.