You have the Power & We Have the Wisdom
I just got back from my second Burning Man, and I can’t help but think about what was transformative this time. My first time I was just amazed at how this was really a city in the desert, the art, the symbolism that the Man instilled in me, and how generally nice and open people were. And I loved it, despite my hatred of being dirty and dusty. This time the same theme kept coming up : “You Have the Power, We Have the Wisdom”
I don’t normally get a chance to engage that much with the younger generation (e.g. 20’s, 30’s) because what do they have in common with an older Dude? But I have two secret powers that allows me to:
- Playing the piano
- Becoming a fabulous woman
And when I do both, thermonuclear energy is released and I get a chance to engage with the younger generation. The subject of our screwed up world kept coming up, and the younger generation had two false beliefs:
A) The older generation has the power to fix the world
B) The older generation is the one that created the mess, so why should they listen to us?
My generation has a big false belief:
A) The “Millennials” are all clueless and spoiled, and thus hopeless — after all isn’t that what social media stories are telling us?
So with a little mixing over music and drag it became clear to us all:
- The Older generation doesn’t have the power. We are too busy planning for retirement, paying for our children’s education and expenses, and trying to eek out a little free time for ourselves. But some of have Wisdom.
- The Younger generation has the Power, they largely don’t have the Wisdom (i.e. experience) to know how to best use it.
- The Older Generation will be dead long before the Younger generation. So the Younger generation are the ones who really need to step up to the plate. (And maybe give up a little more TV/Web time, and find like minded people in the real world)
- There are many reasons for the Younger generation to think they should not listen to the Older generation, given our track record. But not all of us are lunatics (although I can understand why they might think that — after all, isn’t that what the powers-that-be want them to think?)
- What can we do together — with their Power and our Wisdom….
A few photos:
