10
"I think I'm getting out just in time. Watching the news, everything seems to be in disorder. Everybody seems to be unhappy. We've lost the knack of living in the world with the sensation of safety. I wonder why people still have children. I mean, why put kids in the world when the world is so insecure? This is how old people rationalize their death. You get a little crotchety with the world."
—Maurice Sendak seems a little down. And why wouldn't he be? He's absolutely right.
Everyone was just so enormously happy back then when Mo was a young kid during the twin idyll of the Great Depression and World War II. Or those carefree red-baiting years of his mid 30s. And the good cheer of promise of a nuclear Armageddon in your 50s.
@freetzy But somehow they managed to give themselves the "sensation of safety"! It's all perspectival! If only we didn't have so much damn information about how insecure the world is….
I know, right? I remember being a kid in the early 80s, just waiting for that day when we would all be incinerated by Soviet nukes.
@TheRtHonPM Despite your school being located 6 1/2 miles from the Pentagon, your desk will protect you. See that's the "sensation of safety" at work.
@TheRtHonPM But then Sting sang that song about the Russians loving their children too, and we all felt better.
Is he drinking enough?
Maybe someone showed him that Spike Jonze movie.
@Matt oy, as if I weren't bummed out enough by this story.
@Matt
That can't be it — he hasn't actually tried to kill himself, he's just talking like he might. Maybe someone told him about it ("it's like HR Puffenstuff goes to EST").
You know what, he’s right. Divorce rate through the roof. Generations of kids being raised with the idea their childhood’s were perfect because they went to “better” schools, but then having to cope with the stress that their parents marriage was a lie. Feds raid stores that sell Kinder Surprise eggs. Playgrounds filled with over protective playground gear that is barely fun. Can’t smoke in parks. Masses of geese gassed in Prospect Park “for your safety.” Germs! GERMS! GERMMSMSMSM!!!!!! Got a kid in my building. He likes how I tend to the plants outside the building. His mom wants him to participate (ie: water and plant seeds) but the second dirt hits his hands *BOOM* his mom freaks out.
Life might have been “harder” in the past, but at least kids had to experience things. I’m happy I grew up in an era when I was 8 and could just walk outside my building and play with friends and not worry about helicopter parents and other nonsense.
Saw a kid at the Brooklyn Flea a few weeks back who stubbed his finger. Barely since I saw it happen. Cried like a whiny annoying brat that everyone wanted to smack. I skinned me knee regularly and knew how to get water and clean that up when I was 8.
Holy crap. I love this generation! So needy! So dependent. We live in a service economy right? I guess that means that if I tailor some service that is so “lightweight” to me, but “hard” for them I can make mad crazy cash… I mean, why not? Cupcake delivery? Throw out your garbage? Open hard to open jars? Make applesauce and pet your cat? Maybe I can scope out tasks the elderly need and tailor them for hip, young, needy kids.
Yeah that’s the ticket!