The UK supermarket chain, Somerfield, has reported on a survey of what customers want out of life, and a surprising result was that a large proportion of the population are not happy with life today.
Well, at least it was surprising to them. As for me, I could have told them so, because I’m of like mind. Yes, we seem to have it all, but despite the ‘rights’ and the ‘tech’, there is something important missing.
It seems to be all about a loss of community.
From ‘bobbies on the beat’ to the ‘village fete’, many people miss the communal aspects of life, and the sense of authority that a previous society offered. And I think this is more than just nostalgia.
The post-war Britain of the 1950s seems to be the preferred time. It was a more genteel society with manners, at least on the surface. But I think we can identify another reason why this period, and the sense of community, is missed.
It was when our present problems all began.
It was a society on the point of change, and within years the great counter-culture movements began, bringing liberation for minorities. Now don’t get me wrong, this was needed, and a great advance for society. But …
It all happened so fast. The world just seemed to explode into a new phase, and it continues to change at an incredible rate.
In times past, change was slow, and could take generations. Now, change happens fast, with several changes in a single lifetime. I suspect the real problem is this speed of change, with the older generation feeling so disenfranchised from the society of their youth that they feel they do not belong.
© Anthony North, September 2007
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Fiction Xtra – FAST FOOD – A tale of survival
‘I remember these old tramp ships well,’ said the Old Space Dog as he sat down. The starship was ancient, and he had indeed travelled in many in his earlier days. The other passengers paid attention a moment, realized the old storyteller was on board, and sighed …
… read more …
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