I was listening to Werner Herzog on the Conan O’Brien podcast, over the past week.
As I listened to the calm voice of this man who were born in the middle of–and on the wrong side of–World War II, talking about environmentalism and the glorious potential of technology and Ai along with its obvious risks; about our souls and consumerism …and I felt somehow calmed.
It took me out of the moment.
It took me away from the headlines.
Who Can It Be, Now?
Jane Goodall died yesterday. Jimmy Carter is gone. And David Attenborough is 99 years old.
We still have Greta, thank goodness.
But I wondered: where are the GenX voices of sanity?
Who’s going to step up when Dan Rather and Robert Reich and Margaret Atwood and Mary Robinson and Muhammad Yunis are gone?
And then I thought…oh.
Its me.
And it’s you.
And of course there are more famous people out there, talking about big issues and who have a bit of perspective, that it useful to us, but the fact remains: it’s up to us to use our voices.
Some people are busy doing work in the world, volunteering, organizing, running for office…
And some of us have words. And long memories.
GenX, it’s time to admit we might be the grown ups.