The modern world (and all its pitfalls)

[tex]

I had an interesting conversation with my older brother on tuesday, He lives alone after divorcing a while ago, i don't see him often so i invited him to lunch at my local beefeater for a bit of a catch up and a couple of brews. The conversation was lighthearted to start with discussing the great times and funny experiences we shared as kids together with my four other siblings and the mischief we got up to.That was in the 60s and 70s which was a special time for both of us and when we did our growing up, suddenly he became melancholic and could hardly speak,i haden't realised that he was not in a good place and was feeling rather depressed,when i asked him what was troubling him he just said he hated the modern world and longed for the days when things were simpler, when we diden't rely on the internet for everything we do and when people were genuine, not pretentious and conceited. He was genuinely angry at the whole world, and worryingly he asked "what have i got to live for?". He has no direct family of his own and no circle of friends and it occured to me that he may be at his wits end. I have arranged to meet up with him again in two weeks and after discussing it with another of my brothers we have resolved to getting him out of a possible spiral of depression with regular meet ups and phone calls. I can see why the pressures of living in the modern world might get some people down, it gets me down sometimes especially the celebrity obsessed culture that exists today and the fickle nature of our young people. Everybody seems to be preoccupied with accumulating money and possessions and nobody seems contented with the hand they have been dealt, it's true the 60s and 70s were simpler times and the working classes were used to having nothing but in these capitalist times nobody is satisfied in a world where you can only have one car or one 60" flat screen tv.
My brother is 65 years old and has never felt so despairing of the world we live in but of course you can only go forward and not backward, so we will never live in that simpler world again.

[tex]

Thank you Amethyst for your comments, i don't know your age but i imagine most people of a certain age feel the same, it must be very easy to feel cut off from humanity when living alone especially at the moment. Your right about the whole texting culture, nobody seems to speak anymore, a human voice can make all the difference to somebody living alone

[tex]

Ah, 64 years young

[George 1978]

I do wish that life was simpler as well - if I get to 65, perhaps that I might agree with Tex's brother by then, who knows?

This virus is one of the aspects of it not be simpler.

[George 1978]

I will be 64 next birthday.

We (or should I say, Sir Paul) knows a song about that, don't we?

"When I get older losing my hair, many years from now..."

[tex]

It's the whole celebrity culture that gets me down...and i use the term "celebrity" very loosely indeed, kids putting all kinds of **** on you tube and getting a small fortune for it are suddenly celebs, also these brain dead idiots on "reality tv" are now given celebrity status....WHY? ...don't get me started on game shows which used to be an opportunity for the lowly general public to get on tv and win a few bob, but again these days they are all celebs playing for charity and desperately trying to boost there own profiles....YUCK!

[George 1978]

I maybe a few years younger than you, Tex, but I do agree with you with regards to the celebrity culture - the Fantasyland of Reality TV which most of them I don't watch anyway. Strictly is coming back this weekend (it is Marmite in its adjective form), and that means more of that sort of thing - while Brucie was still with us as host, it wasn't too bad, but now, it's became another one of those shows. "To vote off celebrity X ring 0906 XXX XXXX" and all that. WWTBAM - had it got worse under Clarkson than Tarrant? Basically, it is Double Your Money in a modernised way, but at least it was a bit better under Tarrant's reign. Major Ingram, anyone? (cough)

Last year in Coronavirus-ville, thought was given to key workers, soap episodes were pruned down, and more attention was given to the seriousness of humanity. But never mind about cleaners, Education Welfare Officers, doctors, etc - it's always the pop stars, soap stars, denim skirted models, Reality TV "famous for no reason at all" who seem to be more important. "We cannot show that documentary about Trade Unions because it means that EastEnders cannot be shown, and talentless actors with weird cockney accents are a lot more important". Complete 8u11541t.

[tex]

I maybe a few years younger than you, Tex, but I do agree with you with regards to the celebrity culture - the Fantasyland of Reality TV which most of them I don't watch anyway. Strictly is coming back this weekend (it is Marmite in its adjective form), and that means more of that sort of thing - while Brucie was still with us as host, it wasn't too bad, but now, it's became another one of those shows. "To vote off celebrity X ring 0906 XXX XXXX" and all that. WWTBAM - had it got worse under Clarkson than Tarrant? Basically, it is Double Your Money in a modernised way, but at least it was a bit better under Tarrant's reign. Major Ingram, anyone? (cough)

Last year in Coronavirus-ville, thought was given to key workers, soap episodes were pruned down, and more attention was given to the seriousness of humanity. But never mind about cleaners, Education Welfare Officers, doctors, etc - it's always the pop stars, soap stars, denim skirted models, Reality TV "famous for no reason at all" who seem to be more important. "We cannot show that documentary about Trade Unions because it means that EastEnders cannot be shown, and talentless actors with weird cockney accents are a lot more important". Complete bu115h1t.

100%

[W1 Rover]

It's the whole celebrity culture that gets me down...and i use the term "celebrity" very loosely indeed, kids putting all kinds of **** on you tube and getting a small fortune for it are suddenly celebs, also these brain dead idiots on "reality tv" are now given celebrity status....WHY? ...don't get me started on game shows which used to be an opportunity for the lowly general public to get on tv and win a few bob, but again these days they are all celebs playing for charity and desperately trying to boost there own profiles....YUCK!

Spot on tex, even worse is when they proclaim themselves as so called activists and influencers......give me patience!!!

[tex]

If you avoid the celebrity gossip magazines & most of the tabloids then you don't need to worry as much.

Since I started living on my own I've never bought a newspaper for myself, just using the BBC website for the news.

Not worried,just annoyed....but like most people i watch a lot of tv and there are just so many reality and celebrity programmes, just lazy programme making IMO

[darren]

its great you could meet up with ur bro an odd phone call etc can make a huge difference.
I do think people now say the last 20 yrs dont have time for there neighbours i remember a time when they would be in each others houses and u could leave ur door open without any worries ud be robbed.

People now not everybody but a lot dont have patience they want everything right away.

Technology has been godd in someways but mobile phones people cant live without them.


People always want bigger and better.
I do feel the world is a greedier place.
And the whole p.c brigade cant do this or say that or go there.!!!!

i had an interesting conversation with my older brother on tuesday, he lives alone after divorcing a while ago, i don't see him often so i invited him to lunch at my local beefeater for a bit of a catch up and a couple of brews. The conversation was lighthearted to start with discussing the great times and funny experiences we shared as kids together with my four other siblings and the mischief we got up to.that was in the 60s and 70s which was a special time for both of us and when we did our growing up, suddenly he became melancholic and could hardly speak,i haden't realised that he was not in a good place and was feeling rather depressed,when i asked him what was troubling him he just said he hated the modern world and longed for the days when things were simpler, when we diden't rely on the internet for everything we do and when people were genuine, not pretentious and conceited. He was genuinely angry at the whole world, and worryingly he asked "what have i got to live for?". He has no direct family of his own and no circle of friends and it occured to me that he may be at his wits end. I have arranged to meet up with him again in two weeks and after discussing it with another of my brothers we have resolved to getting him out of a possible spiral of depression with regular meet ups and phone calls. I can see why the pressures of living in the modern world might get some people down, it gets me down sometimes especially the celebrity obsessed culture that exists today and the fickle nature of our young people. Everybody seems to be preoccupied with accumulating money and possessions and nobody seems contented with the hand they have been dealt, it's true the 60s and 70s were simpler times and the working classes were used to having nothing but in these capitalist times nobody is satisfied in a world where you can only have one car or one 60" flat screen tv.
My brother is 65 years old and has never felt so despairing of the world we live in but of course you can only go forward and not backward, so we will never live in that simpler world again.

[George 1978]

100%

Cheers!

[George 1978]

If you avoid the celebrity gossip magazines & most of the tabloids then you don't need to worry as much.

Since I started living on my own I've never bought a newspaper for myself, just using the BBC website for the news.

It does remind me of that gentleman who lost his son in the 7 July bombings in 2005 - he was interviewed on Newsnight around a decade ago just after the NOTW had closed down for good, and he was annoyed that the Leveson Inquiry was hijacked with celebrities i.e. Hugh Grant, and compared it to OK Magazine when he thought that it would be for ordinary people. The point in hand is that Mr and Mrs Public who walks down the street everyday don't seem to matter anymore - as long as it's someone with a household name and is doing soap operas, Reality TV, etc, that is what seems to matter these days. I believe that all humans should be equal.

I make no apology for being old fashioned and before my time but I do think that things are imbalanced.

[George 1978]

One other thing I would like to say is that people like Marcus Rashford that I admire - he is someone who is known for other reasons than being just a celebrity footballer. His philanthropism during the lockdown last year, supporting vulnerable people is a celebrated thing.

I would like to see more of that.