Remembering the 70s

I just came back from seeing the movie Frost/Nixon. It was compelling. Funny, many of us lived through those time and yet, 30+ years later, there's much that I forgot.

The audience was so quiet and so wrapped up in the movie ... it was that compelling. Frank Langella played Nixon in a surreal way and the English actor who place David Frost did an excellent job. Apparently I liked it.

We feel like we are in such a confused state right now ... having the end of 8 years of a terrifically disappointing president and a new one coming in that has much to prove. We see egregious acts of greed stoking our failing economy ... the rich getting richer, the disenfranchised getting poorer. We see CEOs of failing companies still flying around in their private planes and taking huge payments as part of their bailouts. We wonder if we're going to hell in a handbasket ..... but, you know what ... it's not new.

Watching the movie play out, seeing the illegal and manipulative things that Nixon and his administration did, reiterated the fact that people in power often don't have it any more together than the rest of us OR that they abuse their powers. He said, "being President means it's NOT illegal" .. referring to many of his acts and behaviors.

While he shows some unhappiness over his actions, he never really did apologize for them. He showed the same lack of accountability that we see today. Think... when have you seen a person in power take responsibility and say, "it was my fault" ? It's always another country's fault, or another person, or the Congress.

While feeling pretty damn worried about our future as a country and about my own and that of those close to me ... I must admit that in some ways the movie about the 70's and the Nixon actions and subsequent behaviors somehow reassured me. I know it's a stretch. Let me explain. If we could overcome all of that crap... then we will somehow overcome where we are today. Things will get better. Thay always do. And, many say that the greed that pulled us down will evolve into a different and better system. That's something to look forward to.

So, baby boomers ... let's learn from the past, use that knowledge to improve the present and take our skills out to the world of the future and make a difference. Let's tap into our sense of action and power and advocacy and make things better.
I suggest you start by going to a movie and let it push your buttons.

Thanks for letting me express myself.