Another nice piece Leah and one that now has me grappling with my taste for ironic v inspiring. I am a sarcastic cynical romantic. The cynicism and sarcasm grown like a shell to protect my inner passion and hope. The shell grows thicker with the years. Its harder and harder to expose the soft centre it protects. To allow myself to believe.
I dont think I'm alone.
I totally get what you're saying about the value of inspirational rhetoric and I too mourn its loss. Hope is the driver of the best of humanity. And yes 'of course it was written by a woman', because it is invariably women who pick up the broken pieces of invariably male vanity projects, and soothe everyone to keep everything going.
But there's something more I cant quite put my finger on. Something to do with breaking down that paternalism, though we grieve for its past comforts. Something to do with society maturing in ways that dont need paternalism but do still need hope and inspiration.
I cant get a handle on it. I hate the absence of inspiration, of great leaders. I was terrified by the spectacle of two male octogenarians waving their willies at each other over the leadership of the most powerful empire in the world. While a smart, passionate young brown woman is villified in our NZ courts and media.
There's something in this current implosion of 'normal'. In this slipping of our known reality. The 80s were the begining of this seismic collapse, yet were full of 'inspirational' leaders and passionate speeches. I cant put my finger on it. The way forward now. Do we need leaders? Is this where we come to understand that we must stand up for ourselves? Be our own inspiration?
Exactly I couldn’t watch more than 5 minutes of the debate - tragic that this is the best the US can do - maybe the consistent threats of internal violence has warned off the younger more idealistic orators - even if their words are probably no less empty..
I love that - "cynical romantic". The balance seems healthy to me!
Right now, I'd settle for a hopeful politics (romantic, even!) instead of the expediency and cynicism we're seeing now. Watching France, presently, with saucers for eyes
Wonderful, Leah. You are so great at thinking deeply, looking at everything from both sides, and lighting on those often tiny details where the very essence lies, so often hidden from those with louder voices and scant introspection.
Nice post - beautifully said and touched with so many detail. So evocative of a time that that was confusing for so many -and so simple for others tho so many ‘unpleasant things’ were tucked away in corners. We knew what we were told unless we knew enough to look further
1986 gave us a Labour government - with one of our most statesman-like PMs and our own ‘renovations’- dismantling ones towards neoliberalism. We had the amazing National Radio but in 1986 NZ was still four years off email and search engines. So few had email that my original address was just Susan@paradise.net.nz (so sad I let that one go)
I remember Reagan as weird with his wraith-like wife hovering in the corner - and then their was Bush - writing his speeches would have been a nightmare job.. But the Challenger did take a piece of all of us all - as did the sad months long search for remains and the daily updates. Made me nervous that my darling boy wanted to be a ‘spaceman; as soon as he left primary school.
Thank you for this; have just listened to Reagan's talk and found it deeply meaningful especially after listening to the debate between the elderly and the insane which was deeply worrying. Thanks Leah, I look forward to and enjoy your column.
Another nice piece Leah and one that now has me grappling with my taste for ironic v inspiring. I am a sarcastic cynical romantic. The cynicism and sarcasm grown like a shell to protect my inner passion and hope. The shell grows thicker with the years. Its harder and harder to expose the soft centre it protects. To allow myself to believe.
I dont think I'm alone.
I totally get what you're saying about the value of inspirational rhetoric and I too mourn its loss. Hope is the driver of the best of humanity. And yes 'of course it was written by a woman', because it is invariably women who pick up the broken pieces of invariably male vanity projects, and soothe everyone to keep everything going.
But there's something more I cant quite put my finger on. Something to do with breaking down that paternalism, though we grieve for its past comforts. Something to do with society maturing in ways that dont need paternalism but do still need hope and inspiration.
I cant get a handle on it. I hate the absence of inspiration, of great leaders. I was terrified by the spectacle of two male octogenarians waving their willies at each other over the leadership of the most powerful empire in the world. While a smart, passionate young brown woman is villified in our NZ courts and media.
There's something in this current implosion of 'normal'. In this slipping of our known reality. The 80s were the begining of this seismic collapse, yet were full of 'inspirational' leaders and passionate speeches. I cant put my finger on it. The way forward now. Do we need leaders? Is this where we come to understand that we must stand up for ourselves? Be our own inspiration?
If there is time enough left........
Exactly I couldn’t watch more than 5 minutes of the debate - tragic that this is the best the US can do - maybe the consistent threats of internal violence has warned off the younger more idealistic orators - even if their words are probably no less empty..
I love that - "cynical romantic". The balance seems healthy to me!
Right now, I'd settle for a hopeful politics (romantic, even!) instead of the expediency and cynicism we're seeing now. Watching France, presently, with saucers for eyes
Wonderful, Leah. You are so great at thinking deeply, looking at everything from both sides, and lighting on those often tiny details where the very essence lies, so often hidden from those with louder voices and scant introspection.
Well said
Great column Leah. Thank you!
Nice post - beautifully said and touched with so many detail. So evocative of a time that that was confusing for so many -and so simple for others tho so many ‘unpleasant things’ were tucked away in corners. We knew what we were told unless we knew enough to look further
1986 gave us a Labour government - with one of our most statesman-like PMs and our own ‘renovations’- dismantling ones towards neoliberalism. We had the amazing National Radio but in 1986 NZ was still four years off email and search engines. So few had email that my original address was just Susan@paradise.net.nz (so sad I let that one go)
I remember Reagan as weird with his wraith-like wife hovering in the corner - and then their was Bush - writing his speeches would have been a nightmare job.. But the Challenger did take a piece of all of us all - as did the sad months long search for remains and the daily updates. Made me nervous that my darling boy wanted to be a ‘spaceman; as soon as he left primary school.
Heehee, Nancy as a wraith!
Peggy Noonan also wrote for George W Bush, I believe. She's pretty fascinating.
I do recommend the Netflix documentary on Challenger. Horribly sad, but brilliantly told
Someone had to write for Bush - hard to imagine either of them writing their own speeches
Thank you for this; have just listened to Reagan's talk and found it deeply meaningful especially after listening to the debate between the elderly and the insane which was deeply worrying. Thanks Leah, I look forward to and enjoy your column.
How kind of you, Linda x
As a fellow Gen Xer, this resonates deeply. Your writing is so insightful & something I look forward to each week!
Thank you, Karen! We Xers stick together