By Klaus Döring
“Never trust anyone over 30,” said activist Jack Weinberg in 1964, rather offhandedly, during an interview in Berkeley at the height of the free speech movement. Much to his surprise, after Weinberg’s quote appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, it was picked up everywhere in the media.
Born in 1953, I started my life at a period when more babies have been entering the German population than never before. As I said: 1953. Nowadays it looks very much different.
World War II, more or less the end of the world – as my late grandmother mostly described that time – has ended. Of course, even difficult to believe, it was not the end of everything. The world economic crises changed into another economical world wonder.
During the 1960s, we looked upon the youth culture of Woodstock as a symbol – of the power of music, the pursuit of self expression, the values of peace (!), love (!) and community (!), and the rejection of “the establishment” – even in the midst of torrential rain and an aftermath of food-deep mud.
I enjoyed our flower power peace generation with long hair. Yes, I confess, many times, I was really cynical about my parents’ values and rejected anything that suggested tradition.
By the way, that’s one thing, which can be observed also in the Philippines for several years. The slogan “Never trust someone over 30” had to be abandoned since I crossed that divide myself. Now, hopefully in the second half of my present life, “30” looks impossibly young. Once upon a time. And guys, let’s be honest to ourselves: aren’t we facing the same realities our parents did before? Raising families, needs to pay school, rent, water, electricity et cetera et cetera? We have held fiercely to freethinking and the untraditional ways our parents – shaped by the “depression,” World War II, and much more – yes, never had the luxury to feel.
Those of us who have made good money hold fewer illusions like a big house and a Mercedes (or any other brand!) in the garage. Items of likely bringing happiness?
But guys, what seems most precious to us nowadays? I experienced everything. Even earnings via a job, I didn’t like. Painful – but I didn’t get another choice. Again: once upon a time. But, isn’t it much more painful waiting jobless for nothing while being fed by a friend?
Failed marriages, difficult mid-life attempts, something that might pass away a family, yes, I think, we all know the rarity of solid and long living relationships with a partner or friends, with children or difficult and hard to find friends and possible business partners.
We may even dare to speak the language that 30 or 40 years ago would have seemed “uncool”. Call it God or describe it as spiritually, but it would probably be the quest for the sense of life, the hope and the faith, that one exists.
While it is normal for your trust levels to vary depending on your social experiences, a significant lack of trust might be a sign of a more serious problem. If trust issues are causing problems in your life, talk to a therapist about taking steps to begin relying on people more
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