Xpectations

The Transition to Adulthood by Calvin and Frances Goldscheider discusses the insurmountable mountains of expectations we erect for ourselves to hurdle over and how the slightest knick of a hurdle prompting us in failure’s directions causes us to give up. Why do we have such a prominent phobia of failure? Just a glimpse of it will send us home packing with our tails tucked between our legs. For one, the increasingly harder acceptance guidelines of contemporary colleges force us to fit the perfect student prototype they have fashioned. This instills in us a fear of failure that is present in all aspects of our lives. So if we fail to get into the out-of-state college of our dreams, if we fail to get an A on the Chem 31X midterm, if we fail to get that hunky dream date with the football running back Scott Tucker you and your best friend so cleverly coined as “white tee”, it’ll batter us into going to an in-state college nearby home, into taking an easier chemistry class where you can earn a guaranteed A, into shying away from serious, committed relationships since the one with Mr. Right didn’t work out. Something about this mentality just seems wrong. Maybe it’s just me.

not much just chillin'

Linda Perlstein's book not much just chillin' ventures into the lives of middle school students ages 11-13. Their secular culture has instilled a drive in them to want to grow up faster than they ought to and mirror the behaviors of high school students. It’s interesting though how they’re so eager to speed from childhood into their adolescent years, yet slow and even come to a complete stop in this race during their latter adolescent years. What’s the appeal that adolescence has that causes us to rush through childhood just to obtain it, and slows our transition into adulthood? Is it the media with its appealing ads of wearing Revlon's simply red lipstick we saw Vanessa Hudgens sporting or the bleak future of our economy foreshadowing years of hard labor just to make ends meet as an adult? In case you're wondering, these inquiries aren't meant to be rhetorical, and will be answered in future entries to come.

WARNING: MANFLU

"But... honey! I'm so sick!"

Ever heard your man complaining about his sniffles and aches as though it were doomsday? It's a strange phenomenon. For the man who wouldn't complain if he got pinned beneath a rafter during a semi-annual home-repair session, he's sure got a case of the whineys when it comes to his health during a cold.

Bulk up man, geez! Where's your macho man attitude?

But, really? Is is possible for us ever to cut men some slack? Does a masculine attitude have to prevail even in times of sickness? Maybe we hold the male image to too-high a standard, if we do not allow him - even in his time of misery! - to show his pain. To what extent does this go? If he has a critical illness, do we critique him then?

Warnings of drug intake?

The Habituating properties of the antianxiety drugs put clinicians in the often difficult position of having to persuade patients not to use them. This is in sharp contrast to the situation with other psychopharmacologic agents: there, the clinician is often attempting to persuade patients to use medicine they do not wish to take. The irony of this situation is apparent. More often than not, the clination is in adversary relationship with his patient telling the patient to take things the patient doesn't want to take. Some practitioners tire of this adversary stance and easily succumb to the patient's demands.

Children and grandchildren of today's society look at treating depression far more differently than our elders. The newer generation is more drawn to to medications and advances in life, while the older generation is stuck in the past still trying to use old remedies.

While skimming The Treatment of Emotional Disorder, I was shocked to come across these warnings. If I was warned that taking anti-anxiety medication was hazardous to my health, I would probably listen. Could this be why older people has decided to stay away from these prescriptions?

13-years-old

Thanks to TV characters, tween stars, and fashion trends, we can see that 13-year-olds are beginning to act older than they should. This article basically made me question what it meant to be age 13: the first year of the teenage years. Should one still be treated like a tween? Should this age be considered the beginning of a smooth transition into teenhood? Or should age 13 signal a more rigid, contrasting change of attitudes and clothing styles? I remember being 13 and changing these aspects. I'd say I'd blame it on the media, and the images and ideas that were prevalent in my society. The article agrees by citing that "teens are growing up in a culture that sexualizes children and immerses them in adult images" -- it is no wonder that the second we hit the teen zone, we want to be adults. This article also explains however that girls are becoming physically more mature earlier in life than they were a generation ago. So this makes me question what the balance is between nature and nurture in creating a 13-year-old today, and as the title of the article, makes me question "What does it mean to be 13?"

Centenarian offsprings stay just as healthy

In the JAGS journal for Geriatrics, Emily Adams and her colleagues assessed incidences centenarian offsprings had with age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease. In other words, are the offsprings of centenarians prone to live shorter lives due to age-related disease or does their "pre-disposal" to healthy aging allow them to avoid diseases? This longitudinal study surveyed 440 centenarian offspring participants and 192 control participants (72 year old people who are not offspring of centenarians). This study spanned 9 years from 1997-2006. The results followed as so:

The offsprings had a 78% lower chance of cardiovascular problems; 83% lower risk of a stroke; 86% lower risk of developing diabetes; and 81% higher probability to live longer than the control group.

Thus this study concluded that centenarian offsprings have an natural advantage from their parents to live a longer, healthier life than that of 'normal' elderly people.

This academic journal demonstrates that centenarians possess some type of gene that transfers over to their offspring; thus the offspring has a high probability of longevity just as their parents. What I wonder now though, is do the 2nd generation of offsprings have the same likelihood to live a longer life?

Public Service Is, like, Really Awesome

In my quest to prove how similar the Millennial Generation is to the WWII generation (a.k.a. the "GI" or "Greatest" generation), I found this graph which shows that well over half of Millennials would likely consider attending a public service academy rather than a traditional college after graduating from high school. The very interesting thing about this graph, which is explained in more detail here, is that the percentages of young Democrats and young Republicans willing to attend a service-based institution, implying that public service amongst today's young adults goes beyond the political realm. This graph also quite drastically disproves the idea that Millennials only do such extensive community service to get into more competitive colleges--that is, for selfish reasons. After all, this service-learning experience would happen after high school in lieu of a traditional college experience.

Obviously, the statistics displayed here may well inspire hope in many people for the future of the United States of America. For a generation known for its addiction to Facebook and compulsive obsession with text messaging and Us Magazine, the graph contradicts many societal judgments about today's teens. Is there any way that our tech-savviness and excellent communication skills help us feel more connected and thus concerned for the world around us? It sounds radical...but maybe it's not so far off the mark.

My Last Words

For those of you who enjoy Scrubs this episode creates an interesting juxtaposition of how the elderly and the young handle, face, and deal with death. JD and Turk spend the night with a terminally ill patient, with little time left to live, discussing what makes life worth living, and how to cope with dying. They ultimately put their doctorly pride aside, admit their fear of death, and try to find ways to help the patient accept it. JD tries to calm him by saying that he would hope for nothing more than that his last thought be a good one. When the patient quietly slips away at the end he whispers to them that the beer they brought him earlier in the show was delicious. It raises an interesting aspect of aging, which of course is, when we cease to. Is all this emphasis we place on youth really that important in the presence of death? Furthermore, how does the existence of an afterlife affect our feelings on death?

Teens More Traditional than Parents? Yes, It's Possible.

As I was cruising the internet researching the Millennial Generation's politics and values, I stumbled across this article about a very conservative (in terms of morality) segment of the Catholic Church: its young people. Granted, not all young Catholics believe in or practice abstinence before marriage, but apparently many do. More of today's young Catholics adhere to traditional Church teachings regarding sexual morality than either the Generation Xers or even their parents, the Baby Boomers. Catholic youth are also more apt to go to Mass regularly than their predecessors. So what does this mean? In my opinion, this is actually fairly consistent with the parallels I am uncovering between the Millennial Generation and the GI Generation. The overarching theme of the two generations is responsibility--primarily civic and social, but apparently, for a considerable amount of religious youth, spiritual as well. As I read more and more about the political and social ideals of this generation, it is becoming more and more clear that institutions--government, church, etc.--have and will have a huge impact. The question I am now asking, therefore, is how these trends towards institutional power will shape the political future of the country. Moreover, what will happen in response to conflict between institutions? For instance, how will these devoutly Catholic young adults respond to the common liberalism (moral and otherwise) of their peers?

A Generation Going Through the Motions

With all the comparisons to the "great" generation of the 1940's, 50's, and monikers (iGeneration, GenerationMe, Millennials, etc.), I don't think enough is made about how our generation compares another generation, the "Lost Generation" of the late 1920's and 30's. Much like them we're a generation promised everything, and usually given it, only to mature during a time of economic decline. Raised to believe in the sanctity of the individual and the promise of success we are finding that individuality and success are becoming more uncommon. It's something I've seen, something I've lived through. An image that was characteristic of generation x and the reactionaries before them, a group of teens in a circle, experimenting with drugs and alcohol, is still true of youth today, but something has changed. It is less a social outcry and more an effort to hide oneself in apathy. There is no one unifying cause, but a number of a smaller issues to occupy our attention (global warming, health care, abortion, etc). And as informed as we are, and for all the opportunities we're given, it seems we do less with more.

In that regards in the coming weeks I'll be researching the so called quarter-life crisis, especially the psychological effects and consequences of it. What happens when an entire generation loses a sense of purpose? Is this new trend of volunteering based off of purely selfish motivation, and if so, how does this affect societal conscience? Does the lack of a culturally unifying figure (despite Obama's best efforts), great war, or true cause, effect us? How does this relate to drug use, suicide, and depression?

Generation What?

As young, ambitious college students who have grown up with the promise of the American dream, what do we do when we find out that our dreams are unachievable? What happens if we don't get the perfect job and have to take the first on we can find? How do our relationships with our parents, girlfriends, and boyfriends define us as we approach quarter life?

Generation What?, an anthology of essays of different aspects on the quarter-life crises explores these questions through the personal experiences of twenty-somethings. Out of all the book and articles I've read concerning the quarter-life crisis Generation What?has engaged me the most. While the essays may not be as poetic or beautifully written as 20 Something Essays by 20 Something Writers (another anthology of essays by 20-year-old writers), they speak directly and eloquently on the issues facing college graduates and 20-year-olds today.

From pregnancy in their 20's to going to war, these essays explore a variety of topics. However, the most striking come in the form of 20 somethings on the job-hunt. One essayist compares job interviews to flirt, however she claims that if an interviewer is disinterested, "he can't just walk away, disappearing into a crowded bar. Human resources doesn't say 'You're just not my type, but I think your friend's pretty cute.'" Another essayist gives of a description of his "quarter-life crisis vocation" as a "human-sized subway sandwich" whose job description involved giving flyers out "to people who were in arms length of me."

Reading these essays have given me concrete examples of the issues that compose the quarter-life crisis. I agree with the author, whose purpose in writing this book was to help 20-year-olds facing life crises with giving them essays they could empathize with, rather than advice they could easily ignore.

Living to 101

Living to 101- BBC Horizon

In Okinawa, you might see an old women outside of her house sweeping her front door steps. You'll guess that she's only....65 years old. In reality, she's probably well into her 80's or even 90's. Every morning you'll see the lively, elderly town congregate to a local produce market buying the freshest vegetables and native purple yam to cook for the night's meal. You'll even meet Mr. Miyagi, 92 years of age, teaching his fellow friends how to Karaoke. Now travel to Sardinia and you'll meet the Vacca family who has a rare lineage of longevity. They love to eat meat and cheese, drink wine and sing. The eldest woman in the Vacca family is determined to live to 123 to become the oldest women in Sardinia. Let's go down to So-cal in Loma Linda where Margaret, a 101 year old women cycles 6 miles a day and lifts weight all before her morning breakfast. Each of these individuals live on opposite sides of the world from one another and live completely different lifestyles, but they all are over 90 years of age. You are probably wondering: How is that possible?

The people who live in these small towns/cities live and maintain a unique lifestyle apart from the globalized and homogeneous world we live in. Although there are genetic factors that effect their aging process, their specific cultural customs and daily routines allow them to prosper and preserve a healthy, rich quality of life. However, places such as Glasgow, UK and Honolulu, HI are facing a shortened life expectancy rates than that of Okinawa and the rest of the world due to immigration, poor dieting, generational thinking, and genetic factors. How can there be such communities where people are able to live for so long while others are fighting to live past 65 years of age? What environmental, temporal factors contribute to such contrasting aging patterns? And where did these factors arise?

This is only part 1 of 5 10 min clips of this BBC special. I really encourage you all to check out at least 2-3 of the segments. The individual stories of each elderly persons in the documentary are truly fascinating because the documentary explores the mysteries of living to 100 years through multiple lenses: historical, medical, dietary, and spiritual. The rich and complex stories opens your mind to new meanings about age and aging.

Into the Twilight

(People, November 21, 1994) Whoah. President Ronald Regan: President of THE United States. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Who would have thought that such a prominent person could be afflicted with such a terrible illness?

But it does happen. Sometimes the "untouchables" are touched by the most severe sicknesses. When I came across this article, written the day after President Ronald Reagan announced his diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, I couldn't help but get the chills. The public had been given a few hints regarding Reagan's memory loss, but who could have imagined...

However, I did try to consider his diagnosis in the best light I knew how. The publicity and media attention surrounding the President's diagnosis might help calm some of the negative perceptions associated with Alzheimer's disease. Much of this stigma exacerbates the loneliness and isolation that afflicted people feel as they face the prospect of forgetting the ones they love. Reagan's diagnosis leads a wave of attention, funding, and media down the Alzheimer's path, and I'm interested in learning more about the stigmas, stereotypes, and negative emotions the media generates and the afflicted combats.

Is Middle Age the End of Life?

In glancing through the headlines on the New York Times website, an article in the Opinions section caught my eye. In "I Feel It Coming Together," columnist Judith Warner takes a seemingly meaningless moment of her day--her daughter singing along to the Fame soundtrack--and turns it into an overwhelmingly pessimistic commentary on middle age.

Warner comments on the carefree and invincible approach to life that teenagers like her daughter are able to take on as they struggle through adolescence. This approach, Warner argues, includes a sense of urgency and passion that is lacking in the everyday life of average middle-aged women like herself.

The most heart-wrenching moment of the piece comes in Warner's statement: "This is the cruelty of middle age, I find: just when things have gotten good - really, really, consistently good - I have become aware that they will end."

While I am personally terrified of approaching middle age (even though I have a good couple of decades to go), I think Warner is obsessing a bit much over the "end," while she could be delivering positive views on living in the moment. I look at my parents, who are now living as empty nesters in their mid-50s, and see a happy couple who have settled down and are satisfied with that. This begs the question: why do people in their middle age always feel the need to relive their teenage years or accomplish something? Isn't their a model that we can look to, aside from the midlife crisis, that can offer insight on achieving contentment in middle age?

When You’re Your Mother’s Keeper

Isolating myself in the corner of the library and burying myself in books has led me to some interesting information about age and aging in America and the world. I've decided to move my focus for these upcoming months to Alzheimer's disease after encountering literature that piqued my interest in the topic this past week.

(New York Times, August 21, 2009) One such article I found particularly unique is "When You're Your Mother's Keeper." The article describes the Cooper family's situation following Suzanne and Peter Cooper's decision to take care of Suzanne's mother, Irma Stitz, in their home instead of seeking the help of a nursing home.

Suzanne didn't realize how much of a commitment she was signing herself up for when her mother first moved into the house. Irma was in her early stages of Alzheimer's disease at that point. However, as the disease progressed, Peter and Suzanne's marriage become strained as Suzanne spent increasing amounts of time taking care of her mother. Taking care of Irma also came at the cost of the time Suzanne was able to spend with her young son.

I've picked out a role reversal outlined in this article -- Irma, an 84 year-old woman, has become somewhat of a child as she becomes increasingly dependent on Suzanne for support. Suzanne experiences guilt as she feels forced to seek help caring for her mother; taking care of Irma affects her social, personal, and familial life. What other affects to Alzheimer's patients have on their caretakers? Do we as a society extend too much of a focus on the affected individual when we should really be taking into account those burdening by administering care?