thoughts on what it means to turn on today

we all look back longingly on the sixties, how there was this collective spirit of action, this feeling that something was happening, and people felt a part of it. A good example of this was when acid entered the scene, and people started talking about turning on. Turning on stood for something larger than itself. It wasnt only about taking acid, it was having a full appreciation for the directions in which things were going. It was like “are you seeing what I’m seeing?” And the affirmative responses were what made the spirit collective.

I’ve  been waiting around for our generation’s acid, wondering whether it would ever come and what form it would take. Now I’m thinking its already hear. It’s twitter and rss and personal blogs. It used to be “you turned on?” and now its “you linked in?” i think this is awesome, and way more promising then acid. We’ve seen the burning idealism of our parents fade into realism, and we wont make the same mistakes they did. We’re learning how to incorporate the two, so that neither one grows too big and self-destructs. We’re not gonna fuck around with free love anymore, but we’re really into free music. And we’re not getting caught up in us and them. If our parents want to link in too, thats great.

I’m coming from a crowd of people who’ve always been skeptical of the general populace and eager to distance themselves from the crowd. Kids who dream of starting a commune and going back to the land. Though I really dont want to criticize this sentiment, its getting harder for me not to. My stance now is, if you guys want to get off the grid then go for it, but I’m staying. I’m gonna get in with kids who are growing food on rooftops, and apprentice an old craftsman in the city. Why dont you guys come out of the woods in a couple years, and lets see whose excitement has best sustained itself.

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