How to Live Without Irony: Just Ask One of Us

[Donna Thomson]

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Donna))))))

Well, I guess that I am officially O L D. I read Christy Wampole's article, and I haven't a clue about this "hipster" group of young people to whom she refers. The young people I know in this age group are not at all as she described.

I'm also a little lost on the use of irony or the ironic life with regard to these hipsters. Sounds to me like their lives are narcissistic and self absorbed, shallow and phony. How is this ironic?

This is an example of what I consider a double dose of irony:

We bought our house brand new, and once the tract was finished, our street was the only one in the neighborhood without a curb cut for wheelchairs.

I fought our homeowner's association and the city for years trying to get a curb cut put in on our street. Both sides said it was the other's problem.

Thirty-five years later, our new association finally pursued the city to install a curb cut.

We now have a curb cut at the end of our street, which I often traverse on my morning walks.

But ...

Michael is no longer here with us, and Jon is essentially bed-bound.

That's just one of the many ironic stories in our lives. I have a bunch of them.

So, I guess I don't have a larger definition of irony to comprehend how it applies to the people she described. I need illuminating!

Love & Light,

Rose

[Donna Thomson]

Hi Rose,
Well I think we are both O L D and also, we've seen too much in the way of reality, including the ironic type of reality that you describe in your message. Wampole is talking about the eye rolling youth (except that they eye roll in private and then walk outside with some external evidence of geekiness and concentrate on NOT rolling their eyes, otherwise it would reveal weakness). It's about endless 'in jokes'. It's a very exclusionary way of being. Last night I sent my post to the author of the article and she replied immediately! I was so amazed - here is what she wrote: Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write to me. I found your blog post very moving and have shared it with my friends. I think you immediately and intuitively understood exactly what I meant. There is an unshakeable sincerity among the specific groups of people I listed in the article, who could serve as role models for the rest of us .... this is a serious problem that must be addressed, and I am very happy to spearhead a pro-sincerity movement.I'm thankful for you and your kindness. And I send my warmth and thoughts to Nick as well.

If she starts this movement, I'll be the first one to sign up and join! xDonna

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Donna))))))

Perhaps my lack of understanding isn't as much a function of my age as it is a function of my lack of awareness of this generation. I haven't met any hipsters in my travels. Hippies, yes.

What I'm trying to discern is why their lifestyle is considered ironic. Is it because they are the things they mock? Or that they aren't the things they mock? How does rolling their eyes reveal weakness? I feel like concrete was poured on my brain! I don't "get it." Maybe I need to get out more ... especially since she says "this is a serious problem." Yikes!

Ms. Wampole's response to you is very nice, she is lucky to have you in her pro-sincerity movement. I support sincerity 100 percent. Ironically, in this case, I'm not sure what I'm supporting! Are we trying to make these people more sincere by making them less ironic?

As you can see, I'm still hopelessly lost ...

Love & Light,

Rose