To live does not mean to suffer (A message to my daughters)
My two bright shining stars in the vast darkness of the universe,
I am writing this as a time capsule from 2026, for you to read when you will be old enough.
I hope the demented asshats that were ruling the world in 2026 has not dragged us through another world war and were rather properly hanged. Maybe one of you will be doing a thesis on what went wrong in 2020 and why we, collectively as a humanity, lost the ability to act for higher good of us all. We have lost so many people to the disinformation campaigns, it is crazy. The social media are to blame, that is for sure, with their algorithms amplifying every rage bait-y take, giving the platform to every deranged idiot, so here we are. I also hope we are still talking and have all the deep conversations we are having now.
This blog has started as a therapeutic exercise that took a life of its own and is now meant to provide YOU with some ideas on how to approach life and keep my ideals alive.
I am telling you a lot about punk and its importance in my life, but I feel I am omitting the fact that the original punk movement has let itself fall into nihilism that in the end led a counterculture becoming a pub culture and people fighting the system turning to passive consumers of the system (who do you think is profiting from selling you the alcohol, besides the company selling it to you?). The idea of punk is the one of the free will. Every person thrown into the existence has a free will, the ability to make a choice, and even not making a choice is an act of a free will - and having a free will is always better than not having one. The issue is when people stop thinking about the impact of their choice, or the lack thereof, on others, on the humanity as a whole. The original punk ideology has become too big, too mainstream for its own good. But do not be fooled, the punk movement is still alive and well. Commenting on the social issues, serving as a mirror for society, fighting the good fight, supporting critical thinking, fuelling hope. People do still have a fire in their hearts and PUNK IS NOT DEAD.
I want to thank you for showing me that the world is not black & white only, but rather it has colour, and that there is always a hope. Hope for the better future, despite things looking dire at times, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. We do not need to suffer, it is not a key to our existence. I do believe that the key is love & happiness, that it is the force driving us to be hopeful, to stay resilient even in the harsh times. We have it, and for as long, you will have each other, you will have it as well, no matter what is happening around you, or who will try to tell you otherwise.
You are the punk.
Love, Dad.