Increasingly people I have known for a long time seem to be dying. In fact my generation is steadily starting to disappear. Who is replacing them? We shuffle along in a world that is unravelling, a world – that for both good and bad – our generation gave birth to. We are teetering in a strange balance between building on the achievements of the past and desperately trying to dismantle them. In many countries, the current generation is poorer than the previous one, upending generations of dreams by working class parents and migrants for a better life for their children. In this time of upheaval – both welcome and unwelcome – creativity is needed like never before.
As long as we remember them, they are still with us
A few weeks ago I flew to Adelaide, where I spent my years as a young adult, to celebrate the life of a friend and mentor who died earlier in the year. It was busy, catching up with everyone I knew from years ago, and there were some scheduling issues. It reminded me of an old friend from my days playing in a short-lived but thoroughly enjoyable band there. He missed an appointment we had made and I asked him,‘don’t you write it in your diary?’ He replied that he did, but that he then forgot to look at it.