THE GENERATION GAP *

An angry, tense, young man of 19 and his austere, perplexed, middle‐aged parents sit and talk with a psychiatrist; it is not their first meeting. Though the young man's future occupation is ostensibly the focus of discussion, other issues have arisen. The young man says: “What would you know, how can you dictate what is good for me … the vibrations are different … it's all a matter of levels of consciousness. My level of consciousness is just being more aware … you will never see and understand what I do.” The father, less able to contain his obvious exasperation, answers immediately with: “You don't give us any credit for our understanding. Of course we understand you, we've been through all that you have and more. … What you don't realize, no, you won't realize, is that you're selfish, using us, you're mercenary. … All this talk of vibrations is just a cover.” The mother interrupts: “Now look, I'm not just saying this, but I'm just as spiritual as you. It's nothing different, my belief in God and your talking of levels of vibrations. But we've not brought you up for 19 years just to sit here and talk about religion. What are you going to do?” The young man says to the psychiatrist: “Can you see now, here and now … do you see I can be here now, be now here … and that's all.” Eventually the psychiatrist fills a silent gap with: “Perhaps now means different things to all of us.” After the young man's explosive “for sure”, the psychiatrist goes on: “But now is being here for all of us — perhaps where we all could start to understand.”