I was observant enough as a child, to see what the going paradigm was. I decided that the only viable way to run my life, was to live within its rules. That, plus an sometimes obsessive degree of hard work, enabled me to live well, and afford a comfortable retirement. I owe much of this to my (paternal) grandmother. She instilled in me a love of language, literature, poetry, and strangely, mythology. This gave me the ability - even as a child - to stand back and see that my actions were insignificant, and that the whole world did not revolve around me.
The trouble for many of my Aboriginal friends, was that they had no one to guide them. They have no clue or direction. Thus every direction is the same. Including going around in circles. If all you can see around you, is epidemic and endemic alcoholism and violence. then that is the norm, and what you expect of yourself. There is little incentive to try for excellence. Not only that, but when we are young, we find it hard to wait. One expects everything to happen immediately, or at least by tomorrow.
What we need is some type of mentoring for Aboriginal youth. Some guidance, on how to make a life within the framework of western society. It would be nice to remain a nomadic hunter gatherer, but that time is past, and will never be again. Don't abandon one's cultural heritage, but accept that those days are gone. Maybe that would be an useful task for active retirees, instead of becoming "Grey Nomads". Put a little bit back, hopefully.
JFK. "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”....Marum.
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