I'm a big Glenn Beck fan. I credit him and Bill O'Reilly for opening my eyes, getting me to think more critically, and giving me the confidence to speak up for my beliefs. However, in regards to his recent book, The Christmas Sweater, and his recent statements on his show about the recent internet suicide that was watched online, I just can't relate.
I'll try not to spoil the book for anyone as I explain myself. I won't give a book review, persay, as there were some things about the book itself I didn't like as well, but that's neither here nor there in regards to not being able to relate to Glenn in this instance. Much of what he has said himself about his book in broad strokes I can use anyway, so I won't be giving away any details that he has spoken about himself.
This book of his, The Christmas Sweater, was written as a fiction work, but he has said that it's based on his life story. In it, the character that's based off himself, is really a jerk to his family. It starts with not getting the Christmas present he wanted, and ends with blaming his grandfather for his mother's death, screaming and yelling hateful things to him before running away.
Now, while I come from a divorced family, I have no reference point for the death of a parent as a youth. In an attempt to be empathetic, I'm not even sure I could do that justice. I can assume what I'd be like if I lost a parent when I was 10, and it's even easier for me with the hindsight of age experience...but I don't think I could accurately put myself into a 10-year-old's shoes who has just lost their parent and confidently say that I wouldn't be a jerk.
Other than yelling at my mother daily as she simply tried to wake me up so that I could make it to school on time (she's such a saint for doing it day after day despite my morning grouchiness), I didn't have many fierce words with my mom. And I certainly never once believed that I hated my mom. I never even thought that of my Dad. In fact, I sought his love more than I sought my mother's since we only saw him twice a year...my mother's love I always knew was true and lasting. But Glenn has read some letters on air and said that he has received countless letters similar to them about how so many people say they relate to the message in the book and how they saw themselves in the title character.
I have no reference point and can't possibly understand the numerous times when the book's character was mean or hateful just for the sake of being mean or hateful...even when there was a clear chance to not be mean and hateful.
Beyond the book, Glenn recently made some statements about the young kid who killed himself online while hundreds of others watched as he posted it from his webcam. The kid left a suicide letter which, in part, says "I hate myself, and I hate living...I've let everyone down, and I feel as though I'll never change, or I'll never improve." Glenn goes on to ask his audience if they see themselves in that letter at all, before saying that this note rings true for him(in the past tense). He said that he believed lots of people could relate to the suicide note left by the kid, and I'm just bewildered by that.
I've never gone more than a few hours of actually hating myself for some previous stupid action I did, and I've never once hated living. And I've never once believed that I'll never improve on things or that I'll never change. It's sad, of course, but I just can't empathize with the train of thought that would leave me to believe that I'd never get better at things throughout my life.
Is it just me? Am I the only one, or even someone in the clear minority, that has never experienced true disdain for someone in their family? If many people can relate, as Glenn hypothizes, then it's no wonder that this country has begun to fall from grace.
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3 comments:
Well, as you would imagine I am NO fan of Beck and O'Reilly, I can take him in doses ass i really don't think he actually beleives half the stuff he says, it is the money making character talking the "party line". I like that O'Reilly has said he truly believes in the seperation of Church and state although he constantly says things in opposition to that or doesn't take it as far ass I do I guess.
"...that has never experienced true disdain for someone in their family?"
-- I'm with you here, never felt disdain for family but then again they never mistreated my either.
I think you are lucky to have never been depressed like that. I have never had major depression but suicide has crossed my mind in life (never really thought I'd ever do it, never took any real steps etc...) but I did think about. Just feeling sorry for myself most likely. But some folks do have chemical imbalances that cuase deep depression.
I understand about the chemical imbalances, I have close friends in which that effects.
I'm in no way admonisihing depression, thoughts of suicide, or even a disdain from life from someone who feels as though God turned his back on them...I merely can't understand that point of view because it's far enough away from anything I've experienced, I have no reference point to even put myself in their shoes and accurately empathize with them.
I do count myself as lucky for not having experienced those things. I thank my Mother for that, as coming from a divorced family before divorce was the norm, I'm sure there are things that could have spiraled out of control and put me in a position as described above. My Mother is my hero that prevented that from possibly happening.
yeah, I hear ya. Come from a twice divorced family and no major malfunctions (except I am an atheist ;o) ), so I hear ya.
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