Page 11 - Tracy Anderson Magazine - Fall 2021

years, when we all need the most emotional
protection, can later become something very
real to untangle and unlearn as we mature.
You know—the jock, the nerd, the popular
princess, the outcast, the rebel, the influencer,
the savior—all the easily identifiable lanes that “YEAH, YOU”
divide us that we had to marinate in, mis-identify
in, and later somehow realize the weight of their
dysfunction. The state of our personal adult
health and the health of the world around us –Jake, Sixteen Candles
is receiving a failing grade at large, and social
media is shining a big, bright transparent light
on just how immature and parentless we can be.
To me, Hughes’ films evokes a cry for help, an
artistic display for us to see that while teenagers
are trying to find their independence, they need
love and connection more than ever. Teaching
through entertainment can be powerful, but
there are few that master the lead. The teenage
years are where so many bad habits are solidified
and where teens aren’t encouraged to learn how
to take care of themselves and others. Hughes’
movies identify where the adults and the broken
systems are at fault.

The way that Hughes’ films were the place where
every teen could relate is the same way Fred
Rogers was the person that kept so many kids
company and taught them how to treat other
human beings, how to take care of themselves,
how healthy emotions are, and how to deal
with emotions like anger. As a man, Mr. Rogers
made sure his work helped to gently change a
culture, even before it was ready by sifting out
the dysfunction through inclusively teaching
adults on a child-like level. Many TV shows
throughout the 1980s tried to sound alarms
on a lot of levels, and yet I feel disappointed at
how long it continues to take us to really win at
togetherness, health, and education. Making
sure that the way the modern brain and body
keep developing is in our hands.

As humans, we dominate the planet and have
the potential to grow beyond just this planet, yet
we’re so broken at having the real intelligence to
nurture ourselves, others, and our environment.
What kind of schooling will it take for us to
succeed, instead of destroying all our potential?

We don’t all learn the same. We don’t all have
the support we need at home. We don’t all
balance as well as we may think. We don’t all
have the same resources. We don’t all have the
same genetics. We don’t all have to overcome
the same fears. We don’t often hold ourselves Turtleneck by TORY BURCH, Multicolor Tartan Check
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