Nowadays, New Age is everywhere. Some are into nature sounds (I particularly enjoy writing while "rain" falls all around me), some into crystals, others dig reflexology.
But go back to 1970 and the concept of New Age was an obscure one. Some hippies were into Yoga, but by and large the New Age movement had yet to ignite.
The spark it needed was the 1970 publication of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The tale of a seagull who wanted more out of life than fighting amongst other members of his species grabbed the nation's attention that year, and became a runaway best seller.
And just like that, many decided the rat race was no longer for them. After all, what was the difference between clawing one's way up the corporate ladder and fighting your fellow seagulls for a piece of rotted fish that had washed up on the shore?
Thus, Richard Bach's tiny little novel (I read it in a single day when I was twelve) revealed the dissatisfaction that many Boomers and their younger parents had with their mundane lives.
Thinking like that was a million miles away from that of our grandparents, who were simply glad to have survived the Great Depression without starving to death.
But this was the Boomer generation. We questioned everything. Go to war? Not unless it's for the right reason. Cut our hair? Why? Get a job? I'd rather join a commune.
While the WWII generation was mystified by the behavior of the rebellious offspring they had raised, Jonathan Livingston Seagull's struggles with his desires to do his own thing perhaps cleared things up a bit for them.
Jonathan had a love for flying that his fellow seagulls just couldn't understand. Eventually, he is banished from the colony. Undaunted, he does what he loves: flying. One day, he is met by a pair of gulls who take him to a heaven of sorts, a higher plain of existence. He is mentored by a mystical gull named Chiang who teaches him all sorts of cool stuff, including what we science fiction fans call teleportation. Jonathan then returns to earth to find and enlighten other dissatisfied seagulls.
Richard Bach (himself an Iowa Air Guard pilot) based the story on his friendship with a barnstormer of the twenties and thirties named Johnny Livingston. Livingston won many air races and also put on numerous exhibitions across the Great Plains with his biplane. The free-wheeling airman loved flying above all else.
The book proved to be such a hit that movie plans were put in place. Of course, the movie would have to be shots of real seagulls, given human voices. These voices would include those of Richard Crenna, James Franciscus, and Hal Holbrook, among others.
The movie was released in 1974 and in fact turned a profit, despite caustic reviews. Neil Diamond did the soundtrack, and managed to garner a hit single with Skybird. Lonely Looking Sky and Dear Father were also pretty good songs on an album designed to be listened to in a hot tub with the fondue pot heating up and margaritas in the blender.
Thus it was when we went in a big way for a tale of a seagull who wanted something more. Nowadays, many of us Boomers are casting uneasy eyes at our retirement funds with much the same feelings.
Comments (3)
This was my all time favorite book and movie also. It was just a pure story of love and caring. And today that seems to be last on the list. I love seeing this book revisited...
We all hope following generations will adopt a more caring, loving nature about life. We shall see.
Carol Stanley author of boomerbook "For Kids 59.99 and Over:
Posted by carol stanley | July 23, 2008 12:25 PM
Posted on July 23, 2008 12:25
Great post/commentary! I do believe we're here to "fly".
Posted by Sunny | July 24, 2008 9:25 PM
Posted on July 24, 2008 21:25
After I read this column, I went home and searched for my ancient copy of JLS and was unsuccessful (I did find several other forgotten gems but no JLS.) I didn’t read it until 1974 when a female friend’s exhortations convinced me to. Last night after work I went to the web and found the link (at the bottom as promised) to the entire text. I sat in my office alone at 9:00 PM (thank goodness) and re-read the entire work (I’m not sure what deal Richard Bach has with crookedbush (ironic? You be the judge) but I’m glad he has offered this work for all, anyway by part 2, I was in full flood silent tear duct leakage in my wrok palce! (As I type the rapidly rising cult status neologistic JIBism my helpful digital MSWord assistant corrects it to work place) I ‘m glad I didn’t have to explain.
This allegory captures the universal mythological archetypes plied by Joseph Campbell, the Bible (Adam & Eve to the Gospels of Jesus and Lucifer’s fall), Buddha and Baum (L. Frank) Like country tunes (see Harper Valley PTA below) they strike that chord of universal truth (that which we know to be or want to believe is true.) That is the reason they have been and continue to stay embedded in our human psyche (collective unconscious) for so long.
“New Age” has been mocked (rhymes with Sewage says Penn Gillette) by many with its Kumbaya and crystals and mystical inner self mumbo jumbo. (see the Wikipedia entry quote at the bottom of the JLS page for a review by less than gruntled hipster – I agree with the assessment but remove its pejorative barbs and view its overall impressions as a positive.)
I’m sure chicanery and charlatanism are rife in many of its incarnations, but by and large its practices are life affirming, non violent, and one could find few aspersions to cast. To paraphrase Robert Frost, “One could do worse than be a swinger of new ages”
Thanks, Ron for reminding us of this gem and reintroducing me to my forgotten self.
I recommend reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull by everyone who is in need of remembering their true child self before it was buried by the pressure of peers and society.
Read Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Posted by Burt | July 25, 2008 12:55 AM
Posted on July 25, 2008 00:55