The Next Generation

A quick story I wrote up which tells the story of a man who realizes his life has become meaningless. This symbolizes the current generation, which I feel has not taken advantage of "new knowledge".

A man stands in the shadows for what seems like forever. A single tear rolls down his cheek. With coal dust on his face and only two dollars in his pocket, he begins to look back at his life. He realizes all the tragedies and atrocities that have occurred in his life are all his doing. He realizes there's nothing left. He pulls out a handgun, an is prepared to end it all. With a cold barrel, the gun is ready to pay its due. The man puts the gun to his head, ready to numb the pain from his past. However, in that moment, he asks himself "what do I have to lose"? The man looks further back into his past, remembering the good times. A warm feeling rushes through his body and his heart begins to race. Every good memory brings a smile to his face. The man begins to sob as he now understands where his fall began. He had aspirations to be successful. He wanted to make something of himself. Surrounded by knowledge, he felt as if his capabilities were limitless. Call it ignorance, call it a blatant disregard, but he never took advantage. Instead of becoming an example of success for those who will come after him, he became just another person in this modern world. A typical ignorant person. The man moves his hands which reveal the face of defeat. He puts the gun down and tries to gather himself. Voices in his head try to persuade him to finish what he had started, but he stands up and walks away, leaving the gun behind him. He finally understands his role in the universe. He becomes an example to the next generation. While it's not an example of success, it's an example of how to pull yourself back together. One may feel defeated, but taking the easy way out won't help anything. The man teaches about the technology of the modern world, but more importantly, the knowledge which comes with it all. The next generation will be one of the greatest if we learn from our generation's mistakes

Author's Note

I managed to let my emotions get the best of me here, as I go off and criticize the current generation. I apologize if the latter part of the story seems too off-track.