Hello =) Tonight after our karate lesson I met a new potential member who was in grade 9. Now at my club most of the members are either senior students or have their own full-time jobs; my sensei doesn’t work at uni. I am, apart from this girl and another girl who is also only in year 9, the youngest. Yet these two girls are massive! – no, I do not mean that in a disparaging or sexist way at all – all I mean is that teens of the younger years are growing faster than the beanstalk in Jack and the Beanstalk. I am reasonably fit and very healthy, and I eat tons – if I don’t eat seconds and thirds I’m either sick or suffering from the blues. But what do the kids below my age group eat, seriously? Protein powder followed by a double dose of ‘roids?
Now I’m only 18, but even I can reflect on how crazily the years fly. Ten years ago you would’ve been lucky to have a Walkman. Now if you don’t have an IPod, you are not in with the technology rush. I bought my Apple IBook G4 at the end of 2005, and now, in mid-2007, we already see technological masterpieces like Macbook and the insane, utterly insane, IMac… wow, just wow. I mean, sure, things are impermanent and everything changes, but… things have really changed a LOT. And this is coming from a young dude who’s still at university – imagine the crap our parents’ generation had to put up with. I don’t blame anyone from the older generation for suffering from technology culture shock. Most can’t operate a Mac or Windows properly. Can’t say I’m frustrated.
Nevertheless, as far as I’m concerned Mum and Dad’s generation stuffed everything up anyway so you can lap up our crap for all we Generation Y’ers care. =P
E./N. I am not joking. I assert my last point seriously. If you want to know why I believe the generation of hippies has stuffed things up to the point that we Generation Y’ers are going to make or break the future of this world, feel free to PM me.
I am one of those aging hippies, but you’ll get no argument from me. We started out great guns, but lapsed into self-absorption, leaving our ideals by the wayside. Yes, Generation Y will have its hands full, no doubt about that. Wanna know what worries me? I don’t see the fire in your generation. Here in the United States, the Gen Y folks are conspicuously absent at the voting booths. When I march against the Iraq war, poverty or injustice, I find myself surrounded by other gray hairs, mostly. You all have a LOT of work to do to undo the damage wrought. I suggest you get busy…take it to the streets…voice your outrage…fight for what you know to be right. If you do, you’ll find that there are still plenty of us willing to stand with you. If you don’t…well…you’ll only have yourself to blame.
Raymond . . .
Your insights are profound, particularly for a young man of 18 . . . wisdom knows no age . . .
I’m 41, an older Gen-X’er, but not old enough to be a baby boomer . . . sounds like I’m a tad bit younger than your parents . . .
But I got started with kids early, and have two sons, one who’s almost 17 and another who’s 14 . . .
In the broader scheme of things, I think every generation brings some good and bad to the table, overcoming what the previous generations stuffed up and stuffing up some new things for the next generations to overcome . . .
Each generation does the best they can with the cards they’re dealt . . .
Same with each person . . . potentially, anyway . . .
Namaste, for now . . .
Interesting perspective. Intresting how each generation feels that the previous generation let them down in some way. This is a endless loop. Welcome to our world.
…damn hippies…