Generation Gap a New Perspective

This thought has been lingering in my mind for quite some time, especially when you hear things like "When i was of your age i used to study under the street lights" "I had only two pairs of clothes when i was in school" "i used to walk 5 Kms to school everyday". It’s true some of them might sound really exaggerated and impossible for us to practise today.

The main emphases of these conversations are to let you know that you are so lucky to have all these materialistic possessions and to avoid day to day struggles. These are generally followed by statements like “These youth of today have no manners, respect, and value for money or any inappropriate character suitable to the situation"

I know iam at the other end of being youth and my appearance may not look youthful lol at most but even then iam lectured regularly by strangers and family alike like mentioned earlier. Being on the other side of youth I and my friends have these regular discussions like "My brother, Cousine etc. Don't have any value for money, they don't have any responsibility, he doesn't spend any time studying" (look who's talking). This is a vicious circle and at some point of time every generation has felt superior to the later ones in terms of character, discipline and fashion (yes i don't find the new generation dressing cool and classy)

There was a funny incident when my cousine in blore got a surprise visit from my self righteous uncles and had been fortunate to get a class on why he should not ride a rickshaw to college which is 2 Km away citing their struggle in youth. But this young man was smart enough to ask them why they are not walking to places like their fathers and uncles used to. (It might not sound funny unless you know of this legendary walk made by my great grandfathers for distances ranging from 50-100 km taking weeks and months together) .

So practices, discipline and characters tend to adopt as and when necessary. I had planned to write about what i or my generation preachers would be telling my children and grand children in these situations. It might sound something like " you know when i was of your age i did not have Wimax connection for browsing" or "you are lucky enough to have an iphone in 2 std when i got my first mobile after degree" or " i didn't even have an original branded watch and i used to wear fake Montblanc's heheheh (yes its fake) " or some o us might be preposterous enough to lie that " when i was of your age i used to walk to school 5 kms everyday" heheheh.

But i guess as we say necessity is the mother of all inventions we might come up with some really compassionate and empathetic examples to guarantee discipline when the need arises.

P.S This dosen't give any of my mischievous and adventurous cousins, brothers and younger friends reason to ridicule my lectures and shrug it of as advices of a self styled hypocrite. :)