Let us be

We all are witness to the fact that one of the favourite pastimes of our elders is to point out negatives in us.

Agreed? If yes, let’s move ahead.

Socrates was in the habit of criticising the youth of his time. Yet the generation produced Plato, an equally great philosopher. Remarkably, Plato too criticised the younger generation of his time. But his generation produced Aristotle, a disciple of Plato. 

Aristotle, like his teacher, condemned the youth. However, Alexander the Great, who conquered a large part of the world, belonged to the same generation. 

Hilarious, isn’t it?

Here Bertrand Russell, one of the foremost philosophers of the 20th century, sees a pattern. The elderly have a tendency to berate the youth of their times. And they do it with great relish.

My grandfather often told me how he and his cousins were condemned by their senior relatives for slightest mistakes. My father too shared with me how his uncles used to lecture him.

Even today, our elders spare no chance to pontificate. Behave yourself. Rise early. Speak properly. Be the best in the classroom, brightest in the playground and smartest in the street.

As if...

People look down on our generation because we use WhatsApp and Facebook to communicate with family and friends. We write emails, instead of letters.

However, our elders should realise that our generation is using modern technologies. We also write a letter. And some of us write beautiful letters. Yes, the medium has been changed. We no longer use a pen and a paper. We shoot an email.

Sometimes my schoolmates and I get fed up with the rant: “hamarey zamaney mein to yeh hota tha” (Our times were so different).

As a matter of fact, every successive generation breaks free from the past. And creates a new path for themselves. This is how our civilisation moves forward and scales new heights. 

After all, there was a time when “mail-runners” used to dart to distant places delivering letters. Later, “post riders” (postal delivery system by horse-riders) were introduced and the population started to use them for communication. People stopped using these modes of communication once postal services came into trend. 

In fact, we try to adopt new modes, modern technologies and fresh ideas just like our forefathers did before in their own way.

So let us be. We won’t let you down.

We need to realise that our survival depends on how smartly we adapt. We have to move on with time and technology!

(Published in The Gulf Today on August 20, 2016)