generation gap or some such.

Generation gap. It is probably the only phrase that has come to our rescue as many times as it has smothered us. In 1965, when 41% of the American population consisted of 17 – 25 year olds, and when a predominantly white cultural zeitgeist that shunned all convention came into place, the phrase generation gap was given birth to, as a means to explain the chaos. I think it is now, just an excuse. 

Lets see why. There are elders who don’t think it is appropriate to get married as many times as Elizabeth Taylor did. If anybody has gotten married more than twice, they call it the Hollywood syndrome. Now hypothetically, if I think it is okay to do so, as long as you know what you are doing, and this leads to a fight, then the last word on that would be – generation gap.

There are quite a few things that people my age dismiss as an outcome of this ‘generation gap’. There is respect lost, both ways, since nobody likes the output (s) of this essential fundamentalism.

While reading up on the origins of this unnecessary phenomenon, I noticed a few interesting things. There apparently have been programs designed to ‘bridge this gap’. These would include bringing people of different generations together, for a music based orientation session, getting people to interact with people of different age groups, etc. Effective methods have been sending the ‘bookend generations’ (senior citizens, and pre schoolers) to a day care, where one generation takes care of the other. So you mean to say, sitting down and talking face to face dispels this excuse that we have developed as a part of our ingrained fight or flight instincts?

Let’s try and redefine it now. This phrase was introduced as a means to express the inherent conservatism present in every ‘older’ generation, when the ‘newer’ generation backs off from what is the norm, and find easier, and arguably better ways, to get things done. This is what we call growth. It is a continuous process, and not a gap. Every society, every thought, and every human aims to go forward, to be more ideologically, and otherwise, advanced. How is the process that enables the advancement, any sort of gap?

Its not only the older generation that lends a helping hand in dismissing ideas. The new generation does that too. Anything old is a cliché, and rebellion is our motto. There are some things that are the norms for a reason, but how can we hold our heads high and claim to be youngsters if we don’t rebel, and constructively break the rules? The new roads then go on to being the norm, while the generation that formed them, hold it close to their hearts, and blame everybody else, when the positions are changed. This too, is a vicious circle. 

An equally interesting observation would be the rush to make any positivity in thought or action, be it an increase in rationale, technological advancements, progressive ideologies, the product of one’s own generation. Whoever claims it has a blanket opinion on the people of the older generation, forming a never ending cycle of stereotypes.

How many of us get exasperated by the number of times we have to teach our parents how to use their devices? How many times have we laughed at their attempts to try to get something done on an electronic device?  How many times have our parents told us about their childhood, how they climbed the trees, and played in the water, and how everything was simple and happy then, and how they take pity on us, because of the kind of world we live in? These emotions, occurrences are all also classified as generation gap. But think about it. They are merely trying to catch up to the material and physical advances that make their life difficult in just the same manner as it makes ours easy. We will soon be doing this too, and we will take pity on the next generation that 'has missed out' on so much that we had! 

couch potato.not.

I have been writing and talking a lot about growing up, facing changes, handling situations, multiple epiphanies, et al. It’s probably just a curve everybody goes through, either fussing over it, or pragmatically. Some say we are the dreamers, and we can afford to do so only because our parents were being rational, when they were our age. Another oft handled phrase “ when I was your age…”. It could be the prefix to any number of annoying/amusing phrases, like, “ … I used to wake up at 5, do x y z, and then go to school, come back, and help mom/dad, study, and sleep early” or “ … I never depended on the idiot box to give me life” or “ … I was already working two jobs and paying my way through university”.

We have been the generation that went through sort of a sluggish transition in cultural values, ideologies, and such. The one before us were all up in arms for revolutions, fighting for their voices, fighting for their rights, fighting for the right to control their thoughts. They defied authority, they overturned hierarchy, and they openly expressed disgust at anybody’s attempt to control what shouldn’t be controlled. There were some changes that came as a result of it. A lot of us have been brought up with respect and concern, rather than a mere sense of duty. We were taught to think for ourselves, and for the most part, choose what our basis of life would be. A lot of us, not all of us. The freedom to do that, is often underestimated, and neglected.

I was recently asked, what is it that I live, or hope to live, upto? Frankly, I didn’t even know what that question meant. There are two connotations to this question. Both arising from a personal level, but one that would affect and determine, very directly put, the world. Sweeping statement, yes. The first one would be, the direct, what is it that I live upto? Do I confirm to any school of thought? Do I identify myself with any particular religion? Is there atleast a general rule of thumb that I go by? Well, my answer to all of them are – no. While acknowledging the fact that that’s scary, I must ask, is there a need to adhere to a rationale? That doesn’t mean that I think it is okay to go around doing anything I want because I don’t think anybody is watching over me, or because I don’t believe in karma. Neither am I somebody who lives without principles. I draw a line at lots of things, though most of them are criminal offenses.

And the next, what do I want for the world? All of us will immediately sprout the quintessential beauty pageant answer – world peace. Apart from that, what? Liberation of human beings. Gender equality. Poverty eradication. To be able to live without the looming fear of a nuclear d-day. Trying not to drown inch by inch in the melting glaciers. Patching up ozone holes. Figuring out a practical alternate source of energy.  A form of regime more apt and adequate than ‘democracy’. There are more. And there are some that don’t want any of these. Are we the kind that has our blood boiling at the thought of it? Or are we more inclined to overthrow superpowers by very slowly but efficiently devastating their economy? I think I fall under the latter category.  Rioting and revolting and rampant resistance worked then, still work in some places now. But I think it’s old game, old tactics, and people have learnt how to get past them. Maybe, not jumping up and demanding a strike in compensation for a wrong doing, or immediately having a dharna in front of the offending place, does not mean that we have given up, or that we don’t care. Maybe, we just have found smarter means to both get to, and justify, the ends. Atleast that’s what I’m choosing to believe in, for right now.