Have we taken this away from our children, teens, and young adults?
I’m not referring to the world with its environments and politics, but the chance to dream, wonder, question, and simply imagine. Are we trying too hard to…free them, control, open doors, close their eyes, grow them up, keep them dependent…too anything?
I’ve seen one too many memes of back in my day this or that, as if our growing up years were perfect and today our children or grandchildren are missing or have too much of anything. These memes have always read as blame and complain, to me. We raised the generation we seem to be complaining about, didn’t we? Who exactly are we blaming, if not ourselves or our parents? Can we admit this or is it someone else and not us?
Frankly, I’m kinda glad my daughter’s generation are questioning, demanding apologies, owning their respect and not blindly giving it away. Maybe it would be easier if they didn’t…for me and my generation and older…maybe.
Then again, the generation younger have grown with school drills I never had. More freedom to self-question their identities with more brick walls to push through and bang up against. Perhaps even less freedom. Less help in finding help, guidance, acceptance. Less trust. More obvious hate, fear, demands to fit in and toe the line.
I don’t know. I think I’ve actually gotten off track as to what I thought I was going to write about.
In one moment I think it would be so easy to have just said…because I said so…instead of taking the moment to explain, share, listen and then I immediately realize, no. I’ve never done anything the easy way. I hated growing up to the occasional, because I said so, line, it’s one of the things I said I wouldn’t say if I had children.
The generation I’ve watched grow, they are a pretty capable bunch. A bit chaotic, at times, for me. A bit more open and in the face, at times, for me. At bit more fearful, depressed, worried, at times, for me. A whole lot more willing to listen and teach, at times, if we are willing to listen and be a bit more patient, open, honest, and riskier.
Dare to dream? We can all take this on.