Living Within Generations
Its surprising that I feel the urge to write so much only at 42. Maybe my writing skills still need to get better, with me not understanding lots of English and American English words and slangs just yet. I do try to pick them up from NYT or Guardian or just somewhere, no not Google.
I was telling somebody the other day, 'I think this is the 'golden period' of my life.' And why? Simply because I have good of both the worlds- staying with parents and enjoying a 'single life'. It is a rare thing, with migration for work and so on, to be able to live with your parents, especially when they are both healthy and don't need medical attention. Moreover, being a 40-er you get the best advice from the younger generation and from the older generation, both.
My favorite moments are those when my father shares with me his experiences of his interaction with his students. He often tells me how a lot of girl students are now stepping out of the village and living and working alone in remote parts of the country. Once he told me that he asked one girl what does she want to become to which she replied an army girl, in combat on the field. He said that as a career option was a big NO to his sister (and maybe to his daughter, too) although I could have gone for the medical role as a nurse on the battlefield, if I were to follow my mother's professional interests, rather than my father's.
Anyway, the younger generation, especially Gen Z is the MOST GENDER-SENSITIVE I have ever seen. Its not just in my interaction with my nephews and nieces that I have noticed this but also with younger professionals in hospitality industry, luxury and travel, or other professions too. Is it #technology which is making us less resistant to change and more welcoming, accepting and reformed at the same time? Maybe yes.
The other day for a certain wedding preparation, our cook was going ballistic over green peas. Five kilograms of green peas were not to be found in any departmental store around. My cousin arrived and I asked him what to do. He is much younger than me. He replied, "why not order it from Swiggy, it will be here in 20 minutes." There we were, younger generation solving our problems with their ideas, technological ways, e-commerce and 'innovative, design thinking'.
Yet another example: my father, two days ago, was having a problem in his right eye. He said, "last time you took me to the office doctor, the problem was in my left eye but the prescription and the medicines are at home in Cawnpore."
My reply was, like anybody from my generation, that he should ask mom to pull out the prescription from his cupboard, click the photograph, and send it so we can show it and buy the same medicines at the pharmacist's. We did that and today he was thanking me for finding an easy solution so that he didn't have to visit the doctor again.
My best moments have been when I find an easy solution to my parents' problems; they have somehow offered me better solace than writing a research paper or a book.
Doesn't everyone WANT to be a solution, instead of a #problem?
Happy New Year to #GenZ !!
