My parents say that I am lucky to be living in the 21st century. They compare the opportunities and things that I have today to when they were young.
From the stories I hear from my parents and grandparents, I realize things were indeed very different for them then. There were no computers, that is, no Facebook, Twitter or surfing the internet! There was no cable television, no Play Station 3, no Gameboy. The board games and other electronic toys I have accumulated over the years were never heard off. I can’t imagine going even one day without any of these things.
When I ask what they did for fun, they get all nostalgic and regale me with stories about how they would get together with friends and neighbours after school and play whatever games they could come up with. There were games that involved stones, rubber bands, slippers, of course the infamous police and thief, riding bicycles, playing in the rain and such. There was no need for fancy toys and gadgets to have the kind of fun that they had. Just as quickly however, they reiterated that, that was during their time, but now, things were so different that it was not possible for me to have the same experiences.
My parents went to a public school. I attend an international school as my parents want to give me a better quality of education. I hear them talk about how competitive it is nowadays “in the real world”, and how this school will give me the advantage I will need for when I am older. They also like the fact that the school hours are longer and so, the more time I spend in school, the less idle time in my hands, and hence, the less time for mischief. I always look forward to school as it is where all my friends are.
After school activities for my parents were about getting together with friends to play until they were called in for either lessons or dinner. Only when they were much older did my father take on football for which he was team captain and my mother attended singing lessons as per her parent’s wishes.
I, on the other hand, was sent for piano and singing lessons when I was just three and a half years old. My mother was told that it was an ideal age for a child to be introduced to such lessons as it helped with our development. When I turned five, my parents banded together and enrolled me in Taekwondo. I remember bawling my eyes out for a whole month before resigning to my fate. They were determined that I learn self-defense, especially because I was a girl.
I don’t ever remember being asked if I liked all these extra activities I was taking. It was just part of what I was expected to do everyday. It was the norm for everyone. These were opportunities given to me to better myself. I really can’t complain as I do enjoy myself at times. Perhaps when I am older, I would have a say in what I choose to learn. I am thinking modern dance will be nice.
So yes, things are indeed very different from when my parents were younger. They lived in times that were more innocent, carefree and fun. I, on the other hand, inadvertently have no choice but to live life that has been shaped and molded so differently from theirs. However, compared to them, I have much to look forward to.
I have to think about a competitive future, in play, education and work. I have to be careful with whom I talk to, with the company I keep, in case of bad influences. I have to be under strict supervision when I surf the internet or the various social networks I use, in case I fall victim to cyberspace predators. The movies I watch, the music I listen to, the books I read, will all have to pass parental censorship of what is considered safe and appropriate. My social time with my friends will be strictly planned, monitored and scrutinized so that our fun time is first and foremost, safe and secure from the ever present threat of evil that is around us. Notwithstanding all this, I also have to watch out for incidences of bullying, muggings, kidnapping, sexual exploitation, natural disasters such as floods, earthquake, tsunamis, and more.
I am indeed living in interesting times, in this 21st century.
