For the first time in a while I'm writing this post from a place other than my own personal space. At a sea of library computers I sit as I listen to the voices of males in their late teens to early 20's (maybe later, I've gotten to the point of having a hard time deciphering people's ages...says the woman in her late twenties who can still pass as a high school student) make exploding noises as they fist bump with their headphones on. Why the change of scenery? Well, let me tell you. With my laptop slowing due to age, and my tablet keyboard awaiting me at my parents' house (feel free to make any sort of #firstworldproblem remark you like...it really is a minute issue. Did I just hashtag in a blog? Someone please stop me.) I figured using my outside resources would be my best bet and I can do anything but complain. For the library in itself is almost like a different world. The most interesting of humans reside in this public building.
If you've read any of my non-education related posts before, you'll find that observation is one of my most beloved past times. The human race fascinates me with all of our quirks, gimmicks, and relatively beautiful weirdness. Our desires, emotions, judgments, and beliefs are what set us apart from animals ("But Michelle, Animals have feelings too!" I recognize that...but that's a discussion for a different time). As I peek over the wide screen of my PC, four teenagers walk across the room. Two styling bright, pink hair with part of their heads shaved. To me, I see this as a way of expression. I love it when people use the canvas of their bodies for art such as this.
My eyes pan to the 75+ year old man quietly reading a magazine at the table with his cane propped ever so gently against his side. He looks up, furrows his brow a bit, and watches. Perhaps he's uncertain as to why anyone would choose such a style. Perhaps the girls remind him of his granddaughter who sports the same look. Or perhaps he longs to have hair like that on his nearly bald head. It's not my place to judge, but I suppose the best thing I can say is that there's clearly a generation gap.
Those things are funny, generation gaps that its. They can create both a a sense of interest as well as blindness. With the changes in society and the advances in technology those gaps are only going to widen.
I believe a lot of it has to do with the whole nature and nurture ordeal. Personally, I believe nature is secondary to that of nurture. Yes we all have specific traits that we're born with, but how those traits are brought about have to do with the way we're raised. (Now remember, I'm not a specialist in this area, merely an observer.) I'll use the simple example of make-up. If you've ever met me, you'll know that about 90% of the time I keep a natural face. Natural as in no make-up (granted, I also have extremely sensitive facial skin...but still). I was raised in a home where make-up was not considered a priority. If you want to wear it great, if not that's great too. Now, if I was raised in a home where it was considered taboo to go outside without a painted face, well, that would be a whole different issue. The idea that, in order to be socially accepted, my eyes must be lined and my face must be powdered would be instilled in me and habits would be formed. There of course are also exceptions to every theory. Not everyone will follow the way that they have been nurtured growing up. I will raise my future children differently than my parents raised me and my children will raise my grandchildren differently than I raised them. We're all humans who can make their own choices, we're not robots.
Well, that when in an unexpectedly fantastic direction.
No two people have the same way of thinking or the same approach to life. Every person has a different perspective about life and its problems. We all take things differently and we are all affected at different levels. We can't expect others to understand us. Some things that may not hurt one person could be enough to break another.
-Neena Gupta
No comments:
Post a Comment