Hello, you amazing person,
Hope you are having a great Sunday.
Today, I am back with a post that is slightly different from my regular ‘bring-a-smile-on-my-reader’s-face’ posts. Today’s post is about Generation – X and their way of life.
It all started when a friend told me that her mother had learned to use social media on her own. There was more surprise in her tone than pride. Also, it was hard for her to believe that her mother had managed to create a recipe page on Instagram and was uploading drool-worthy pictures of her cooking.
I wondered why it was so surprising for my friend to believe that her mother – who had graduated college, got a job (without Google at her disposal) supported her two children and made a beautiful life for herself and her family – could learn to use the Internet or a smartphone without anybody’s help. And it was not just my friend but many others including me who at various instances have underestimated their parents when it comes to using modern technology.
It also got me thinking about how different would our skills and thinking abilities be if the internet was never invented. Our lives would certainly be a lot slower but by now I am sure most millennials have realised what compromise we have drawn in exchange for the ‘fast’ life.
Everything the folks of Generation-X know is through personal experience, trial and errors and in some cases books. For instance, imagine a person wished to write a 500 words essay on a certain topic. They would first have to find time in their daily schedule to visit the public library and then spend hours reading back cover blurbs or consulting the librarian before they find the right set of books for their essay. They would then have to read through almost the entire book to find the right material (there are no keyword searches in physical books). It would take weeks if not months before they have the essay ready. We would probably write it in a week or less, thanks to the internet.
But what did we lose in the process? Everything. All the additional knowledge the person gained in the process of finding the right material. And the ideas that struck him/her while reading the back cover blurbs or discussions with the librarian. Above all, he/she exercised his/her patience and perseverance.
Wonder why your mother’s special dish is so hard to imitate? Because it took her decades of trial and error, experimentation to make it perfect. Even with the right ingredients and measurements, it is hard to get the same taste. Because during the course of her journey, she learned several minor trade-offs Eg – how much of the sour to increase if the chilly turned out to be spicier than intended. These lessons are only learned with experience.
Image credit: Photo by Gagan Kaur from Pexels
Another trait of the Gen-X is their pride and reverential approach towards the organisation they served for several decades. Many even today think of the organisation with gratitude. Most folks of this generation are self-made, first-generation effluents who strongly believe that it is the organisation that made them what they are today. An emotion most millennials may never understand.
What do you think of the Gen-X folks? And how different are they from the Millennials and Gen Z? Tell me in the comments below.
Signing off,
Ashwini
Author of Shikhandini
Featured Image: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
