I’m taking my chances.
It is probably true that what older people say to young people often goes through one ear and comes out the next, and therefore what I write has a good chance of going through one eye and coming out the next. But I know that not all young people are that dismissive. So I taking my chances.
At least I won’t be repeating the usual: respect your elders, study hard, dress properly, put God first, don’t follow bad company, don’t get involved with drugs, don’t have sex before marriage (or is it don’t buy a pig in a bag or a shoe in a box?).
I going down a different road. Just three things that you aren’t usually told.
First thing: don’t let anybody tell you anything ’bout passing nuh baton to you when all you have done is reach a certain age. (Yuh remember all the symbolic fuss made here about baton passing at the beginning of the new millennium?) If you are going to take a baton, it means you are part of a team and you have been practising hard with the other people on the team.
How have you been practising with people you are supposed to take the baton from – those who are 50 or 60 or 70-plus?
Why should they want to pass the baton to you if you have not been an involved, responsible team player, showing that you have the know-how, the skill, connectedness, industry and passion for the same team goals – and that, for instance, you aren’t going to run off the track at the Stadium, through the gate and head down to Spring Garden wid de baton?
You see, there is a lot of nonsense being spread abroad about what you are entitled to when you reach a certain age. So, let’s say you reach 18.
What do you think that means? The average 18-year-old would probably say that it means that they can now vote, stay out as late as they like, drive their parents’ car, make their own choices – that kinda thing.
So what about responsibilities? Like, I now have to be more mature, more responsible, more worthy of trust, more thoughtful. Reaching a certain age is more about responsibility than about entitlement. True, true.
There has also been much talk about the need for the young to be heard. Everybody should be – sometimes. But why you specially? What you really, really know?
Everywhere you turn somebody is talking about something about which he (I say he ’cause it is mostly males who do this) has consulted only with himself or has read only his own mind.
You already young and callow. Don’t be arrogant too. Read – books, articles – and ask questions more than you sound off. Ask questions that genuinely seek knowledge.
And get wisdom too – which mostly comes from experience. Don’ let nobody encourage you to just run yuh mout’ – Youth Forum or no Youth Forum.
I suppose part of the problem is that you are often told you are the leaders of tomorrow. But not all of you. And just in case you become one of the many who aren’t leading anything, become a worthy follower. Not much appetite for that.
Look at the aftermath of democratization of the workplace. The non-bosses agitated/asked to be part of the decision making process. So lots more people now throw in their ideas.
But what happens many a time?
When the boss chooses to go in a direction different from what we suggested, we sulk, refuse to cooperate, even sabotage. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.
It seems we did not just want to be part of the decision making process. We wanted to lead from the floor – without understanding the complexities of many things and without
the responsibility of being held accountable for the consequences. Don’t be like that. There is some virtue in knowing your place.
With all the advice thrown at you, young man/young woman, who tells you these things?
I took my chances.
