August 2018
By Amir Bagheri
I have a brother who is seven years younger than me. The age gap between the two of us might not be that large, but the differences in our thinking, worldview, and ways of dealing with life, differs vividly enough for me to accept and understand that he is of a different generation.
Change is mostly good. If sons and daughters did not differ from their mothers and fathers, then we would still be in caves, avoiding evolution at all cost.
Accepting and embracing change in any society is often hard. Looking down on young people and making them feel inferior, has been an unhealthy habit in most of our societies. We are all familiar with micro-aggressive phrases such as “when I was your age…” or “back in my days…”. The negative impact of this constant comparison of the older generation versus the new generation seems to be a never-ending cycle.
And my generation, “The Millennials” have been on the worst receiving end of these unfair soul-draining comments.
Often labelled as lazy, unprofessional, sensitive, soft, entitled, and every other uninspiring adjective you can think of, Millennials get through each day, changing this mess of a world that we had inherited from the many generations before us.
A collapsing economy, climate change, corruption, sexism, racism, ineffective communication, the possibility of yet another war, are all issues that we are dealing with.
Yet not a single one of these problems were caused by us. And the best part? We happen to be the ones who are interested in solutions to such problems and are actively engaging with each other and all generations involved without having an “us versus them” mentality.
We are often hated for our views, and all the changes we have made in our communities. We have redefined education, identity, work, mental health, economy, love, individual rights, politics, gender, sex, sexual orientation, and many more discourses.
We are the true essence of a non-violent revolution. The generation that has normalised the previously “abnormal”.
The generation that has given voice and exposure to the voiceless. We are the generation that has chosen the sustainable and solution-focused lifestyle over the passé “benefits at all cost” school of thought.
We do not look at this earth as a commodity. We have gotten rid of the tunnel-vision we have inherited from our ancestors. We prefer to move forward whilst looking around appreciating everything and everyone around us. Because we have learnt that growth is not always linear.
So to my fellow Odd Millennials- unlearn the negatives you’ve been fed through the media. Next time you hear someone using an unpleasant adjective to describe our generation remind them of Ahed Tamimi, Malala Yousafzai, Payal Kadakia, Daniel Maree, William Kamkwamba, and many more heroes.
Remember that you are the “now”. And the “future” is the generation that comes after you.
This edition is for you.
In this issue:
Poetry:
idle worship – Juwayriya Bemath
The Love Generation – Nomthandazo Nxabela
The night peek – Nkwana Joshua
Short Stories:
The Roses – Shameelah Khan
Wisdom, Understanding and Courage – Mandla Phakathi
The Confessions of St Anger: Of Ghosts, Snakes and Sleeping dogs – Marguerite Ward
Short Film:
Artist of the Month: MiB – Nokuthula Mabena and Azarrah Karrim
Visual Art:
Shack Dweller – Sacro Ngobese
Column:
Meditation: Winter – Lucinda de Leeuw
Other:
hello you – Sarah Leck
