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Social Same

Leave a Comment / Articles / Nitasha Akerman

A lot of social activism appears to be about change and supposedly changing for the better. This in a way makes sense although I also think it’s important to recognise the values and behaviours from the past which were good and strive to maintain them; or work towards bringing some of them back. Today I’m seeing a lot of discussion about traditional values and how they are dismissed. Whilst I recognise that certain traditional values can be harmful and may not be for everyone, there is merit in some of them. For example, I believe that the emphasis on community and family were stronger in the past and a lot of what conservative activism tries to work towards is promoting this. I think that the concept of change has become something to constantly work towards but it’s worth considering the goal of change when doing so. Things are constantly evolving without us even being conscious of it. I wonder if there is an increased rate of change because today we have so much more stimulation, goods and services at our fingertips that the competition for attention is more intense. The challenge to remain relevant and interesting is difficult so ongoing change almost appears to be the way to go. Fashion trends change all the time but even with these changes there is still this reverting back to different decades of fashion and style, which are reignited as trendy. I see the appreciation of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s styles today. From this I understand that whilst there is change there is also a fluctuation of ideas and trends being recycled and being returned back to when there is the appreciation of hindsight. I don’t think that this applies to just style and fashion but also values and behaviours. There was previously an emphasis on knowing how to look after and repair things in your home and car whilst having useful skills like sewing and cooking. A lot of these important life skills appear to have diminished and lost a lot of their value. However, with the trend now to live the simple life, and people wanting to be more removed from a lot of recent technology and busy city life, these values and skills are now beginning to be more appreciated again. It appears that a number of people are realising the value of being able to look after themselves and their homes. I know that often people romanticise the past particularly when the present isn’t as exciting and the future not so promising. However, nostalgia is a very valid feeling and I think it should be considered more as a tool for what needs to be included in the present, and what is really significant. Everyone knows the power of hindsight and I think it can be used as a way to bring back what was important. I believe that it’s worth having a holistic society which is accepting of people who are more traditional whilst being open to new ideas.

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Our Roaring Twenties

There is such an emphasis on youth and our twenties being the best time of our lives. Our twenties are meant to be filled with friends, dating, freedom from responsibility, partying and travelling. Even if this were true and that’s actually what happens it’s such a depressing thought having such a short period of our lives being dedicated to being the “best”. Then what happens after that, is it all just downhill from there? The concept feels so limiting and boring. In my reality my twenties have been a pretty rough time and generally underwhelming. I don’t think I’m alone in this experience. I remember watching a guy on YouTube who posted about what our twenties are really about. He mentions how lots of us are trying to figure out what we even want to do with our lives and recovering from childhood traumas. I got lucky with knowing what I wanted to do as a career and how to pursue it but I recognise that not everyone is so lucky; in fact most people don’t have it that easy in knowing what they want or how to purse it. As I near the end of my twenties I look over the past decade and realise how it has been filled with trying to get my foot in the door and establish myself in my career and predominantly healing from past traumas. My late teen years were filled with going out, dating and partying however that did die down pretty quickly. Reality kicked in where it was clear I needed to get moving on studying and creating my own career path. I also had to invest so much in mental health and wellness. The dating space was awkward and well below par. I feel as though when a lot of us are introduced to dating and relationships were are not sure what we want and the whole thing is such an odd experience, that many of us end up navigating a bit blindly. Throughout this time often we figure out a lot more about what we want, don’t want and what we won’t put up with. If my twenties was meant to be this liberating and enjoyable time then it has been a real disappointment. I’m in a position now where I live out of the family home, I’m settling in full time work and I’ve made some meaningful, close friendships. I have clear goals for the future, I know more about what type of people to surround myself with and I’m excited for the prospects of meaningful travel with where humanitarian work will take me. The possibilities for people having children, joy and fulfillment within a career or even travelling and celebrating when we are older, does this all become somehow unexciting and not as enjoyable? The pressure to enjoy our twenties as if it’s the only good time in our lives is limiting and wrong. There is joy and pain in every period of our lives and I think we should always be excited by that.