Don’t we see nostalgic posts of this kind every other day? On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and oddly enough, even on LinkedIn.
The kind which romanticizes the past and demonizes the present, and shudders at the thought of the future.
I have done it too, and I don’t consider it wrong at all. After all, things were much simpler then, weren’t they?
Yes, and maybe part of it was a problem as well. Here is a different, and much lesser thought of perspective.
Growing up in the late 80s and 90s, I have experienced it first hand. Frequent power cuts, water coming in on certain days of the week, for 2-3 hours a day, waiting for years for a telephone connection, a single TV channel…but these are not big problems. Yes, the frequent riots I can say were the low points. But try speaking with those who were born in the 60s.
Or who grew up in the 70s, with the lack of jobs, political turmoil (emergency)…or the 50s..with two wars in ’62 and ’71…or the 30s, when we were under the British rule, no freedom, and even when it came, the horror of Partition.
The 20s – famines, plague, hyperinflation, world wars…
The late 19th century – expected life spans of 30 years (yes, hard to believe, but this was the average life span well into the 20th century)…
Maybe that Zomato order coming 10 minutes late does not sound too big a problem after all. Or the not-being-able-to-travel bit.
Humanity is at a stage where it has never been as prosperous, as safe, as comfortable as it is today. You may think that the world is in constant strife, but statistically speaking, the last 50 years have been the most peaceful in the history of humanity. The advances in medicine and healthcare have led to longer life spans, technology has solved many problems and brought us closer.
Yet we complain.
The issue here is of not being satisfied with how much ever we get. It’s a human tendency. We tend to look upwards – at those who are doing better than us, who are more well-off, who are happier, and not downwards – at those who struggle more than us, who are in a much worse financial situation than us…
A lot of good can come just by being at peace with where you are at, with what you have, and by being thankful for being safe, healthy and alive. Everything else comes after that, don’t you agree?
COVID has been with us for nearly two years – our frustration is normal. But this is not the end of the world. We have gone through much worse as humans, and yet prevailed. This is a blip – treat it that way. Be thankful for what you have, and say a prayer for those who struggle because of the pandemic.
Just be content. You will get a chance to flourish, with time.
See you tomorrow!