A Millennial's Cynic Hope

Growing older, we all change. Fact.

But somehow, one's either part of those who deny change and keep on telling us (and themselves) that they 'will always be young'. Or, one may be part of the second half: those who expect to change and move on.

What we're less prepared to witness is the people around us, to change as well. Children grow, elders get older, parents become grandparents, opportunities present themselves and life-changing decisions that, at first, appeared innocent, are made along the way. And yet, there are small things we keep on missing or tend to close our eyes on in these changes. Among the silent memories we gather are unfortunate habits we wish we had noticed sooner.

I've been silently observing the situation like a spectator or an intrusive narrator with nothing interesting to say. I realized, what was once a genuine moment such as hanging out with friends, having a drink or a smoke after work on a terrace... Was easily becoming an addiction for some of us. Addiction to the few crumbs of happiness and freedom we could get outside from those corporate lives we live. Pushing the most desperate ones of us to always wanting more until 'more', becomes never enough. I'm silently taking notes and wondering: when did life in itself become a daily effort? When did it get so out of reach that we convinced ourselves that this was better than nothing? When did we get so desprate for an escape that we forgot where our limits stood? When did we stop worrying about the rest of us? How not to miss that precise moment when a father, a sister, a son, a friend or a colleague crosses that thin line - that one tenuous bridge between a simple pleasure and an inescapable want? How do we call that moment, right before it's too late? Too many questions, too few answers.

I heard someone say something that stuck to my mind the other day. They said "addictions are a mild problem and a fun escape for people who are doing fine. Problem is, no one who's perfectly fine will ever get into addictions." Something to think about.

I've always thought Humanity was built on two things: delusions and hope of salvation.

Compassion and selflessness made us aware of the people around us and gave us morals as a common guideline. We built up our villages, cities and societies knowing we weren't alone and had to take care of our kin as, together, we are stronger. Or were. Individualism taught us determination, but community forced us to be patient and accept others' weaknesses in the wilderness that became today's world, until we finally cared only for our own needs. Indifference replaced compassion as empathy was just not in the yearly budget anymore; just like greed replaced selflessness and sadly, everyone silently agreed to it - convinced that we all had a chance to make it. Make it where? Another question I don't have an answer for.

I'm not part of those who think the world was a better place before. Echoes of the past always sound better when you only get half of the distant message weakened by hidden truths and silenced cries.

But I truly believe some people tried to find solutions or, at least, ways to ease the world for us. Their common hope of a better tomorrow has always been our light at the end of the tunnel that has been life on Earth and the challenges coming with it. That hope still lives in many of us. Our world is full of people who are actively dedicating their life to others, to nature, to research... Every single day, actions are taken and messages of hope are sent. Teachers continue to teach, care-takers continue to care, firemen continue to walk on fire... We all know that one of the many reasons they continue to do so is because they have bills to pay. Still, I know there is also a part of them continuing because of hope. They hope change will come. They hope children will learn and become better adults than we were; they hope our elders will have a painless end knowing their memories are safe, they hope one day there won't be anymore fires to fight. As long as we have that. As long as there are still out there people willing to give fourty years of their life to the single hope of creating a better world for those who will come after us, I will continue to believe in the change we can power.

What is now causing most of our problems is, in my opinion, a lack of good deeds. Decisions were made individually when community had to prevail. Somehow, we're all responsable for that as we encouraged the system and didn't condamn the decision-making process itself sooner. If the blame should be cast on someone, let's start with me as I will admit that I'm not doing anything more than anyone else to improve the situation. But that feeling of powerlessness is well-know around the world these days, isn't it?

So, when the world calls for help; when one's hoping for the best but witnessing the worst on a daily basis; how can one help a fellow survivor of the twenty-first century? Yet another question I don't have an answer for. Though, I won't stop hoping. More than hope, nature gifted us with imagination. Limitless imagination. I keep on hoping that many more people use that gift to imagine a better world we could all share and not just to picture themselves swimming in a pool of cash.

When everything fades away and when the cold wind of change - the one that gives you those anxiety goosebumps - arrives... Grab that last bag of hope and hang on to it. Don't give in just yet.

Some of us call it faith. How beautiful and ironic. We were all talking about the same thing from the very beginning.