Musings Of A Confused Millennial

As a millennial, I find myself at the cusp of two worlds - the one in which I was born and the one that is changing right in front of my eyes, and for people like me, it is changing far too much and too quickly. The ones whom I hailed and worshipped as gods and goddesses, the new world questions their actions and condemns them. The rules and conduct that I tried to follow all my life, the new world despises them and calls them as an impediment to empowerment. The beliefs that I held on to all my life, the new world labels them as old-fashioned and regressive. I do not fit in any world - the old is slowly fading and the new is far too advanced for the likes of me.

I am trying to change. Because as the saying goes, the stick that doesn't bend, breaks. But there are many things and concepts that are beyond my understanding.

Woman Empowerment

As a woman myself, I am all for woman empowerment. But how did it happen that the woman 'boldly' bringing intimate bedroom scenes to life in the television, came to be regarded as the epitome of an empowered woman?

Why does sticking to cultural values and ethics invite so much of flak and ill-will now-a-days? How does that make me regressive if my blog portrays a woman cooking in the kitchen?? Some women love cooking while some do not. If you can accept the people who cannot cook, then why do you have a problem with women who love to cook?

I do not understand the concept of adultery now-a-days. Why is a woman who cheated on her husband and then asked for a divorce, being hailed as brave and self-reliant? When a man commits adultery, he is the culprit. Fair enough. When a woman commits adultery, she did that because she was the victim of her husband’s neglect?? Why is the poor husband the culprit in both the cases? Logic and reasoning have taken a backseat so far, they aren’t even visible.

Modern Day Spirituality

The word 'spirituality' is often mentioned now-a-days, what with the world tethering at the edge of another spiritual revolution. But what exactly does one mean by the term?

For me, spirituality comes down to very basic. In the Bhagwad Gita, Shri Krishna says says to Arjuna - Samaha shatrau cha mitre cha, tathaa maanapamaanayoho, sheetoshna sukha dukheeshu samassanga vivrajita - One who views the enemy and friend equally, one who stays poised be it heat or cold, in insult or praise and who accepts pain and pleasure in the same manner, that devotee is extremely dear to Me. If a person is able to do this, that, in my opinion is spirituality - knowing the true essence of life which is that, it changes and is temporary, and staying poised no matter what or how the situation is. 

Spirituality is slowly gaining a different dimension now-a-days. I see many people affiliated with the movies chanting prayers or showing their spiritual side in the social media. My question to them is - are you all like this even in your personal life, the life that you do not show to the public? If yes, then well and good! But if this is just another promotional facade, then you better think on this and think fast! Spirituality has to be sincere and for our own inner peace and satisfaction. If it is all about showing to the world, that doesn't exactly make us spiritual, does it?

I have seen a latest trend emerging now-a-days where people share videos of kids reciting shlokas and proclaiming them as such cultured and well-raised kids. It is wonderful to see children reciting mantras and shlokas. But what if a child doesn't recite shlokas, yet he knows to discriminate between right and wrong, is never deliberately mean to anyone and doesn't hurt people intentionally? Is such a child any less spiritual than the child who recites shlokas? Parents immediately start comparing their own children with the shloka-reciting kids in the social media. But what if that particular kid recited the shloka just once and it became viral? The media after all has a tendency to blow things up. My point is, do not blindly trust everything in the social media and make it a base to raise your children. If your child recites shlokas every day, that is just wonderful. But if he/she doesn't, and yet is a good and kind-hearted soul, please accept that too as a part of their spiritual nature!

The Great Political/National/Religious Divide

As a millennial, I grew up believing in brotherhood and equality of all religions. But today, I cannot write about these without inviting any flak for myself or without being questioned about my interests (both political/national). Whatever happened to the universal religion of love and reverence for all beings!? How did we, who grew up with kids of all religions without ever knowing anything political, who parted from them after school and college and reunited with them today through the various apps that are available for communication, come to look upon them as 'others'?? As children we knew no discrimination. Whatever happened to us thereafter? 

As a millennial, there are many more things that confuse me. How is it that struggling writers like me keep posting blogs, request for feedback from readers and get an extremely low number of readers and followers while people create nonsensical videos on various apps and gains millions of views and followers in a day! I do not understand how YouTubers in their late teens create and post videos mocking people or cultures or countries and get a sponsored trip abroad (in the Business Class, mind it, of a renowned airway!) while I gulp the lump in my throat and reply to my family members’ query of whether I get any financial gains through my blogs. I do not even publish any book because the prospect of the dreadful and inevitable question – ‘How many of your books did you sell?’ – crushes the idea before it germinates.

I am absolutely sure that I do not belong to the new world. But I am trying. So when the Netflix ad pops up showing a woman dominating the bedroom scene (and this ad always, always pops up whenever I open the door of my house for a courier delivery or when the Big Basket guy arrives), I simply press the Skip Ad button, along with switching off my Logic button. When my son says he wants to be a YouTuber so that he can make money and go on sponsored trips abroad, I swallow my cynicism and tell him to at least finish his basic education before undertaking such an adventure. When the media heaps praises on the woman who left her husband for taking such a ‘bold’ step (after cheating on him), I shrug and unfollow the particular topic.

Only when it comes to writing, I get by each day with a hope that my time will come and a promise that I won’t quit, no matter what. And thus day after day, this millennial does her best – to hold on to the world she knew and grew up into, and to fit into a world which is absolutely foreign for her and yet, which, she needs to stay in, not as a part but as a witness learning something new every day.