Personal Essay

 What can older people learn from your generation?

The principle of age has never been totally defined in my mind. Would an older person be able to understand the modernity brought by the newer generations that don’t stop coming? Surely there is a midpoint where they both connect and understand each other, because like it or not they were once young and that is the singularity that generates this bond. My opinion is that elderly people, despite having a good dose of knowledge and experience, learn every day with the youth and that’s what makes them inserted into a society that changes very often.

A few years ago, I used to hang out with my grandparents when they were alive and I quite didn’t understand why they had some difficulties accessing their bank accounts, telephone number, apps and even modern cars. I understand that, being close to my grandparents, at that moment, was a shock between generations and I was too young to notice. I learned from them on how to cook, how to fix a door, how to plant seeds, experiences that a I sincerely doubt that are still learned in today's society; while with me they were learning how to turn on the cellphone, how to call people and also how to use apps such as google maps and facebook (which only elderly people use). I was learning with them and they were learning with me.

Another interesting interaction and experience that I had was working (voluntarily) at an asylum. Unfortunately, inside the facility there were people without legs (a consequence of diabetes) and without any families to give support to, I was the pillar that was sustaining them to not fall into deep oblivion. Working there made me learn how everything comes to a final, they were okay with being in that situation and that made me feel gratitude for what I have and that everything doesn’t really matter negatively when we have our family and structure to live life how it is. But being there working wasn’t a one side gain, they learnt from me to live in the world la fora, understand how new technologies work and what has changed since the crisis of the missus and the bay of pigs. I was beginning to understand that what separated me from these older souls was time, we were all humans trying to understand the radical changes that can only be generated by time. 

However, modern knowledge is not restricted to technologies. As society grew and social studies were developed, people’s behavior/manners changed gradually to a more respectful and inclusive tone. I’m sure to notice that my grandparents were being racist for a time but that is a mark from how racism was present in the past, and that even happened with my elder African part of my family (my uncle for example). My generation came as a template to level these bad mindsets, I often warned my grandmother that he was being rude and should think better of it, and as the good and polite person she was, she respected and changed her behavior forever. On the other hand, I also learned with them how to be more disciplined and how to valorize my families by giving more hugs, respecting my cousins, removing my cellphone from me and instigating me to play hide and seek; those were certainly good times and I understand their value even more with those teachings that came from this part of my family.

In order to finish this essay, I would like to say that older people can learn with today’s youth, and I'm leaving proof that it is possible, not only to teach but to learn with them as well. Cultural and social differences strike both of the generations in a hard way, but as I said, they’re only disconnected by time, and time doesn’t come back that is why we should teach them and also learn from them while they are still with us.