Children of Men: The Struggle

In the plight of adulthood and discovery, there is the story that transcends generations…race…gender. The struggle we face in being “Grown Ups” in a world where people do not necessarily believe you “are.” No matter how hard you work, live on your own, make a name for yourself…we’re still Children…Children of Men whom need direction or better “know nothing of the world.”

The fact of the matter is, we are what we have become. Each day we grown days older, weeks wiser and a bit more seasoned…regardless,  it pains our predecessors to accept it. We’ve been thru things (no matter how small or large), have had relationships with different types of people (no matter how good or bad they were) and yet, we still keep going…just like the people before us did.

There is a saying (one I use a lot): “Every day is a new experience and every mistake is a lesson learned.” Meaning that the longer we live, exist and coexist with others…there is something to be taken from everyone and everything. In retrospect, doesn’t this make us active learners of the world and in essence a bit smarter than we were the day before? The debate that I have encountered straddles the lines of idiocracy and fear. Idiocracy in the aspect that age and experience means nothing…Fear in the aspect that the claws that symbolically tie us to our nesting place are not really willing to let us go.

Sadly, we Neophytes aren’t winning the war as much as we try to. Constantly the claws hook us, try to control us and forbid rebellion. However, ruffling feathers and little rebellion is the only way to be heard (unfortunately). Think about the Civil Rights Movement or the riots all around the world…think about the struggle-the struggle for freedom and equality or the rebellion against a certain regime. Why did/do these things happen? It’s not because they were happy or content with their then current situation; it was because they saw there needed to be a change. And how do you achieve that change when the people with the power to change it either: 1.) Do not respect you or 2.) Think you know nothing of change or responsibility…You riot! You rebel. You ruffle feathers. You continue to push the envelope until a turn in the right direction is made.  Better yet, you FIGHT for your cause.

The sheer angst fuels the fight and like any good fight, nobody wants to lose. A lot is on the line and for the Neophytes all that is on the line are a few words: I AM AN ADULT. For us, those few words taste sweeter than anything sugar can buy. Its bragging rights. It’s the icing on the cake. It’s what we leave the nest to ultimately be able to say freely. For real, it’s a sense of FREEDOM.

But freedom isn’t always free and it always has a price. But are willing to do for it? Will we steal for it? Kill for it? Eventually die for it? Who really knows but surely we all strive for it and when the time comes to make that decision…it is up to us to decide what we’ll do.

My only question is: How can we get to that point if we’re always being held back? #foodforthought