The Youth

We are only young once-some might say. The funny thing that when I was younger, I have never thought that my youth was any of a commodity. But there are some whom will beg to differ. Your youth only stretches as far as when you are 30- anything after that, you are no longer fresh and juicy, you might be considered too tough for consumption or too bitter to be palatable. Hence to many, youth is highly prized.

The youth on the other hand do not know what they have. It is in their belief that being young, frivolous and demanding is their prerogative and believed that everything should be handed on a silver platter for them. Hence they have a tendency of placing themselves on the top shelf thinking that their value is unquestionable. Their value is unquestionable insofar that they are young- the value itself is fungible and decaying, hence sometimes I wonder where they have the confidence to have an attitude of indifference, a nonchalance which only comes when by inaction begets positive attributes. Insofar that as far as I am concerned, the value of youth is such that of youthful enthusiasm untainted by realistic constraints of life, energy which only comes from a hopeful attitude towards life, an innocence which is charming insofar that does not see the road ahead of you- a natural paternal and maternal instinct which is evoked by nostalgia. Beyond that, the value of youth is nothing more than energy and nostalgia.

I am able to observe this behaviour because I dress myself as nothing more than their equal and attempt to mingle with them like nothing more than their equal. The reaction is very often rather canny- the attitude of innocent nonchalance or a devilish impudence. They do not realised that they have been led to believed that they are extremely valuable but does not realised that their turn is coming up soon pretty soon in the next few years or they wish to levered on the physical differences and aim to extract the maximum value from it- not realising that the extraction is not that valuable considering that youth is literally everywhere.

For the former, they have put themselves so high up on the pedestal that they do not realized that they have been artificially held up by people much older than them- hence they have eyes so high that they believed that their value would last forever and when a few years later, they realised it is no longer true as there will always be younger people, the world would go crashing down on them.

For the latter, they do not realised that it is only when they are younger that people would want or care to teach you more things but when you chose the fastest or the easiest route- you literally lost the chance to gain experience from people around you. And when you are older, no one will teach you simply because you are expected to know.

It is a cultural belief for older men to go for younger women, they have legitimize this simply by convincing everyone around them- including the young women and themselves- that it is worth all the effort. The young women of course does not know that they are on a rotating door of younger women that's all- because they cannot see anything below them or did not look below them. The younger women believe that simply because the pedestal is so high such that the ordinary man cannot reached the same level- but really the only commodity she have is youth. She is simply too expensive for her peers- she is better off to be displayed at branded shop window- but she does not realised that her value is fungible, but she will, and plastic surgery will become her desperate measure. That to me is of little value- unless I am a tycoon looking for a arm candy or wall flower at home.

The latter on their hand cheapen themselves insofar to gain more resources faster. I might have been guilty of this- without realising it- but it is always best to withdraw when you are no longer able to sustain it. But ethically, I am clean as a whistle but there are other's whom want to get the shortcut to success without taking a risk. I took a risk, I know but for other's they want to bend the rules without putting themselves up for sale. It doesn't work that way. They want to get through life by offering themselves and thinking that the youth will get through the doors of success faster than anyone whom did not work for it. I worked for it, just faster; they did not work for it, but they want it faster and easier that's all. Hence the tactics employed is often that of emphasizing the age differences and benefits resulting from this age differences. I must say, some more experienced people still fall for that simply because it is easier to go along with that rather than suffer the agony of being teased at for being older and less physically mobile and also having to prevent oneself from being outside the "clique". But people never think, who benefits more being in the "clique", not you but them. This is "school" all over again, just that it is not geek or the fat boy but the old guy or spinster at the corner or at the corner office.

Having been through the first 30 years of my life, taking in the benefits of youth- I looked back and not with nostalgia but rather reflecting on the differences in the behaviour. My friends have graduated from this youthful period, they have married and become relatively successful but somehow I do not see them with much envy. But rather that, I suspect they can never let go of their youthful aspiration just because one reaches 30. One simply did not turn from hopeful to mature and experienced by a switch of a number, hence in their mind- and I have seen it with my own eyes as well- They are guilty of the perpetuating the above as much as they are of younger set taking advantage of it today. Why: I know the difference and I feel the difference- there is a difference- I mix with them, on the same level, context and playing field, and I can't get even relate to them. They didn't even try.

If I can feel the difference- and it is only a few years, what more of those older than me- or much older- you are responsible for the present state of matters as much as the youth are responsible for their "guilty" or "sinful" ways.