What’s got into the older generation these days! In their mid or late fifties or early sixties and still trying to slug their way out of the slightest of misunderstandings! There must be something very wrong here. Or am I seeing things with tainted glasses? A friend of mine came across two gray haired ladies pulling at each other’s hair over some traffic mishap.
You know what? It is difficult to bring about behavioral change on the part of drivers in this city? There are no offenders! The guy could suddenly veer out of the wrong side of the road and slam into you. Now the thing to do here is a big “Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that, or something that sounds a piece of text out of some holy book. But, no! That’s not going to happen.
“What the hell are you doing? See what you did to my car!”
“What I did to your car! You were the one who drove right into me!”
“You should have stopped to see if any car
is coming from…”
“Wait! Wait a minute! You are the one driving on the wrong side of the road. You are the one who broke all the rules, and you accuse me!”
Believe given the rowdy (Do you believe I’m using that term!) behavior of the older generation behind wheels, such a war of words could be a blessing. And all this coming when the younger generation is putting all the blame for all the mess in our country on the older generation; on those who danced to the beat of Jailhouse rock and drank forty-five cent a bottle beer; on those who wanted to part their hair like Elvis and mutilated their scalp; on those who wore Afro hairstyle because it was one way of showing you were some sort of a rebel; on those who tried to bring down a no-nonsense military machine and took down almost everything in the process! And after all that what are they doing today, rolling up their shirt sleeves all over the city!
How can the younger generation explain such behavior when it’s already decided Ho Chi Min had nothing to do with our situation but those who put his name in the slogans!
“Why are you so cross with the older generation?”
“They are the ones who have been doing all the mess for decades and look who’s behind all the trouble we are in?”
Very strong argument, wouldn’t you say? These days even in some official literature you hear of frustration that people who should have brought wisdom and calm to the country and the younger generation doing exactly the opposite! I mean come on, after failing over and over again and still claiming the seat at the head of the table has nothing to do with fairness but with foolishness. Yes, change is painful, when it’s real change. That you were a politician who could have
pushed Lenin and co. all the way to the back of the line doesn’t mean you can still captain the team. Hey, politics is not about inheritance! Finish you whole nine yards and get out of the picture that seems to be what the younger generation is saying. Take up something more interesting; like ensuring the local Araki lady down the road will not be out of business as long as you’re around!
I mean, the lady doesn’t have to worry about too many empty bellies in the household and the tax people don’t have to worry about ‘empty’ books! At least that goes someway in playing your part as a responsible citizen. So forget about rolling up shirt sleeves all over the city, or sowing your tainted and destructive political narratives all over the nation and beyond. Haven’t you held the nation hostage long enough!
And to the brawlers, don’t you think some of your genes are hyperactive to the point of making some mental and emotional roast of you?
The Ethiopian Herald August 29/2021