Generation Gap

I read in the newspapers today that the NS recruit, who was in the news recently for letting his maid carry his backpack, is ‘remorseful’. He is probably one of the thousands of boys and girls who had grown up having their maids carry their school bags. I had written in my blog here before, of a boy in my neighbourhood whose maid had to carry his school bag from his house to the school bus waiting at the gate, barely 10m away. (Shake my head as I recall.) Mike told me of the numerous spoofs in the internet of this news – maid contingent marching behind the army at the NDP etc, a bunker for maids at the army camp etc. He found it hilarious.

My boys are due for enlistment next year. I showed them the news and they were adamant that we are making a mountain out of a molehill. What’s wrong with that? Adults like to complaint about every little things we do.

What’s wrong? Since you have no maid at home (other than this maid writing this article now), you probably don’t mind having your mother carry the backpack for you next year, is it?

So, there is this gap between my teenagers and me. We don’t share many views, but this is expected of any teens. However last week, at my MIL’s house, as I was chatting with my nine-year-old niece, I realise I didn’t understand a word she was saying.

‘I’m POP!’ She tells me.

I looked at her, confused. ‘What is pop?’

‘It’s like, I am yo,’ pointing her fingers in a 7 sign towards each other.

‘I still don’t understand. Are you speaking English?’

She sighed dramatically. “It’s like, I am cool.”

She then told me that she had been chosen to be the school ambassador.

‘Well then, you better speak probably, in Queen’s English. Don go telling the VIPs that you are pop or yo.”

If even I can’t understand her, can you imagine what her grandparents must feel?