On this day and age

I am just thinking aloud here. This day and age- how noteworthy is it in the bigger picture?

There are a lot of people who think that life was better during the old 'golden' days. Like a Woody Allen movie- 'Midnight in Paris', we think that the best is over. Hey, I used to be one of those people. And no, I did not have an epiphany towards the end of the movie, like the protagonist. I thought that ethics and culture are lost for good in this generation. I thought that maybe we will never live to experience a Taansen, a Kalidas or a Pablo Picasso. Also wondering whether this world will ever see any thing of equivalent significance to go down in history from present times.

This is when I realized, I am being pessimistic. These men/ women were most likely not appreciated in their own times. It takes us centuries to give them their due credit. Is this what I am doing to our own legion? Ignoring what we have and dwelling in the past- thinking that the momentous things have already happened. They have not! Bigger things are happening right here, right now and we are a part of it; but too consumed in our own lives and petty problems to cherish that.

When I look at our time period from the eyes of future, this seems like the Renaissance- II.

Doesn't this era have a big cultural movement and technological development? Let's just take a step back and look at what this century has offered us- humans landing on moon, Mars mission, everything from floppy disks to touch screens, cancer treatments, artificial intelligence, Niki de Saint Phalle, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela, Steven Spielberg, Satyajit Ray, Al Pacino, A R Rehman, Bob Marley, Leonard Cohen, Enid Blyton and many more names and inventions not on this list. If these aren't historic, I don't know what is.

Our newspapers are filled with columns on things that are wrong with our age- group, our society, our communities, our countries, our beliefs, our lives. I know it saddens most of us. But there is a silver lining here too. Isn't it a sigh of relief that we are acknowledging it? Isn't it good that we can now point out blind faith and weigh in on the information available (and I am not talking about religion here).

It actually makes me happy to think that we as a generation are open to ideas, differences and changes! We are waking up and realizing that everyone does not need to follow a set path. That it is okay to be different. It is okay to be disagreed with.

It is okay to choose a partner irrespective of gender.

It is okay to not choose anyone.

It is okay to identify as another gender.

It is okay to not be married.

It is okay to not have children.

It is okay to not score 80% and above in exams.

It is okay to not be an engineer or doctor.

It is okay to fail once in a while.

It is okay to not always be compromising.

It is okay to do something for just yourself.

It is okay to be YOU!

These are the things even I can't get my parents to agree with. But I am sure I will get an Amen from all my compeers. Just knowing this calls for a celebration!