You know, I've had an idea. I think it could solve a lot of the country's problems, from crime to welfare to NHS spending. It's building on the fine traditions of this country, and should really go a long way towards 'fixing' the broken society we live in (or should that be big society? Or big broken society, or broken big society? Something like that, anyway.).
I suggest that every young person between the ages of eighteen and twenty five is locked up. Possibly even sixteen to thirty. This is the age group that is responsible for so many of the country's problems- most crime: violence, drunkenness and disorderliness, damage to property, drug misuse, muggings, theft, is committed by this age group. It's also the age group who are now finding it almost impossible to get jobs, as they don't have the experience to compete with adults with five or ten years work experience in the the current market, when many jobs have dozens of applicants. If every person in this age group were to be imprisoned, not only would crime figures fall dramatically (and along with them the cost of funding the criminal justice system) but also cut spending on the dole (Jobseekers' Allowance) and on other welfare benefits, such as housing. It would reduce the pressure on the job market, and help the country out of depression by providing full employment for everyone else.
Speaking of housing, with the young out of the housing market, the country's housing shortage would be solved. And by keeping young men and women separate except under close supervision pregnancies outside a stable family environment could be entirely eliminated, which would help again with welfare payments and also with overpopulation. And without students, student debt would also be abolished, and universities could be used for their proper purpose- researched focused on industry profits, and as conference venues. A whole generation could be freed from growing up with the burden of debt, teaching them a valuable lesson about managing finances.
Some will argue that the whole scheme would be probibitively expensive, but I believe it could even be profit making. The young can be made to contribute to the society which has cared for them by doing good old-fashioned work, growing food which could then be sold, for example. They could serve (without pay, obviously) in a variety of armed forces roles, and work in the community to aid local projects. Housing and feed costs need be minimal, as only basic buildings will be needed for such young, robust people. Frugal living and exercise will help improve their overall health- saving future NHS spending.
Some may say this is a bit too radical for the country to take at the moment. Very well, start by just locking up the men, and see the vast difference it makes to the country. Keep the women out of it for the moment. Perhaps exceptions could be made for the children of the well-off, or the highly intelligent. And one last benefit to the country- it would allow for strict training of decent sports teams, away from all distractions or scandals. The young could help build the Olympic venues, keeping down labour costs so the games might actually be under budget. One day, we might even win the football World Cup!
Ok, I hope you noticed that was something of a joke. I'm not sure I can go so far as to claim it's satire. The title of this post comes from Jonathan Swift's 1729 essay advocating solving Irish famine problems by eating babies, which should give you a clue. I'm not actually advocating this- far from it- and I have no proof for any of the 'facts' stated above. They're entirely based on prejudice. But really, from the things some politicians and media outlets say, you can't help but think that young people can't do anything right, that they are to blame for all of society's problems, and society would be better off without them. It wouldn't take many alterations (replace imprisonment with 'National Service' or 'national volunteer squad/ training scheme') before someone will say that the arguments above have something in them. In fact, the first hints have already been dropped by Cameron et al for a national volunteer scheme, which while having certain benefits in giving young people skills and experiences, is still probably at heart a way of keeping them off the dole and out of the unemployment statistics. Instead of treating them as lazy ingnorants or mere statistics, why can't we value the young, and perhaps trust them a bit more?
And no, I don't have a cure-all idea for solving that or any of the country's problems. I don't think there is one. Sorry to disappoint you.
Showing posts with label young. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young. Show all posts
Monday, 2 August 2010
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
A hopeless generation?
Our parents were told they could have it better than past generations. And they did. Technology and standards of living have increased dramatically in the last century, even the last sixty years. The effects on society have been enormous, and some more positive than others.
But in the last thirty or so years things were moving so fast that we borrowed to get more and more, both as a country and as individuals. Now we're left in a country that's deep in debt, but just as seriously a country with a high level of personal debt- huge mortgages, credit cards, loans, even student loans, with all problems, financial and stress related, this causes.
Even for those who've avoided debt as much as possible the dream of life continually improving seems unlikely. I know so many people who've graduated in the last few years and struggle to get even a low skilled job, let alone one requiring a degree. Perhaps the picture is skewed because of where I live, but youth unemployment is a rising political issue. As is the older generation who will need-and expect- increasing levels of expensive care, which my generation will have to pay for. Will we have it better than past generations? I doubt it.
And yet on TV we see people endlessly having fun, doing exciting things. Is it any wonder if we want to escape our dull, hopeless lives, to win fame, celebrity, and that we'll often go to extreme lengths such as humiliating ourselves in front of millions on X factor or Big Brother to get it? But even that is shallow.
The future used to seem shiny and exciting, a world of robot servants and hovercars and interstellar travel. Now we bitterly consider what a mess we've made of our own planet rather than thinking about colonising others. The future doesn't seem to contain much hope now. Certainly not the immediate future of cash-strapped Britain. Perhaps that's what we were hoping our politicians will deliver in this election- a reason to hope in the future. Perhaps it's too early to say whether that hope was entirely in vain.
So where are we to find our hope for the future? At this point I should go all Christian and give the answer; "in Christ." And it's true, of course. I do believe it. But that's not to disown responsibility for the future of planet Earth and its inhabitants. That hope in Christ has got to affect what we do on Earth, not just what will happen to us after death. Because of that hope, it's up to us, the people of Christ, to look at the world around us and work out how we can make it a better place, a place of hope.
But in the last thirty or so years things were moving so fast that we borrowed to get more and more, both as a country and as individuals. Now we're left in a country that's deep in debt, but just as seriously a country with a high level of personal debt- huge mortgages, credit cards, loans, even student loans, with all problems, financial and stress related, this causes.
Even for those who've avoided debt as much as possible the dream of life continually improving seems unlikely. I know so many people who've graduated in the last few years and struggle to get even a low skilled job, let alone one requiring a degree. Perhaps the picture is skewed because of where I live, but youth unemployment is a rising political issue. As is the older generation who will need-and expect- increasing levels of expensive care, which my generation will have to pay for. Will we have it better than past generations? I doubt it.
And yet on TV we see people endlessly having fun, doing exciting things. Is it any wonder if we want to escape our dull, hopeless lives, to win fame, celebrity, and that we'll often go to extreme lengths such as humiliating ourselves in front of millions on X factor or Big Brother to get it? But even that is shallow.
The future used to seem shiny and exciting, a world of robot servants and hovercars and interstellar travel. Now we bitterly consider what a mess we've made of our own planet rather than thinking about colonising others. The future doesn't seem to contain much hope now. Certainly not the immediate future of cash-strapped Britain. Perhaps that's what we were hoping our politicians will deliver in this election- a reason to hope in the future. Perhaps it's too early to say whether that hope was entirely in vain.
So where are we to find our hope for the future? At this point I should go all Christian and give the answer; "in Christ." And it's true, of course. I do believe it. But that's not to disown responsibility for the future of planet Earth and its inhabitants. That hope in Christ has got to affect what we do on Earth, not just what will happen to us after death. Because of that hope, it's up to us, the people of Christ, to look at the world around us and work out how we can make it a better place, a place of hope.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Growing up
It appears I am actually, despite all appearances, (and some people's opinions) growing up. Recently I was getting worried that I might be turning into my father, since I'd noticed some of his traits and temprament in myself. Not a good thing. I'm hoping some recent events were mostly a biproduct of being stressed and not an actual trend towards getting angry when things didn't go right.
And yet now it seems I was wrong. I actually appear to be turning into my mother. Sometimes I sound like her, talk about the same things, laugh like her, even sometimes look like her or use her expressions. For ages it's been a joke amongst some of my friends that I'm something of a parent (ever since I started counting people when we were in Edinburgh a few years ago...). It probably has something to do with me almost invariably being the one who notices when the house is low on toilet roll, or a bill needs paying; and always having a tissue or safety pin.
For the last two or three years I've been going through what my friends and I call 'the marriage phase' where pretty much everyone I knew at uni or from church was getting married. Nowadays I struggle to think of couples among my friends who've been together more than a couple of months and who aren't married or engaged. Not that this is a bad thing at all, it's just one of those phases.
But it seems this phase is beginning to come to an end. So far there's only four or so weddings of couples I know happening this year. It's moving on. The 'baby phase' is beginning. Several couples, mostly two or three years older than me but including one where the wife is younger than me, are having or have had their first child this year.
It's interesting to observe. It's even more interesting to see on Facebook that people from my year at secondary school have children who are now several years old. And yet at least one friend is still surprised by the youth of the brides/grooms/parents who are a year or two older than me. Is there an 'average' age for these things? My circle of friends is affected by the number of Christians (especially of the evangelical, no sex outside marriage, sort) and perhaps this distorts the numbers in favour of early marriage. But the age of the couple leaving full time education seems to affect this too, as many of those I knew who left school at 16 or 18 are already parents compared to those who I know from university.
Perceptions of the family, and therefore the ages of each stage have changed throughout history. What 'family' can be said to mean now is an endless debate. I was amused to realise that according to official surveys and suchlike, I would probably be considered the head of my 'household' as the main income earner. Is that why I seem to be taking on the role of a parent? I doubt it- I think it's just the curse of being well organised!
So do I mind that I'm turning into my mother? Not really. It seems I'm destined to 'mother' the people around me, to care about them and worry about them, to try to help and look after them. But it could be worse!
And yet now it seems I was wrong. I actually appear to be turning into my mother. Sometimes I sound like her, talk about the same things, laugh like her, even sometimes look like her or use her expressions. For ages it's been a joke amongst some of my friends that I'm something of a parent (ever since I started counting people when we were in Edinburgh a few years ago...). It probably has something to do with me almost invariably being the one who notices when the house is low on toilet roll, or a bill needs paying; and always having a tissue or safety pin.
For the last two or three years I've been going through what my friends and I call 'the marriage phase' where pretty much everyone I knew at uni or from church was getting married. Nowadays I struggle to think of couples among my friends who've been together more than a couple of months and who aren't married or engaged. Not that this is a bad thing at all, it's just one of those phases.
But it seems this phase is beginning to come to an end. So far there's only four or so weddings of couples I know happening this year. It's moving on. The 'baby phase' is beginning. Several couples, mostly two or three years older than me but including one where the wife is younger than me, are having or have had their first child this year.
It's interesting to observe. It's even more interesting to see on Facebook that people from my year at secondary school have children who are now several years old. And yet at least one friend is still surprised by the youth of the brides/grooms/parents who are a year or two older than me. Is there an 'average' age for these things? My circle of friends is affected by the number of Christians (especially of the evangelical, no sex outside marriage, sort) and perhaps this distorts the numbers in favour of early marriage. But the age of the couple leaving full time education seems to affect this too, as many of those I knew who left school at 16 or 18 are already parents compared to those who I know from university.
Perceptions of the family, and therefore the ages of each stage have changed throughout history. What 'family' can be said to mean now is an endless debate. I was amused to realise that according to official surveys and suchlike, I would probably be considered the head of my 'household' as the main income earner. Is that why I seem to be taking on the role of a parent? I doubt it- I think it's just the curse of being well organised!
So do I mind that I'm turning into my mother? Not really. It seems I'm destined to 'mother' the people around me, to care about them and worry about them, to try to help and look after them. But it could be worse!
Friday, 26 June 2009
One of those personal posts
I woke up this morning in the same mood I went to bed in: somewhat melancholy and wistful. The reasons are complicated, and partly to do with an ongoing situation which I'm not happy with, but partly to do with what I was thinking about last night.
Friends had asked me to look after their hamster and water their vegetable plants while they're on holiday. I was quite happy to agree, but it was only afterwards that I was thinking that it was rather a grown-up request. He's a year or so older than me and she is a year younger, they've been married almost a year, and although I'm not suggesting that anyone's life is perfect, in some ways I can't help feeling a little jealous.
Sometimes I feel that I- and probably other people in a similar phase of life- have most of the responsibilities of adulthood- being expected to support and take care of one's self, and probably others to some degree; not being able to get away with things that people would excuse in children or students- you get the idea. But at the same time we don't get the benefits or rewards of being grown up. People still- at least in my case- refuse much of the time to treat me as a proper adult; because I look younger than I am and still have friends who are students, because I'm single, because I don't have a proper graduate job, because I share a house with other people rather than living alone or being married, which is of course the ultimate sign that you are an adult, apart perhaps from having children.
It's not really loneliness, I have some great friends who I know I can trust and rely on- much as I poke fun at some of them! It's more a sort of wistfulness for things I don't have and don't really expect to have, at least any time soon. And a feeling that in some ways, I'm missing out. When you've grown up, as I have, with older parents you can't ignore that at some point in your life you are going to need people close to you to help you, usually family. You also can't ignore the fact that while your contemporaries' parents will be there for them for a good while yet, yours are already approaching the stage where they are the ones needing help. Perhaps knowing that they won't be here forever is one of the things making me somewhat envious of those who have found someone who will always be there for them.
Working in a solicitors' where we see a fair number of people coming in to discuss care for their elderly relatives probably adds to the feeling, as does the sheer number of friends' weddings taking place this year. It's also something it's quite hard to talk about. When I say jealous, I don't mean resentful. I'm glad my friends are happy in that respect, and I recognise too that they have their problems and worries.
I like to try and resolve these posts and put something positive at the end. But I'm struggling here. It's not that I'm incredibly upset or anything about this, it's just a sort of background feeling that's occasionally brought to the fore by something, and makes me go quiet and thoughtful for a bit. In a way trying to rationalise feelings doesn't really work, because they're not completely rational. I guess I need to remember that I have got some great friends, even if they're not all as close as I would like, and that I have a lot to be glad about. And to avoid sitting in church feeling annoyed because certain preachers assume that everyone is (or at least soon will be) married.
P.S. And to continue the theme of the day... news that another baby will be joining my extended family. So come Christmas I'll be getting yet more of the 'when will it be your turn?' questions and looks. Ah well!
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Cell
Tonight is my cell group, my church's version of home or small groups where about 6-12 people worship and pray and look at the Bible together. (Not 'cell' as in 'terrorist cell' or 'prison cell'! Cell as in the biological sense, small bits that make up a larger body, the church.) I love being part of a cell, but it can be hard work. Especially at the moment. So many of the people in my cell are struggling with different issues, from health in the broadest sense, to job searching, to considering what God wants them to do in the future. And in many cases, since most of my cell are a generation or so older than I am, they're concerned for the same issues in their children and grandchildren, or care for their parents.
But it's cell tonight, and I'm feeling apprehensive. Because I so often seem to come away having taken on so much, but not been able to tell them about what's concerning me. There are people with so much sadness in their lives, I empathise with them and share their troubles. And there are people there who have problems that are far worse than I've ever had to experience, and hope I never shall.
So it can be quite tough, listening to everybody's troubles and committing to praying for them. Not that I resent it in the slightest, that's the point of cell, to be a community where we can all support one another. Those who are going through better times comfort those going through harder times.
But I feel that often they don't realise that I have things which trouble me as much as theirs do them. What to me seems highly important they often see as relatively trivial. For example, much of their concern is for their family. But I don't have children and grandchildren like they do. What I do have is friends who to me can be as important as family members. If I tell them about a trouble a friend is having, they may not rank it as something that's important as if it were a family member, but to me it matters as much, because my friends are the people around me as their family are around them. So it can feel as if my worries and fears are being trivialised.
One cell member even said to me a few weeks ago, when I'd tried to explain that I was struggling with loneliness: "in a few years you'll meet someone and things will be different." Well, perhaps (although it doesn't seem particularly likely just now) but that's hardly helpful now. Because you think something will be different in the future doesn't mean it's not important to me now, that it doesn't still make me feel terrible. In fact, what you've just said has made me feel worse, because what if that doesn't happen? And why should I have to wait? What I want is someone to listen when I'm upset, and not to trivialise what I'm feeling and tell me (in essence) that it'll be better when I grow up properly!
Because of this, I find it hard to share my sadnesses and worries, so don't always say when something's troubling me. I think that the others will think it is a trivial matter, and won't bother to remember (often if we're rushed for time, people only remember to pray for the things they thought were important. And yes, other people's needs are often more important than mine).
So I feel I'm just taking on other people's troubles and no one is taking from me. Which isn't how it's supposed to work. But I don't know how to say that without sounding attention-seeking, as if I'm trying to make a big deal of something that isn't. And I don't like drawing attention to myself. So I put up with it, and often come away feeling alone (most of the others are married couples) and oppressed with other people's and my own sadness. And not sure how to deal with it. If you're a praying person, please pray for me.
But it's cell tonight, and I'm feeling apprehensive. Because I so often seem to come away having taken on so much, but not been able to tell them about what's concerning me. There are people with so much sadness in their lives, I empathise with them and share their troubles. And there are people there who have problems that are far worse than I've ever had to experience, and hope I never shall.
So it can be quite tough, listening to everybody's troubles and committing to praying for them. Not that I resent it in the slightest, that's the point of cell, to be a community where we can all support one another. Those who are going through better times comfort those going through harder times.
But I feel that often they don't realise that I have things which trouble me as much as theirs do them. What to me seems highly important they often see as relatively trivial. For example, much of their concern is for their family. But I don't have children and grandchildren like they do. What I do have is friends who to me can be as important as family members. If I tell them about a trouble a friend is having, they may not rank it as something that's important as if it were a family member, but to me it matters as much, because my friends are the people around me as their family are around them. So it can feel as if my worries and fears are being trivialised.
One cell member even said to me a few weeks ago, when I'd tried to explain that I was struggling with loneliness: "in a few years you'll meet someone and things will be different." Well, perhaps (although it doesn't seem particularly likely just now) but that's hardly helpful now. Because you think something will be different in the future doesn't mean it's not important to me now, that it doesn't still make me feel terrible. In fact, what you've just said has made me feel worse, because what if that doesn't happen? And why should I have to wait? What I want is someone to listen when I'm upset, and not to trivialise what I'm feeling and tell me (in essence) that it'll be better when I grow up properly!
Because of this, I find it hard to share my sadnesses and worries, so don't always say when something's troubling me. I think that the others will think it is a trivial matter, and won't bother to remember (often if we're rushed for time, people only remember to pray for the things they thought were important. And yes, other people's needs are often more important than mine).
So I feel I'm just taking on other people's troubles and no one is taking from me. Which isn't how it's supposed to work. But I don't know how to say that without sounding attention-seeking, as if I'm trying to make a big deal of something that isn't. And I don't like drawing attention to myself. So I put up with it, and often come away feeling alone (most of the others are married couples) and oppressed with other people's and my own sadness. And not sure how to deal with it. If you're a praying person, please pray for me.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Just to add to the confusion...
not only do I not know how old I am, I'm also no longer sure when my birthday is! One friend texted me a happy birthday message yesterday (it's so unusual for him to be early, I wonder whether it was actually a very very late message from last year?!), then had Happy Birthday sung to me along with a card and cake at church today. Whereas it's not my actual birthday until the day after tomorrow, and my party's two days after that! So I'm obviously spreading the fun out as long as possible...I need something to cheer me up!
Sunday, 1 June 2008
How old am I?
You might think that's a simple question. But it appears not. My 23rd birthday is at the end of this week, but am I really 23?
A week or so ago I was told that I was currently too young for the career I was looking at. I was fed up of being looked down on as "young" and not being given the chance to try to do new things because of my age. But then my church home group (mostly in their 40's and 50's) were trying to work out how old I was, and estimates ranged from 26 to 30! Then, in another group of friends, it was assumed that I was the oldest, despite one person there being two years older than me! The fact that I always seem to be the "mother" figure, handing out suncream, handwipes and generally organising people (even though I have no authority to do so, or even any plan beyond making it up as I go along) must be having some effect on people's minds!
So, people who know me seem to assume that I'm older than I actually am. Whereas people who don't know me particularly well judge from appearances (I can't help being small or looking young, and don't particularly want to change that!) and from my chronological age. A personality test I did when I was 16 suggested that my results were more typical of a 35 year old. But how can I get the fact that I'm (seemingly) more mature than my chronological age would suggest across to people? For example in interviews, when sounding like someone with experience rather than a naive graduate is certainly beneficial?
Any suggestions gratefully recieved!
Paul, in his first letter to Timothy tells him, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." Although I can't claim to be a shining example of any of those things, I wish more people would pay more attention to Paul's words to a young and timid church leader in need of encouragement. How can anyone to gain experience without someone taking a risk and letting them have a go, make mistakes and learn from them? Without new people coming in, any organisation runs the risk of stagnating and, in a world where not to move forwards is to move backwards, that's a dangerous road. If Paul trusted the young, why can't people today?
A week or so ago I was told that I was currently too young for the career I was looking at. I was fed up of being looked down on as "young" and not being given the chance to try to do new things because of my age. But then my church home group (mostly in their 40's and 50's) were trying to work out how old I was, and estimates ranged from 26 to 30! Then, in another group of friends, it was assumed that I was the oldest, despite one person there being two years older than me! The fact that I always seem to be the "mother" figure, handing out suncream, handwipes and generally organising people (even though I have no authority to do so, or even any plan beyond making it up as I go along) must be having some effect on people's minds!
So, people who know me seem to assume that I'm older than I actually am. Whereas people who don't know me particularly well judge from appearances (I can't help being small or looking young, and don't particularly want to change that!) and from my chronological age. A personality test I did when I was 16 suggested that my results were more typical of a 35 year old. But how can I get the fact that I'm (seemingly) more mature than my chronological age would suggest across to people? For example in interviews, when sounding like someone with experience rather than a naive graduate is certainly beneficial?
Any suggestions gratefully recieved!
Paul, in his first letter to Timothy tells him, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." Although I can't claim to be a shining example of any of those things, I wish more people would pay more attention to Paul's words to a young and timid church leader in need of encouragement. How can anyone to gain experience without someone taking a risk and letting them have a go, make mistakes and learn from them? Without new people coming in, any organisation runs the risk of stagnating and, in a world where not to move forwards is to move backwards, that's a dangerous road. If Paul trusted the young, why can't people today?
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