Let us breathe.

A long post but I would really appreciate if you go through it.

I saw a video which went viral a couple of days ago. In that video, a kid was crying on the thought of reopening of schools. People laughed at it, made jokes, shared that video because it was 'humorous' but honestly it saddened me to the very core just thinking about all the 'whys' due to which our younger generation(Gen-Z) does not want to study. Just to clear, I'm a Gen-Z myself. So i totally understand that kid's pain and fear.

I remember having a hard time in my school as well. I was 14 when I started writing. And i loved maintaining a writing diary. My first poetry, my first short story, everything was there in that diary. Until one day, i took it to my school to show it to my friends. My teacher took it from me because apparently, I was not supposed to 'write such stuff' when there was literally NOTHING wrong with my writings. She took it from me, I was asked to bring my mother in order to get my diary back. I took my mother to my school and there my mother and I were told that my teacher had put that diary on her table in the staff room, i went there in break and took it and now, just to save myself I'm pretending that i don't know about it. I never got my diary back. I lost my first poem, my first short story, every of my first attempt. I lost it to the ego of a 'teacher'. This is the kind of torture most of the teachers put their students in. They force us to drift away from our areas of interest. We're not allowed to do anything other than study. So we lose interest in studying as well.

Same is the case with younger people.

"Don't go out to play, you have to study."

"Why are you playing video games? you have to study."

"Stop wasting your time painting things, this isn't going to take you anywhere in life, your education will."

"Is 14 even an age to write poetry? you're ruined at such a young age which is why you don't focus on studies."

The kid you're stopping from playing cricket outside might end up in national cricket team. The kid you're stopping from painting might become an extremely successful artist. The kid you're stopping from writing might become a bestseller author.

YES, studying is important but so is every other thing. Teach your kids to learn the value of everything. Teach them to manage playing, studying, writing, everything at the same time. Give them wings to fly. Let them choose the career they want to. For once, for the love of God, let us focus, LET US BREATHE.