John Ekongo
When I was growing up, I considered myself raised very cost effectively.
Parents back then I would assume had no qualms about how they raised us, you know. We were indeed astronomically cheap to bring up. I mean we hardly cost a penny back then.
Well, at least we did not have any choice in the matters of how we were raised, it was that or you get a few “pakslae” for gross insubordination. I am saying cheap, because of certain things, my old folks never had to worry about medical aid for me, no Supersport or DSTv to watch or MTV base.
No fancy, or dietary dishes, because every night we got pap and vleis Monday throughout to Friday and only on Sunday
were you rewarded with a bit of rice, with potato salad and a fried stokvis.
It never changed. The pattern remained like that, Pap en vleis Monday to Saturday and Sondag kos” only on Sundays. To order take-aways was even unheard off.
So many things have changed and the young ones of today are demanding and are growing up in MTV culture, it is not the same anymore. As a result, their social integration and socialising skills are virtually non-existent, or where they exist they are artificial.
A week ago, I chanced a visit to the mall. I saw a number of adolescents chilling out at the mall, with credit cards of their parents. Moving from one end of the mall to the other flashing the plastic money delicately.
Anyway, the moral is what happened in between Generations. Now I went out of my way just so that you see what the youth of today are up to compared to us. Just so that I tell you why I say the adolescent of today are unsocial-able and very expensive.
Back then for hang out spot, we would chill at the “Grootwinkels” wearing strollers and Mile takkies, not at the Shopping mall.
We did not have the luxury of going out with a few friends from school for pizza and sushi (sushi nogal) at Panarotti’s. The closest thing to pizza that me and my boys got to was ” Oom Joe se Verries” in other words fat-cakes they were the best in town, and also that was not sponsored by mommy dearest we had to zula for the money people; thirty cents each for a vetkoek. Believe me when I say it took us the entire day to get the 30 cents.
Television viewing was there alright, so we had guys like MacGyver the ingenious hustling technician who could make anything shoot, talk and run, feats I later realised was utter bollocks when I tried fixing my mom “Phillips 100 pressing iron”, she got from her Missies.
Ever since that incident I have never forgotten MacGyver and his antics, because no sooner had I fixed the poor piece of iron than it electrocuted my mom in a hair-raising feat, for which she kindly obliged me by beating me for almost having killed her with my aspiring handy work.
The current generation wat-ches reality shows like Do you Want to Date, Hooked, Next or one or the other show that has Eminem and a scantily clad not quite self-respecting lady gyrating herself away in the air in limitless positions.
Difference between MacGyver and the current shows, well ob-viously MacGyver will teach you never to touch your mother’s electrical appliances unless you are qualified off course, on the other hand, the new shows teach you how to kiss and watch how man has gone to viewing women as objects of pleasure.
For extramural activities we had to play outside come rain, sandstorm or “oosweer” we would go outside and assemble a squad and go challenge the older guys for a game of afters-squad.
Ask any young teenager now what the hell is after-squad, the answer might even be a “who is the main actor”, daaaahh dump it ain’t no movie idiot”.
But what these guys can play is the Multi media computer games, give them an X-Box and Sony PS4 and a Fifa game console anytime, you will see how they act like pros.
The irony is that they are good at the computer games but give him a soccer ball he can’t even tap up to five.
The question is what happen when adolescent become slumped couch potatoes and anti-social beings. It becomes boring and you end up being well just about that.
So go out there young guys what is wrong with you get your energy back and enjoy so lets play, and have nice Sorry Ngo time together.
Sorry Ngo