All the basic life skills were taught to us by our parents and guardians, they taught us what we needed to know while growing up. From cleaning our noses to using the toilets. They are our reference and directors for a good life. They were our first teachers that offered life education for free.
As we grow up many tend to think that their parents are old and do not know much, yet they were once our encyclopedia. As young children, we whole heartedly believe they knew everything. There was nothing they didn’t know. We went to them in times of uncertainty and they confirmed or denied whatever was lingering in our minds. Then came technology, the machines that we could make do all kind of stuffs with a push of a button. They consumed us, turning us into walking machines ourselves, stripping away most of our humanity. We just place all our trust and hopes on them. They replaced our real live encyclopedias
Parents will ask a question or two about these devices that consume us so much, since they may not be able to comprehend all the crazy machines. They may ask a question or two, end up messing a thing or two as they learn like we did when we started out in life. Just like we learned about life as the years went by, they are learning to deal with some of this new technology.
They taught us almost everything we know in our lives. The important basics was given to us freely, but do we do the same now? When was the last time you took your parents through the internet. I am not talking about Facebook and social media, but technology that has made our lives easier, like a simple google search or weather sharing website.
Do they have the latest electronic devices like you do? We are so keen on upgrading our devices as innovation continues to progress, but not our relationship with our parents. They ensured to give us all they could manage, placing our happiness as the number one priority. Are we doing the same for our parents now?
I am not saying we go around buying them fancy devices. They are things that they had to forgo as they took care of us. Things they loved to do to pass time but couldn’t enjoy anymore. All the stuff they have to pass to concentrate and raise us, you were their first priority, make them yours now.
A weekend with them without our complicated ever busy schedules and devices on sight just us and them, quality time for them. Just like they did when we were trying to draw a hut house in kindergarden. Just giving ourselves 100 percent to them once in a while. It will mean a lot to them. Show some humility towards your parents.
*Olavi Popyeinawa has a diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution and is currently studying law, LLB at the University of Namibia (Unam). He will weekly contributing this column on youth mattersInstagram: niceguy_olavi Facebook: Olavi Longfellow Twitter: @OlaviPopyeinawa