Hello.
Let's do some fact today.
I am 25 this year and I have a brother who is 10 years younger than me, that means he is only 15.
So yes, there is a gap between obviously. A 10 years gap to be exact.
I am the so called Generation Y and he is the Milennials (which sounds so much more sophisticated).
So, what are the gaps or difference we have...while growing up?
First - I use Facebook and he doesn't. There is no FB app in his phone so I guess he seldom log in to his FB. He uses Snapchat and Instagram and Wechat most of the time, all the time. Believe it or not, I think their teachers in school actually told them to set a group in Wechat for some homework or whatever purpose.
Second - Apple users seem to be soooooo common among them. Birkenstock seems soooooo common among them. I don't know if my friends are poor or what lah, I do not have a lot of friends wearing Birkenstock during the age of 15, we all wear flipflop...yes.
Ok the above are just some of the difference I found between my brother and I.
And also, the way my parents raise him compared to my time is a bit different. There is a difference.
I don't know if my parents were younger then and older now.
They don't really scold my brother, they tend to be more lenient; while during my time, they were quite strict to me, in terms of my habit, my everything lah bascially haha.
I remember very very clearly, if my phone bill exceeded certain amount my dad will confiscated my mobile phone...for a damn week. A week was my record. That was really bad. I got really angry, really really angry at my dad. But dad being dad, nobody says no to him.
So, I don't know if my parents are getting old or they just accept the way the milennials are.
And also - you canNOT raise you voice/scold your milennials babies. They tend to be weak in this 'section'. They are not scold-able. You can only talk nicely to them, not sure if they are even listening to you or not, but yes, you can only sweet talk and talk softly to them hoping they listen and learn and listen and be a good baby. During my time, my parents scolded me for some misbehaving, they say it straight into my face la, not like patting me and telling me nicely haha. I am not saying my parents scolded me a lot, in fact no, my parents are quiet parents, they only raise their voice or frowned when necessary.
So there is a difference raising milennials and genY.
Milennials tend to get better treatment.
I guess things change along the way.
The things they are exposed to, the way things are represent to them and etc.
But the question is, is there a invincible gap between my brother and I?
Well, I guess there is.
Imagine, I am 25, I am working, I am in the society and my brother is only in secondary school, and he is in a chinese independent school, I have never been in a chinese independent school, I studied in a government school. And I am in the society, busy working, busy looking for my interest, busy looking for a desire job and in the same time trying to like my current shitty job. I do not have much time to go and understand what is he doing and etc. Plus, I am in Australia and he is back in Malaysia. So, tbh, I do not know his daily routine and I don't speak his language, unfortunately.
And, being an Asian, we never say I love you this kind of thing in our daily life. We usually love them quietly and observe them quietly, as if I am spying or stalking him, so that leads to a misunderstanding...if you say I stalk him, I am just worry about him but I can't ask him directly because I just can't, asking directly is not the asian style lol.
So, I think we can only guess he cares for me and I care for him.
I know that my brother cares for me quite a bit, from my mother.
I don't know how my mother knows, but mom being mom, I think she just know and assume. Whether the assumption is true or not, I will let it be, I want to believe that my brother actually care for me haah. ohmmm.
So, there is a gap but I think we are still alright.
We are still fine.
I hope and I wish we can stay in this way until we are old. I wish we can get better in fact.
I am trying to understand him more recently, well, I always try but I am not the most patient person in the family. I am kinda like my dad, I get nervous very easily, I get frustrated quite very easily too. So, yeah, I am not very calm.
If my brother is not doing what I advised or said, I tend to get grumpy...but that is not the way. That is not the way...I tell myself. But god knows how hard is it to actually do it than saying.
So every time before i talk to my brother, I tell myself - stay calm stay calm, just talk nicely.
I think I am improving, I think I am.
I am trying to help him in studies in any way I can. I am trying to help my parents to shape him into a gentleman in any way I can. I am sharing my experiences with him to assist him in this very-lost-and-annoyed teenage stage.
Being a teenager suck really. Being a teenager's parents suck too! Just because they are so fragile. You wanna shape them but you can't shape them too hard, you gotta be gentle and soft but in the same time you have to make sure they end up in a good shape.
Anyway the conclusion for this post is that I hope the gap between my brother and I will never grow any bigger.
I just want to let him know I love him, no matter what.
I just want him to be good, to be a lovable man in future and to be a smart boy in future.
xx
*okayy I realised I used a lot they and them but no, I mean my brother only, this post does not apply on all the milennials. thx.
