There’s an observation I’d like to impart and somewhat tongue in cheek(!), that an anecdotal analysis of various generations has led me to conclude that the oldest group of millennials (34-39) are the soundest cohort. Now I know what you’re going to say: “mmm…convenient they you’re from amongst them” but hear me out on this one:

From one perspective we’re old skool, but incorporate important stuff of the new skool. From another we’re new skool, but incorporate some of the old skool. Because we’re in the middle we take the best of other generations. As a result:

 

  • We’re principled and respect tradition but they’re not rigid. We get substance and run with it without having to be dogmatic.
  • We’re very reasonable and willing to give everything and everyone a fair hearing. We’re not into shutting down a conversation nor acting like simians with things we don’t agree, we tend to have a “do you, I’ll do me” attitude.
  • We’ve had wide experiences so whilst we hold our own, we don’t feel the need to get judgemental
  • We’re too old to have grown up on social media, but young enough to have missed the Muslim politicisation of 9/11 so we’re far more politically and socially chilled than both gens and quite a bit more hinged! (Of course, everyone was politicised and it still has ramifications today but those who were 19+ at the time were swept up into a political consciousness that unfortunately wasn’t very constructive. As for those who grew up with social media accounts, well I think we all know how that went!)
  • We seem far more on a similar wavelength with one another than other gens. Groups from within other gens greatly differ and love fickle argument.
  • We’d rather chill, have a bbq and nice cup of coffee with good peoples. The youngers would go to a coffee shop and talk to each other through their apps (whilst sitting next to each other lol!). The olders would have a bbq and argue about the chicken seasoning.
  • Other generations seem to have developed their opinions from theory, we generally develop our views from lived life.
  • We’re not rich enough all to be homeowners, nor poor enough to qualify for zakat! Because we were the first gen to be sold out by govt (introduction of tuition fees, etc) we understood the hustle so had a mentality of making it happen instead of complaining and waiting for someone else to come along and fix it! And if we do make it, we do so with some empathy for those younger than us, rather than simply criticising them as wasteful when that’s largely untrue.

Now yes I know, every generation will have their version of the above (and yes I could go on!) so I didn’t write this to convince you haters from other generations LOL, just wrote it in solidarity with my generation’s peoples! 😂

But jokes aside, God bless you all and may you all live prosperous and meaningful lives!