EQUIPPED FOR THE FUTURE
(Half-Serious Reflection)
Wow, that's funny. Yesterday I was lost in thought on the porch, watching my neighbor's child who was busy with his tablet. He's only 5 years old, but his fingers are more agile in operating gadgets than mine who is already in his forties. Haha!
Back then, when I was his age, preparing for the future meant having a new school bag, shiny shoes, and a pencil case complete with a strawberry-scented eraser. Now? Wow, that's a different story!
"Uncle, Uncle! Look, I can make a robot in Minecraft!"
So proud. I could only scratch my head. Minecraft? All I knew at that time was playing marbles and hide-and-seek.
But that's the era. Changes are as fast as app updates on smartphones. Preparing for the future now is not just about having sophisticated equipment. More than that, it's about mindset. About adaptability. About mental agility in dealing with changes that sometimes make you dizzy.
"Sir, does my child have to take coding lessons?" asked a friend while sipping coffee.
"How old is he?" I asked back.
"Only 6 years old..."
"Gosh!"
I was reminded of when I was in elementary school, the most advanced technology lesson was typing on a manual typewriter. What if I made a typo? Don't ask! Correction pens were my lifesaver. Now? Kindergarteners are already familiar with the term artificial intelligence. Like it or not, I feel like a walking fossil.
But wait a minute.
Preparing for the future is not about competing to see who is the most digitally literate. Nor is it about who has the latest gadget. It's about how we equip ourselves (and our children) with the skills that really matter.
Critical thinking? Definitely necessary. Emotional intelligence? More importantly. Creativity? Very important. Digital literacy? Non-negotiable. But most importantly? The ability to remain human in an increasingly digital world.
I looked back at the neighbor's kid who was busy playing Minecraft and still liked to run out of the house when he heard the ice cream vendor and still laughed out loud playing tag with his friends. Still fascinated by the butterflies perched on the flowers.
"Uncle, let's play!" he asked suddenly.
"Play what?" I asked, ready to be forced to play an online game that I didn't understand.
"Play kites! I made them from used paper!"
Okay, right?
Preparing for the future may require increasing digital knowledge. But don't forget, we also need to maintain the simple things that make us human. The balance between digital and analog. Between virtual and real. Between high technology and high touch.
As my grandmother used to say: "Life is like mixed rice. There must be sweet, salty, spicy, savory. If there is only one taste, it will be bland!"
Maybe that's also what we need to remember in preparing ourselves for the future. Don't be too obsessed with being "super digital" until you forget how to smile at your neighbors. Don't be too busy updating software until you forget to update your relationships with your family.
[Image generated with the help of ChatGPT]
