Entering the 30s

As a person that started as a youth columnist in my teens, this seems to be a significant milestone for me. I just recently turned 30, the almost dead end of the monthly calendar. It is also the time where you transition from a young adult to a full-fledged one, where all the responsibilities start to sink in. My generation is the one who was caught in the transition from analog to digital and the one who believes that raising a kid in this economy is not financially feasible hence the rise of having fur babies.

It might not be about the generation but the times that we currently are in. I entered this new decade in my life where there is so much uncertainty in every aspect of society. Take for example the current cost of living in Metro Cebu. I remember how easy it was to purchase goods and commodities even with a meager salary as I started in the workforce. Fast forward to today, even the middle class are struggling to keep it all within their means. The access to recreation as an escape to the grueling grind is becoming less. We are now to prioritize what we need.

This new chapter has also allowed me to see the real score in our community. While I do acknowledge the efforts of our leaders, my maturity has led me to believe that promises are only made at the beginning of their term. All the plans and dreams that they want for us just somehow obliterate along the way. We could not blame them for such a small time frame though; there are just a lot of things to consider when working in the government. The bureaucracy just delays the process and changes in leadership do not lead to consistency.

Even the field that I deal with continues to rapidly evolve. Journalism continues to be threatened by generative artificial intelligence - a concept that was not even a buzz word when I first started out. We thought that technology would only help us speed up the work that was to be done. Now it seems like they are also keen on replacing us despite everything we learned in the several years.

The future ahead looks bold, exciting but still full of uncertainty. My 30s would certainly be an enthralling ride as the world we deal with also constantly changes. However, if there is one thing to wish for in this era is for everyone's respect. As we continue to deal with advancements and the realm of communication widens, there is a lot of space for hate and what-nots. Our generation continues to learn, adapt and create but we cannot let the next one down. I have come to realize that we are now bringing the torches, passed on from those who have come before us and are about to take their rest. May this new beginning signify a beautiful tomorrow for the years to come.