Hi, I’m Leah and I’ve been invited as a guest to share my view as a future generation leader (otherwise known as a ‘Millennial’). The idea behind my blog is about understanding other views, from a different stage in life and to share my current mindset on relevant events.
I was thinking about what to discuss here, what am I passionate about, what’s relevant and will impact on everyone in years to come? So where more appropriate to start than the topic of Brexit? This subject fills me with a number of different emotions, which I’m sure is different for each of us. Whether politics is an interest of yours, Brexit has and does affect us all, whether we like it or not. There’s not a day that goes by when we don’t hear or view something in connection with Brexit, I read everyone else’s view or opinions and I thought what a great opportunity to put pen to paper and express just how it makes me feel.
I for one, a young lady in her twenties, just starting the journey of raising a young family; feel completely isolated when it comes to this topic, yet this it is a topic I would love to have more knowledge about. I can honestly say I read daily about ‘this monumental point in our lifetime’, yet feel so ‘out of it’. Nothing I read makes it any easier or straight forward to understand – which fills me with not only worry, but also guilt – in ten years’ time, where will we be or how will we all feel about this matter?
Distractions are constantly thrown out there in the media to keep us occupied with other ‘headline news’ yet all we really seek to know is what is ‘actually happening’ what are the benefits and negatives?
What we really need is honesty; we need to break this down so we can all understand, pitch this to the generation that this will really effect. I personally make a conscious effort to read about Brexit, to find out what’s going on and yet I still don’t understand fully.
It creates so many questions…
- How will this impact us?
- Besides being worried, what is the bigger impact on life?
- I often think, is it okay to feel worried?
- Is this just a trait of a millennial generation?
- How many people actually take the time to learn more proactively about Brexit?
- Does my generation even care enough to learn?
I feel I am often hounded by so many other people’s opinions, and told “you shouldn’t have voted that way” I challenge why am I being told that, when people do not have a real understanding as to why I even voted that way in the first place. I believe it’s due to this lack of interest or perspective that people feel prevented from clearly expressing why ‘they’ did.
All we ever see or hear through the media is about constant fighting from different political parties, arguing – worse than children – this contradicts -the way we have been raised not to act or communicate (and how I will raise my family) – it’s no wonder people feel confused! When was the last time you heard ‘Brexit’ mentioned in a conversation without someone explaining how ‘fed up’ they are with it? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, whether positive or negative. This should be a time when everyone pulls together and focuses on moving forward with Britain’s plan; I want to be able to look ahead to this future.
When I talk to my parents or grandparents, they can pinpoint a year off the top of their head and tell you about something that has impacted their lifetime. Whether this is WW2 or the great recession, they have so much knowledge and experience. Future generations will ask me about Brexit – What happened? What was it like? And I wonder how I will truly respond – will I blame everyone else or take responsibility myself? The reality is, only I can choose how I answer. I do believe however, what I can ensure that as part of this generation I can understand the facts and-, to be able to speak confidently about why this happened.
Whilst this was how just over half of the UK voted; I too have to accept that decision. It’s now down to the government to be able to deliver an outcome that supports the public choice. Once these options are on the table I have trust this will help me understand the true facts and what this means for the future.
I hope that this becomes clearer as the weeks/months pan out and more decisions are made. I encourage my generation to really look through the facts and seek clarity to understand what impact Brexit will have.
It’s time to focus on what can be achieved so that in years to come, I want to explain confidently what happened so everyone can relate to Brexit in some way – from understating how it not only affected us as individuals, but as a ‘United Kingdom’.
I trust we can pull together and make the best out of this situation.
