Progress Doesn’t Wait for Permission

I sometimes wonder how many of us are still clinging to ideas we never really signed up for. Those strange, pointless “rules of life” that were passed down to us, unquestioned, like heirlooms that no one actually wanted. My ex, for example, would lose his mind if his kids peeked out the lounge curtains after dark, or if they dared to wash their hands in the kitchen sink rather than the bathroom basin.

When I asked him why, he shrugged and said, “I don’t know, I wasn’t allowed to do it growing up.” Seriously?! What kind of explanation is that? That is not logic, it is nothing more than generational autopilot… where your brain just hums “yes, boss” without ever bothering to check who is actually giving the orders.

This is probably the one aspect of the older generation which frustrates me the most… it comes with a stubbornness that’s almost comical. It’s this idea that life is meant to be hard, because if it’s not hard then it’s somehow less “worthy.” As if suffering is the only legitimate currency for appreciation. What a spectacularly ridiculous mindset. And yet, so many of us were raised on that diet of struggle… “hand me down hardship” served on a silver platter.

I am not blind to the gaps in the younger generation (half of them cannot prep a stir fry, but they will Google how to do it and then design an app which gives you recipe variations). Still, I admire them deeply. They have scrapped that whole “life must be pain” handbook and replaced it with something far more liberating. They understand that convenience isn’t laziness, it’s efficiency. Why take the long way around if the shortcut frees up your time, energy, and creativity?! Being stubborn for the sake of it isn’t noble… it’s outdated.

I got called “vile” today for giving people the option to tip my writing. Apparently, that makes me a beggar. A disgrace. A parasite on “honest workers.” Meanwhile, this same person attempts to grow her profile through shares of nothing but unoriginal content in the form of memes created by the kinds of people the distaste is directed at… and is scrolling a platform literally designed with tipping, subscriptions and monetisation built into its DNA. The irony was almost poetic.

The reality of it though, is that this is the way forward. Independent creators supported directly by the people who value what they do. A new kind of ecosystem where your energy goes into feeding real people’s dreams, not into lining the bottomless pockets of faceless corporations. I don’t know about you, but that feels infinitely more worthwhile to me.

And honestly? I love it. I would rather spend an evening watching a YouTuber pour their heart into content, knowing my click or tip is helping them build a life on their own terms, than watch another formulaic TV drama designed in some boardroom to keep me quiet and small minded. There is substance in choosing differently. There is meaning in deciding who and what you feed with your attention.

At the end of the day, nothing changes if nothing changes. That’s not just a catchy fridge magnet quote; it is literally the raw mechanics of life. You can complain about how technology, communities, and work are shifting… or you can actually adapt and move with it, shape your place in it, and even thrive. Crying about how a robot has “stolen” your job won’t put food on the table, but learning a new way forward just might.

I find it rather exciting that more and more of people are stepping away from “the system” and towards something MUCH more alive: community sustainability, creative independence, collaboration. It’s not perfect, but it’s refreshing. It’s alive. It is movement. Because the alternative is stagnation, and stagnant water only ever breeds mosquitos.

The world is not supposed to stay the same (neither are we). We are not statues; we are rivers, and rivers don’t apologise for finding new paths toward the ocean.

I guess the BIG question isn’t whether change is coming (it always is). It is… are you going to keep clutching the curtains shut because “that’s how it was done before”… or are you going to open them wide and actually look outside?

Today: I made dough for four loaves of sourdough bread which I will bake in the morning and sell to residents in my local community. I packed orders for sourdough starter which gives people across South Africa a “struggle free” doorway to baking their own bread and feeding their families with something wholesome. I wrote two articles, worked on an unfinished piece of art, cooked my dogs food for the week so he does not have to eat the utter sh!te sold on the shelves and I prepared a home cooked curry for myself and my son. I am perfectly comfortable in my skin and my choices.

Closing note:

Before I wrap this up, I would like to make it abundantly clear that the purpose of this piece is nothing emotional, it is to cultivate understanding and ultimately - growth for those that read it and at least have the desire to fully understand something before condemning it. In closing - anybody who is unnecessarily ugly or vindictive in response to this will simply be blocked. Not because I am emotional or having a tantrum, I just choose to “tailor” my social media (and life) experience… for the simple reason that: I can!