The High Rise Generation

Last night, I got into the same elevator as my next door neighbour. She got in first, pressed the floor number button, and we remained silent without any exchange of courteous salutations throughout our journey to floor 22. Since I was closest to the door, I got out first and thought it was funny that she pressed the "shut door" button. A second later, she realised that it was her floor, and probably realised too, that I was her neighbour for the first time in one and half years of me living next door. 

I obviously knew who she was, I see her all the time. I see her pesky kids hanging their hands out of the front door grill everytime I walk past to get to the elevator without them once smiling at me, or calling me "aunty" or "che che" for common courtesy sake. 

But this is nothing uncommon now is it?, whether in the city or in the suburbs, people just don't socialise around anymore. You would think that living in a building with 100 odd other families would mean that you'd have some decent friends out of some good neighbours, but the high rise lifestyle is a hindrance to social etiquettes and have certainly made people more individuated. I used to smile at people in the lift, but after a few nasty glance backs or snub to my face in a "i-dont-know-you-freak" manner, I have decided to not publicly humiliate myself any further.   

The thing that bugs me is, more new aged couples are bringing up their children in this setting. The sad fact is that unless you are willing to live in one end of the world, take 3 hours to commute to and from work everyday, you will not be able to afford a landed property in the city, without serious decades-long debts and a tighter belt around your waist. 

Think about the simple things that shaped our characters that the younger generations are going to miss. The simple act of befriending your neighbours can teach children social skills which will be priceless when they grow up. The fact that children can't even have pets in their apartments, can't play outdoor games, or miss the chance in experiencing the wonders of nature everyday, means that the grow up in a robotic, no love, no compassion setting. And we wonder why kids these days are couch potatoes and game-gadgets addicts. 

My point is that, I grew up digging sand in tiny garden ( we lived in a low cost house). Picking out beautiful lady bugs and insects and flowers and putting them back without hurting them. I grew up learning that earth worms are not to be killed upon sight as they make the land fertile, and that hairy icky caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies. I grew up talking with the kids next door, exchanging toys and playing make beliefs with a fence in between us ( because my mother was over protective and never let me out to play alone without her supervision). I learnt to climb trees, i learnt to train my dog how to "paw-shake" and "sit" unpon command, I learnt to say "hello aunty/uncle!"  to my neighbours everytime i saw them in their own yard. 

How sad is it that the "High-Rise" generation will be missing out on all the human touches and neighbourly values simply because of where they live. This is called deprivation. Not the absence of a myriad of musical classes and Kumon math sessions.

Do you even know your neighbor's name?