Young people also need to have a direction to focus on in order to harness their immense potential and create wonders
LAHORE: I was driving very calmly on Canal Road in Lahore when, suddenly, I was startled by a motorcyclist passing by me at a very high speed. The sound of the motorbike was very loud because of the small silencer which the driver had probably installed himself just to create more noise from the engine. The other day, I had seen another motorcyclist doing a wheelie. Lord, these guys just do not value their lives. Later, I thought this was not a matter of valuing lives, but rather a question of lacking direction in life and the resulting frustration. The youth of Pakistan has energy but what they really lack is a direction to channel that energy. Human psychology is such that everyone likes to seek the attention of others, which eventually boosts self-esteem. When those who cannot or do not perform any appreciable work feel left out and unattended, they then try to garner attention through other means, even if they are dangerous. They just want to fulfil their attention-seeking desires.
Pakistan has one of the highest youth populations in the world. Young people are the present and future of any country. If they are not utilised or given a proper direction in their lives, it would be an exceptional waste of talent. China, Singapore, and other such countries are reconsidering their one-child policy. They say that increased reproduction will lead to more young people who could become the leaders of the future. They truly understand that their youth is the asset by which they can strengthen their economy and prepare for tomorrow. They provide their youth with direction and are successfully progressing in the fields of research, science, arts and technology, to name a few.
The first and foremost responsibility of providing children with direction lies with the parents. Later, students mature in educational institutions, where teachers help them develop interest in pursuing productive activities. The environment within the country is created strategically with the help of state-instituted principles. A child’s grooming starts early and gives the child proper direction by the time he/she reaches his/her years of maturity. Having direction is as vital for us as drinking water. Without direction, the energy that exists in every other person is wasted or channelled in the wrong direction. What if the speeding motorcyclist had fallen down and broken his leg or arm, or even caused an accident and injured other people? In that case, energy would not only have been wasted but it would have also bounced back in a negative form with increased intensity. A magnifying glass, if it gathers its energy and diffuses on a single point, can light a fire. Similarly, young people also need to have a direction to focus on in order to harness their immense potential and create wonders. Otherwise, the youth can be disadvantageous to society when it is involved in such reckless and dangerous activities.
Ahmed Bilal
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2015.
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