Orlampaland

They say respect your elders.

And sure; respect experience, respect wisdom.

But respect is not obedience.

There comes a time when the hands that built the past have to let go of the wheel. You don’t get to drive forever.

Especially if you’re asleep at the wheel.

Or worse; crashing the car and blaming the kids in the backseat.

Age is not a crime.

But clinging to power is.

Refusing to pass the torch; that’s not leadership.

It’s hoarding.

It’s fear dressed up as tradition.

The world we’re living in was built by people who can’t stop talking about how hard it was.

And yet, they refuse to make it easier for anyone else.

They say; “We earned our place.”

But what they mean is; “We don’t trust you with the future.”

Maybe that’s the problem.

Because the future isn’t a trophy.

It’s not a prize you keep.

It’s a responsibility you pass on.

You can advise.

You can support.

But you don’t get to gatekeep forever.

The truth is; it’s time.

Time for new voices, new dreams, new systems, new mistakes.

Because the old ones?

They’ve calcified.

They’ve curdled.

They’ve run out of imagination.

Make room.

Move over.

Retire; not just from work, but from control.

Let the people who have to live in the future have a say in shaping it.

That’s not ageism.

That’s realism.

That’s renewal.

That’s make believe better.