The Unicorn Challenge – What Happened to this Generation?

Published on by Yinglan

© Ayr/Gray

For the Unicorn Challenge…

On a typical afternoon, Earl would wander around the neighborhood, mostly alone. He’s not searching for anything, mostly just enjoys the exercise and people watching. He especially enjoys watching the young folks dodge around him, steering clear as if he’s about to shatter into a million pieces.

On this particular afternoon, he encountered his friend, Steve, who’s almost a decade his junior, sitting on the bench. “Hey Earl,” Steve called as Earl was chuckling at a thought, “what’s so funny?”

“Kids,” Earl chuckled, “did you see how they avoid folks like us?”

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Steve said, Earl’s brows knitted together, puzzled. “That means they can see us. Haven’t you noticed these days young people are always looking at their phones? They can be walking down an alley and won’t know what hit them until it’s too late.”

“Hmm…” Steve does have a point, Earl thought and shook his head, “What happened to this generation of youngsters?”

(158 words)

20 thoughts on “The Unicorn Challenge – What Happened to this Generation?”

  2. A friend of mine said she felt invisible sometimes. I think that is worse. I agree that it is better to be avoided than to be bumped into. For an older person, that can be quite serious!

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    1. I feel like that sometimes and had to physically move aside or duck because someone was looking at their phones and nearly walked into me. I agree, it’s better to avoid an old person than to bump into them.

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      1. My first husband had just had a total hip replacement. We were on a ferry to Victoria, and a kid bumped into him and knocked him down. It scared us to death. From then on he always carried a cane – just in case. It worked. That was about 45 years ago, when cell phones were nonexistent. The problem now is worse in crowded areas.

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  7. I believe every older generation, says the same things about the younger generation. The only difference is the pop culture aspect. In the 70’s the older people complained about hippies and long hair. These days, it is usually related to technology and phones. It is true though, many people do look at their phones while walking around. I see all age groups doing this though, not only younger people. I guess there are good things and bad things to contend with, with each generation.

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    1. Yeah, my mom and aunt are the same way. They are looking at their phones all day long and wouldn’t hear a single thing I say. They are worse than the young people walking and staring at their phones, I think.

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