Your future A response to “My future” by Khalais Waerea
S.H. Bloomberg
I read Khalais Waerea’s opinion about his future education options, and it left me feeling peculiar because I had been
in his shoes almost 10 years ago. “My generation” he believes “will be the ones to change the world”. These are the
exact thoughts that I had when I was at the end of school, waiting to follow the path set out before me. Mr. Waerea here
is my opinion after 10 years of doing it.
First up and regrettably, WEED, is not going to change the world or pay for our education. WEED is a seriously
psychoactive drug which when used generally, can foster a chemical habit (especially in young people). WEED should be
used by those performing religious rites (sadhu’s, Rasta’s), during ritualised ceremonies (weekly burns/on the full
moon), or for healing the pains of suffering patients. WEED is an insidious yet helpful tool available to us. Do not
make a home out of WEED but more of a fine place to visit.
Secondly and more to the point, whether or not you go to university you are still going to change your life and the
lives of others. You will learn more about critical thought and how to express yourself concisely in a Uni than if you
went building houses for a year, but at the same time, learning to use your body is not at all a pointless exercise. The
main difference is in the skills used, and the interests in your heart.
Take the time to find those questions that you want to ask, to find the changes you want to make. Do you feel a lift in
your step when you are outside in the sun? Do you derive a sense of satisfaction from writing a good sentence? Can you
nut out maths problems that others give-up on? Can you size up a job and the materials needed just by looking at it? Do
you feel better after helping someone? Figure out your skills and apply them. There is no rush to get to university,
your brain is still developing during your early 20’s too.
Thirdly, you are a part of a generation who will change things. That is what every generation thinks. The generations
before us conquered the oceans, freed slaves, gave women the vote, secured a 40 hour working week, stood for a nuclear
free nation, and legalised marriage equality. Every generation makes changes in some way but changes are slow. To shift
a paradigm takes time and that is a generation’s categorical definition; a group in time.
Our generation has been raised using a model which forces the onus to be on the individual. The privatisation of the
state has changed the playing field for us, the users. New Zealand’s model is now a melting pot of confusing ideals and
measures. How do we navigate it at such a young age? We are inexperienced… but this gives us an advantage! We have
nothing to compare it to and as such we can envisage “a brighter future”.
Student loans are a shackle but they are also a form of trust that believes in you sticking around and using your
education to help grow our country. And while they are interest free there is a way to work through it; the size of the
debt is fixed and it loses value with time. You can beat an interest free student loan and if you want to succeed at
changing the world, it’s a risk you have to take.
We are the neo-liberal generation, so listen to your elders, listen to your teachers, but only you know in your heart
what will work for us in this day and age. That is your gift and your motivation to make this a better world.