ROARING 20’s

Are your twenties roaring? Why does such a phrase even exist?

The period between 1920 - 1929 is what is referred to as the roaring 20’s. Germans prefer to call them the Golden Years and in French they were the Annés Folles (The crazy years )

Here’s a little walk through history to give you context.

This period from 1920 was just after World War I and it was characterised by great economic prosperity. Consumerism was at an all time high with there being a shift in culture. There was great demand for appliances and  high fashion. This era birthed Charlie Chaplin, the legend as people flocked theatres to enjoy movies when they were not out partying. You might have heard of the Jazz Age. This was precisely it. New music and dancing styles were introduced in America and influenced culture all over the world. In France , the cafe society cropped up during these years as creatives gathered in cafes to share their art .

The show stoppers of the day were the flappers. Flappers was a new breed of women who were experiencing a new sense of freedom. A good pointer would be the liberation they felt after having gained voting rights in 1920. This group of women were moving from the victorian era values their parents had practised. Flappers are said to have been smoking and drinking in the parties like their male counterparts something i imagine must have sent some parents to early graves back in the day. They adorned themselves in jewellery and lots of make-up. It is these phenomenal women who did away with stockings and who we would crown the founding mothers of ‘leg day out’ . They showed the world the naked truth, that indeed women have knees. Henry Ford , with his invention, really came through for the girlies who found even further freedom behind the wheel where they could travel and drive to social events unescorted and unsupervised. As expected , this roaring must have been too loud for a good number and the flappers were often criticised as unintelligent, carefree , reckless and generally shallow.

My history class will end here just as abruptly and unceremoniously as our subject did. The Roaring 20’s ended suddenly with the sudden stock market crash (Wall Street Crash ) in 1929 that led into the Great Depression.

So much for a happy ending! Right??

The year is 2021. A century later. What i know is bewildering is how much you related to that narration up there. For a moment you thought i was going to say your name . This is especially for you who is in their twenties. You who feels like you are living in freedom that generations before have never imagined. You who can insult the president from your student hostel and not worry about a thing knowing that you very well expressed your constitutional freedom of expression. At the same time, you are battling to step out of what you feel are norms you have outgrown. Our generation wants to be allowed to identify as whatever they want and to be free from any boundaries to such identity. We are very woke and aware of our existence and patterns in our lives. We know our rights, our purpose , past trauma and are conscious about our mental health. We can spot fake friends from miles away and only do what appeals to us.

As you read this , its probably  weekend where you are and that means time to party. Does it even make a difference what day of the week it is ? There’s always a reason to indulge. Stressed?? Excited?? Met a friend after many years??lost a loved one? Got a new job?Lost a job? A drink and enjoyment will come in handy. The unwritten rule seems to have come from our Nigerian counterparts who are constantly reminding us on the socials to ‘ CHOP LIFE, PROBLEM NO DEY END.’

You are navigating these crazy years with your dream career in hand .You have either started the journey by taking up the course in school or you just graduated and are trying to find your footing. Alternatively you are working and making your money but whatever you studied in school has nothing to do with it. There’s a new crop of fields and industries that did not exist and you are trying to figure out whether your purpose may be in influencing and not that accounting degree you are taking.

Wherever you may be in this journey. I have no manual on how to navigate the roars. However here are a few tips to keep you afloat as you wade through this bog.

1. Give yourself some grace . There is so much time to learn and master your craft. Allow yourself to grow through mistakes.

2. Live within your means. Indulge in only as much as you are able to afford and sustain. Contentment is the only path to happiness.

3. Careful. Don’t be too woke. You do not know everything. Don’t let shallow knowledge on subjects prevent you from learning. Learn, Unlearn and Relearn.

The silver lining in this cloud is here. Our benchmark 20’s began with a roar and ended with a crash. Well, ours began with a whole PANDEMIC ! Here’s to roaring all the way.