A New Age - A new Beginning

I still don't have a cafe. Things didn't work out and I had to close the chocolate store in 2014. In my first post on this blog, many years ago, I wrote among other things:

First flowers of spring 2018

"I can dream of my cafe. I can imagine it - a place where people meet and start talking about current topics, about the things that are going on in their lives and about their pet topics and hobbies. It could be a place where you can people watch or read a good book - a mystery or a romance novel. A place where you could have a cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate and your favourite pastry without having to worry about the calories. A place where small business owners could get together and exchange ideas for the success of their business over a cup of tea. A place where people love to come and love to be, because the food is good, the atmosphere is great and where quality is strived for in every action, every product."

I want this blog to be such a place: a place where people meet and we can openly talk about different topics. And while you're reading, I hope you'll have a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate and a little pastry, a cookie or a chocolate.

I work at a lady's clothing store in a mall close to home. I'm a client specialist and I have been in that same position for the last 2.5 years. Many of you know I had my own chocolate store for 11 years. I also was an assistant manager for a few years and I worked as a pharmacist in 28 pharmacies in the absence of the owners. I thought I would have had experience to have a better position such as keyholder, or assistant manager or operations manager. But apparently I do not qualify. I don't know why. They're never very clear what it is I don't qualify in. I don't have enough experience, apparently and also, I'm old-fashioned, one manager told me. Other than the colour of my hair, I don't see why I don't qualify. I'm talking about the colour of my hair, because everyone else has brownish red hair, mine is grey, a beautiful grey, many people say. Maybe grey hair is old-fashioned. I'm allergic to many hair dyes.

It boggles my mind that the younger generation can say to an older person: "You do not have experience.". I just hope that they do not have to experience this when they reach the grey age. There was a time where the older generation was respected and even consulted before the younger generation made decisions. The indigenous people still respect their elders, people in other countries still respect their elders. There is room there for the older generation. But not here. Here  everyone is expected to behave according to a pattern, a program, that is not written down, but it is implied. If one doesn't act according to the pattern, the program, one is written off as "no experience", "not qualified". It actually has a name, but nobody dares saying it. It's called: "Age discrimination". I think age discrimination is actually happening more than is obvious in day to day living. It is never talked about. It is hidden and as long as we don't talk about it, it will remain hidden. And it will keep happening in secret. It is not so that when our hair turns grey, that our brains go soggy at the same rate.