Lucky D's Common Room - "We tell them we reggae, then we tell them again"

Second day here, first in full. Hit a couple of museums and got knackered, ok enough of that. So I wanna write something that I've frequently spoken of with people but never articulated into a complete passage.

From a very early age we are set into social situations where the age range is very controlled, very limited. This is primarily done through the education system which has children's ages separated from four years old to eighteen. Speaking from experience it's remarkable how much of an impact this has on an individual.

What it does is contain ones mind in a world where perceptions can become limited and no voice of experience is present. One effect this has is producing personalities of remarkable similarity. The development of social stereotypes and various high school cliques is arguably a result of this.

The problem with this set up is that it gives no accurate reflection of the wider society. A job being an effective, if dull, example. Where I work ages run from sixteen, nineteen, through to late twenties, mid thirties and mid to late fifties. Wide range of age, experience and perspective which will inevitably help the mind of an individual evolve both personality and perceptions. It is my opinion that not only is this age segregation irreflective of wider society but on a more basic level, nature as well.

The reason I write about this is because of the situation I now find myself in. In the hostel you've got ages from 18 up to forty. People who are travelling, holidaying, temporarily living and people working here. Dozens of individuals each with a different story to how they came to be in San Diego. Beyond that there is obviously a wealth of nationalities present too. English, Irish, American, French, German, Danish, Israeli, Brazilian, the list goes on. Everyone getting on and living peacefully with no one being segregated due to age, social status or fashion sense.

Two years ago I was stuck in school with everyone being the same age as me. Of course I had a lot of love for my friends, who mostly share this opinion I think, but aside from them everyone just felt boring and the same, there was no real diversity of ideas or experience. Whereas here there's nothing but diversity.