Two Generations
Our project highlights life through the view of two very different generations.
TEENAGER adults say they understand because they were once a teenager but its different for me being a teenager is wearing a mask being isolated finding a new normal but what is a new normal normal isn’t twelve-year-old me exploring the city which gives me so much freedom to do whatever i want but i don't do that alone my friends carry me and make me happy new normal is driving in california windows down the radio playing drake or doja cat the air smells fresh and flowery new normal is camp sitting in my bunk painting my friends nails doing karaoke to taylor swift songs running down the hill in the pouring rain the birds chirp and the air is sweet new normal is exploring my hobbies drawing sewing taking photos of everything and nothing new normal is having sleepovers every week talking for forever and waking up to waffles and orange juice or maybe dunkin donuts new normal is also scary i don't think high school is for me i feel trapped but when i think of the future i become stressed there’s so much pressure i don’t know where i want to go to college i don't know what i want to do for the rest of my life new normal is learning that i might not know everything but what i have now is what ill look back on and say i'm glad i have these things in my life
30-Something As I get older, I try to hold onto all of the things I don't want to forget Like the way the spring blooms in NYC fall like a light dusting of snow on the sidewalk The promise of a new nephew, a wedding, and a new job Or the coziness of my railroad apartment when it’s early and the morning light is soft I wonder what I’ll think when I look back on my 30s before I was married or had a mortgage I don’t want to forget the familiar sounds of the neighborhood outside my window, the old men greeting each other and commenting on the weather The freedom of public transit and how just a swipe can get you to so many places The way my dog cuddles next to me after a long day The neighbor across the hall who I say hello to each morning Please let me remember how hard things have been but also the way that I’ve grown and adjusted The seemingly neverending news, a war, a climate warming The collective worry of the last two years, the pot banging, the sense of community Why would I want to remember all the bad with the good? Because I hope I’ll look back and realize how far this difficult time pushed me I hope
Process
Tilda: I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making a movie and Brandi helped me accomplish that with this project. We spent some time brainstorming ideas and in the end we both wrote two poems that show the differences and similarities in our lives. The whole idea was to show the parallel between two generations. After we wrote the poems we turned them into a collection of clips from our lives, each forming their own little movie. While I may have had some technical difficulties along the way we managed to pull through and create a meaningful piece to both of us.
Tilda Bartlett
Brandi Broxson
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Tilda Bartlett
Tilda Bartlett is a ninth grader from Manhattan. She loves art, especially drawing and sketching. She likes realistic fiction and artsy movies. Tilda likes listening to Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift. She hopes to embark on more creative endeavors in the future whether it be film making or art.
Brandi Broxson
Brandi Broxson is an editor and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. She was previously features editor at Real Simple Magazine and oversaw the brand's personal finance and lifestyle service coverage. During her career, Brandi has been published in various magazines, websites, and national newspapers. She's been quoted as an expert source in the New York Times, the Associated Press, and featured on national TV shows like Good Morning America and TODAY. Brandi holds awards for her writing from the Florida Press Club, and Florida Press Association. She was also at Real Simple when the staff won Eddie and Ozzie's "Team of the Year" award in 2019.
