Don't mind the gap. Unite it.

People always say that your thirties are your best years. I never fully understood this; when you're in the midst of the fun, care-free partying of your twenties, it's hard to see how anything can get better. Surely it all goes downhill at 30 when you're married with kids and living the boring, suburban life? Now, at 32, I am starting to see what people mean. I truly feel like I'm finally waking up to myself and enjoying the journey that it's taking me on.

It happens gradually; as you edge towards the big 3-0, you start to feel a shift, a greater understanding of what makes you tick and how to deal with your personal demons, a clarity around the type of people that you want to be around, and this realisation that actually not everything is black and white, like you always thought. The world is made up of grey. Lots of it. When I was younger, I thought life was simple. You study, you work hard, you make your success. If you did something wrong, it said something about your core values. If you didn't study and get good grades, then of course life would be tough for you. But that's your fault for not working hard, right? It was simple. Or was it?

I look back now with more wisdom and see that if life has taught me anything so far, it is how wrong my younger self was! I have been fortunate in my life to have met people who have made me stop, think, and challenge my personal status quo. Over time, I started to realise that I saw life as simple back then because life had been made simple for me by the opportunities I had been given. Not everyone is as fortunate as me to have had such opportunities. Today's world has become a divided one. Not just when considering the different standards of living across the globe, but even when looking across our own country. The fire at Grenfell Tower highlights this socioeconomic divide in so many ways, and is a reminder to us all that we need to do more to unite.

As the images and stories of the victims of the fire were released, I was overwhelmed by emotion. I couldn't fathom what it must have been like to wake up amidst that fire and realise that there was no way out. Children and babies were caught up in the blaze, not yet old enough to have seen the world, lived it, or loved it. Life was cruel. But this wasn't just life. This was a disaster exacerbated by our ignorance towards the troubles of lower socioeconomic groups. It was a real life example of how being born with money affords you basic luxuries that those who aren't can only dream about. The fact is that this fire was accelerated by the use of cheap cladding, put on to make a poorer estate look nicer in one of London's richest boroughs. This is a story of corporate greed, cutting corners because of an ugly belief that the poorest in society wouldn't realise, and the rich wouldn't say anything. Unfortunately, they were right; nobody noticed until it was too late. Now, with 600 buildings across the country littered with this same, cheap cladding, we are finding our voice.

Why does it take a tragedy to spur us into action? As a friend of mine recently pointed out to me, the statistics tell us all we need to know. Factors linked to socioeconomic status, such as poverty and poor education, are hugely important in predicting health outcomes. In numbers, lower socioeconomic groups are 46% more likely to die early. That is incredible. As my friend said to me, it's disgusting, wrong, and discriminatory. This isn't just a problem in the UK either. It is everywhere in different guises. Looking across the pond, the US is still fighting an ongoing race battle, highlighted by the recent acquittal of the police officer who shot Philando Castile. As entertainer Trevor Noah said about why the police officer felt afraid enough to shoot: "Was it because Philando Castile was being polite? Was it because he was following the officer’s instructions? Was it because he was in the car with his family? Or was it because Philando Castile was black?"

It is clear that we still live in a world of discrimination, the effects of which are as bad as they have ever been. What will it take to change this course? These things are unlikely to be resolved overnight; it is going to take time to change people's ingrained mindsets. However, I am heartened by the fact that I am having these conversations with friends, colleagues, and virtual strangers. All from different walks of life, all with different upbringings and outlooks. The conversation is happening across the country and if we can continue this momentum, then maybe this generation might change those outdated views. Maybe future generations will have a chance to close that divide and unite. It will, however, take more than just talk. At some point, we should all be ready to take action; to stand side by side with those around us, regardless of our differences. That time will come sooner than you think. Be ready.

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