Have you ever wonder why sometimes it is just hard to talk to someone? Have you ever encountered a situation where you don’t feel like opening up to someone even though that someone is your friend or your relative, someone you know? What are the factors that make two individuals unable to communicate and open up? The only answer which I think would be appropriate would be the gaps between two individuals, specifically the generation gap and the distance gap.
The generation gap between two individuals would best explain why it is hard for both of them to communicate. It is evident that the young and the old do not communicate well because they are from different generations. A person who was born in a world of hip hop will certainly won’t share the same interest as a person who was born in a world of classical music. Clashes of interests are bound to happen and this would create a situation where it is hard to talk to each other. In the movie A Thousand Years Of Good Prayers, Mr Shi is having a difficult time talking to his daughter, Yi Lan due to the generation gap between them. Mr Shi keeps invading her personal space by asking details of her life and to the young Yi Lan, she is somehow irritated and this further put a strain on their communication. In this example, we can see that Mr Shi do not understand the young daughter of his. He presumes everyone like to chat about their personal lives as elder people do but he was wrong. Younger generation does not like their personal space being invaded. This reflects on how two different generations do not understand each other. If both would be happy to sit down and learn more about each other and find a common interest maybe then only communication would happen.
When two persons do not talk or see each other for a very long time, divided by distance or time, it would be hard for them to talk as how they used to if they meet up after a long period. This is what has been experienced by Mr Shi and his daughter. They have not seen each other for 12 years and this somehow affects their communication in a way. Awkwardness is so evident that they do not look into each other eyes when they speak as shown in the movie. When an engine of a car not maintained, it will bring trouble and ended up not functioning eventually. The same concept applies to communication. You need to maintain the communication even though you are separated by distance and time. This maintenance will certainly maintain the level of openness between two individuals so that awkwardness will not happen.
In essence, the best way to break down emotional war is to do something about it. One needs to speak up and approach the other party to break down the barrier between them. Only so the silence would be ripped apart and hopefully joy and laughter could be heard.
