It's a generational fist fight

First, let me set the scene…

Last week, we explored tariffs, the stock market, and AI — honestly, I’m counting down the days until these ‘trends’ wears off:

This week, sharing the results of prime ears dropping and people watching.

Also… yes, I know I’m late again sending this letter. But I’m a busy gurlll, okay? What I can promise is this: you’ll get weekly letters... just not always on time. 😅

Dear Younger Self,

This week, my primal eavesdropping instincts kicked in—again.

I’ve always been a people watcher. Call it a hobby, call it a flaw. I’ll leave the house with every intention of being productive, drive thirty minutes to a busy café or the CBD, laptop in hand... and then promptly abandon all work plans to quietly observe strangers. It got so intense once that I got caught locking eyes with too many people. Since then, my sunglasses collection has grown significantly. Tactical gear for a professional observer.

I believe there are levels to people-watching. Level one: solo observation. Level two: team commentary. Level three? Learning people’s personal information—thanks to a trusty addition: the ears.

Friday, lunchtime. My business partner and I were deep in a planning session (something big is coming—more on that soon). We’d posted up at a café for three hours, watching the world blur past while half-working. One loud family caught our attention. And I mean loud. Not joyful-loud or excitable-loud—just plain disruptive. Still, it was fascinating to watch not just them, but everyone else watching them. Gold.

But the true highlight arrived later, around 3:00pm.

An older woman and her daughter sat at the table next to us. When I say older, I mean perhaps late 50s for the mother, and 40s for the daughter—so not a young mother-daughter duo. Their conversation started quietly, until one line cut through the buzz of the café and caught my ear:

Something like, ‘lack of progression and erasing history.’

From there, the eavesdropping commenced in full. Their conversation was about cultural awareness, generational arrogance, and how values shift across time. It wasn’t a shouting match, but it was clearly a disagreement. The daughter spoke about inclusivity, acceptance, and how older generations often lack the willingness to learn new norms — whether about gender, racism, or cultural understanding. The mother countered with a perspective rooted in tradition: that change can sometimes feel like erasure, that not every value of the past was inherently evil.

It reminded me of conversations I’ve had with my grandmother.

She’s the eldest of 12. Married young. Raised her children while her husband worked. Traditional in every sense of the word. Since moving in with our family in 2017, after my grandpa passed, she’s been surrounded by younger generations — but her beliefs remain deeply rooted. When conversations stray from what she knows, you can see the discomfort rise. But I also see where it comes from. Narrow frameworks lead to narrow views, especially when they were all you were taught.

Ignorance isn’t always a choice, but sometimes it’s just the absence of exposure.

That’s the thing about generational conflict. Both sides feel like they’re right. Both sides are shaped by their own context. The challenge (and maybe the gift) is in seeing each other’s perspective.

Even though my friend and I left the café before the mother and daughter finished their conversation, I didn’t need to hear a conclusion. What mattered was that they both had space to speak. That’s rare, and kind of beautiful.

Love,

Le Hare

Get your highlighter out…

Originally, I intended this section to share key takeaways from my letter. Instead, I’m highlighting the “lifelights” of my week; the destinations or event that were quite memorable.

Now, the reason we were even at that café: our collaboration project.

My best friend and I are officially building a joint business. We’re combining our personal brands into a shared creative label, and launching it publicly at The Great Artist Market on June 28.

We’ve been making huge strides.

Our three main product lines are:

• Scarves (designed and led by her)

• Keychain accessories (my domain: think glass beads, freshwater pearls, leather, gold-plated and sterling silver charms)

• Prints (our shared baby: photography by me, digital illustration by her)

We’re building everything from scratch — product development, website, branding, logistics. This week alone I:

• Took product mockup photos with my sister (who’s modelling and building her own portfolio through this!)

• Sent the best shot off for digital illustration

• Drafted our product pricing and cost breakdowns

• Finalised two accessory designs (each available in silver and gold)

• Built version one of our website

• Wrote the market application copy (due April 27!)

And today, she’s working on our collaboration logo to bring it all together.

Now currently reflecting on all this, I know this won’t be a huge financial win (at least not yet). But the experience? The lessons? The creative spark? All worth it. This is about building a replicable model. One I can help others follow, one I can proudly say we made from the ground up.

More updates next week, same place. I’ll keep you in the loop.

Recipe Of The Week

My 3 Ingredient Scones

4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cups of thickened cream
2 cups of lemonade/sprite

Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Gradually stir in the thickened cream until just combined. Then slowly add the lemonade, mixing gently until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it 3–4 times—just enough to bring it together into a smooth ball. Roll the dough out to about 3cm thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out rounds and place them onto the prepared tray.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the tops are lightly golden. Let the scones rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy warm with jam and butter, or a generous dollop of whipped cream.

For a quick dopamine hit…

I’m a bit of a screen addict.

I constantly find myself staring at a screen, but like many of my habits, I aim to transform this into something beneficial — not just for myself, but for others too.

So, here are this week’s interesting discoveries I came across online that I think is worth your time: