There are quite a few things & decisions in my life that I regret. Failing to think before I speak, having one too many tequila waters the night before, & eating that extra cookie when I’m feeling sad all belong on a little piece of imaginary paper I like to call the poor-decisions-that-I-regret-but-will-most-likely-make-again-relatively-soon list. I keep this list tucked away in my little brain, often neglecting it until I have another blunder to add to it. Because how boring would my life be if I actually learned from my mistakes?? (see: “Goat Sticks” & E.R. Trips)
However, there are a few things that I never have been apologetic for—to myself or to others. Most are things, actions, conventions, etc. that I believe many people my age encounter regularly & don’t waste their time thinking twice about. We face them, make a decision to do whatever we personally see fit, & continue on with our lives. They’re normal for us.
Meanwhile, our parents & the rest of the world are having a complete meltdown, inciting mass hysteria (usually via Facebook) among those of their kind who haven’t yet discovered whatever atrocious monstrosity it is that our generation created this time.
Outrage. Turmoil. Panic. Facebook statuses. Disaster. Chaos. Explosions.
Isn’t that usually how it goes? You drop it low ONE TIME in front of your mom & somehow you’ve managed to single-handedly set women back 100 years…
Anyway.
These are the factors, in my opinion, which contribute to the disconnect occurring between my generation & those who came before us (aka the things we young people do that piss everyone else off):
Not taking “no” for an answer
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m stubborn to a fault & have even been known to resort to some immature tactics to get my way, but when it comes to things I’m truly passionate about, achieving my goals, & making things happen for myself, I won’t accept anything but the best. I won’t settle for some bs answer that someone has fed me with the hopes that I’ll eventually give up, give in, or change my plans. I shouldn’t have to rethink my vision because someone else can’t see it.
We’re stereotyped as “a generation of lazy, entitled brats,” so why is everyone complaining when we finally log off Instagram, make something of ourselves, & care enough to fight for it?
Not caring about financial stability, a steady career path, or having it all figured out
My parents have always been very aware of their past, present, & potential future financial situation. My dad can balance a checkbook, compound interest, pay bills, & analyze the stock market in his sleep. With no calculator. It’s impressive.
My parents have both changed jobs a few times in my life but never without weighing the pros & cons first, usually in terms of change in income, bills that need to be paid, & future financial investments. Never once have I heard a serious conversation between them—or any members of the previous generation—where they discuss taking a different job to be happier or to make a difference, or just to try something new & exciting.
& IT BLOWS MY MIND
I’m currently pursuing a degree in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology & honestly have no idea what I want to do with my life other than the fact that I want to help improve the lives of others. I’ll go to graduate school & rack up some student loans, maybe dig that hole a little deeper by going to physician assistant school, or maybe I’ll move to a third-world country & spend a few years trying to help people there for a salary of like a dollar. Or I may just drop all of that & follow in the footsteps of my hero, Jane Gooddall. I could totally be a monkey lady.
My point is, I don’t have it all figured out yet & I’m great with that; I appreciate a little mystery & spontaneity in my life. But I know it’s sending my parents into a complete panic, even if they won’t admit it. I’m not going to resign myself to a 9-5 job, subpar benefits, a half-decent salary, & a 401k that I may never even live to benefit from if I’m not so excited about going to work every morning that I could pee my pants.
Nope. Not gonna happen.
Using technology to my advantage
With the rapid transformation in technology over the years, achieving tasks through shortcuts & multitasking has become much more common. While many people are fighting this technological revolution, we have learned to embrace it & use it to our benefit. This has earned us the reputation of being a population that is “disconnected from the real world.” Just because we are taking advantage of these technological avenues & advances to work more efficiently, doesn’t mean we’re exerting less effort or care less than anyone else.
Not being afraid to break rules & push boundaries
If one thing is for sure, it’s that Millennials are known for challenging the idea that things should continue to be done the way they have been done by previous generations. Apparently projecting ideas laced with innovation & creativity instead of following the rule book from 1936 makes us ungrateful & entitled…
Are we truly difficult individuals to work with or are we just less likely to conform to processes, standards, rules, & ideas that no longer serve a purpose? Maybe it’s both, but I’ll go with the latter.
Not wanting a husband, kids, or a house in the suburbs
Who decided that all women should fantasize about the magic of their wedding day their entire lives or aspire to be stay-at-home moms who write little notes on the napkins they put into their kid’s lunchbox? Not all women think the same & not all women have maternal instincts. (This all applies to males as well, I’m just not qualified to speak for them.)
Why should I apologize for not conforming to a societal ideal that has a 50% failure rate at the moment? Or for not wanting to bring another human being into this world when I would rather admittedly be selfish now than have a child I resent & who resents me right back?
“You’ll change your mind when you’re older…”
That’s what I’ve heard for about 8 years now. No change of mind in sight people (sorry mom). I may look back one day & think about how different my life could’ve been if I did desire those things, but by then I’ll probably be too busy saving lives in Africa—both animal & human, of course—to really care.
So here’s to us—a generation that refuses to be silenced, stereotyped, held back, told “no”, or put in a corner
Twenty-Something & Trying 