I am 28 years old. I was born right in the middle of the summer of 1990. By definition I am a millennial but I just don't seem to fit into the generation of bubble wrapped babies. I am sure by now you have realized this is not going to be another one of those blogs that tries to defend the generation as a whole while simultaneously perpetuating the reason millennials get a bad rap in the first place. The truth is, I have a bone to pick with my generation. We have so many resources at our fingertips that generations before us could only dream of and we are wasting our time creating clever hashtags and complaining about not making enough money while sipping on a seven dollar oat milk latte. This right here is why no one takes us seriously! Our problems, our struggles, our catastrophes are self-made. We spend so much time talking about why life is so hard instead of working hard to create a better life.
Speaking of working hard.... Let me roll out a little background information so you can truly understand why I can confidently say hard work can solve the majority of the "struggles" a millennial may face.
I was raised in a military family with parents who taught me right from wrong, to say yes ma'am and yes sir, and that there are winners and losers. They taught me that please is the magic word, honesty is the best policy, and the golden rule will never let you down. They taught me to love Jesus, to be kind, and to do no harm but take no shit. My father taught me that nothing worth having ever comes easily and that knowledge is the best kind of power one can possess. My mother taught me the importance of manners, to always dress to impress, and never forget to RSVP. They were often strict, and stern, and yes they even spanked me a time or two (you can all freak out over this when you're finished reading if you feel so inclined) and I am truly a better person because of the way I was raised. (Please don't think my childhood was deprived of fun and happiness. We were incredibly happy and had so many fabulous adventures because my parents worked hard to create that life for us).
Fast forward to 28 year old me. In the ten years I have been an adult I have completed a bachelors, masters, and doctorate degree (dissertation in progress, stay tuned), I have purchased two homes and sold one at a profit, and I have worked my way up from position as an unpaid intern to the director of operations in a psychiatric hospital. I have my dream job. I make plenty of money to live comfortably (and even eat avocado toast without bitching about the price), travel, start a family, buy a car, etc. I worked my ass off to get to this point and I continue to do so every damn day because hard work pays off, it solves problems, and it's a hell of a lot more productive than binge watching Grey's Anatomy for the fourth time.
Now that you have a little insight into my world as a misplaced millennial I hope you'll continue to read what I write, open your mind to a new perspective, and at the very least consider not judging everyone by the year they were born.
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