I have come across several comments or statements about my generation (sometimes called "generation y," which probably has some really "meta" meanings. Like the generation after "x," or the generation that asks "y do I have to work?"), and what a waste it will result in. Most of the examples that cross my mind are pretty anecdotal, but I think the best one comes from Louis CK when he was on Conan. Louis is a pretty hysterical, intelligent comedian with a mouth like a septic tank, but he's clean here, give it a quick watch:
He has been making claims like this for a while now. Of course, he is totally right. My generation (I'm 26) and those younger than me are poised to be a bunch of lazy, entitled, whiny jerks who ruin everything that isn't already ruined.
So I think that raises one question: who on earth raised these people?
I've been thinking about generations lately. I think it is a fairly well understood principle that in a healthy society, the current group of parents must sacrifice and give to the current generation of children. Then, when those children become parents, they must in turn sacrifice and give. In this way generations are raised that can continue being members of a functioning, healthy society.
I've often thought "it's too bad that life is pretty much destined to have sacrifices necessary. What if I (or someone) grew up and didn't have kids, or didn't sacrifice for them like society needs me to? Then I'd have a life of comfort and pleasure, while breaking the chain of raising healthy children. Selfish, but effective.
I think of it as a trust fund. If there is a hundred-million dollars sitting in the bank, and I am living off of the interest quite comfortably, it would be a lot of fun for me to crack open the fund and spend it all. My kids might not have anything to live off, but I would have a fantastic life. This is obviously very foolish, but is this what the parents of "generation y" have done?
I can't help but think that these parents just got selfish. Divorce rates hit 50%, debt skyrocketed, traditional morals and discipline eroded and schools began to suffer. Children were raised by televisions and day cares and fathers would see their kids on weekends. Don't all of those things sound ultimately selfish? Like parents mortgaged their children's futures for their own present?
I didn't suffer through any of that. But when I ask my friends about growing up, those that had divorced parents say (almost unequivocally) that it sucked. Going from house to house, leaving stuff at the wrong place, trying to get signatures for things. It sounds pretty awful. But is it any surprise that it's resulted in a generation of impatient, unprepared reluctant adults?
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| One of my favorite of newborn Wyatt |
I am a member of the worthless generation. I am also a teacher of the worthless generation, if you'll let me lap everyone under 30 together in this. I have learned to assume that a kid's parents are divorced. There have been too many times that I have said "mom and dad" or "parents" plural, only to have the student correct me. (And when they correct me, you can tell it bothers them.) So now I use the words "home" and "whoever is in charge" to talk about signatures or payments or whatever. I think it's tragic. I hope that we grow up and tell ourselves "coming from a divorced family sucked, so I don't want to do that to my kids, my spouse or myself," but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
I do not have grand aspirations or desires. I don't see myself ever changing the world. I do think that if I raise a good, healthy family, teach students well and try to have a positive impact on those around me, then I am doing enough. And if the majority of us had those simple goals (or at least goals of their own that were benefiting society), I feel like I'd hear less and less about how awful the world is every day.
2 comments:
I know deep down in my bones, that the weakness of my father, the selfishness of my mother, and the ego of both, lead to their break up. The never stopped to even think about how it would affect their kids. They never stopped to ponder if they were compatible long-term before having kids.
It lead to me growing up shy, missing my teens, dealing with an overbearing mother and one violent alcoholic step 'father' after another.
I learned not to trust anyone, To walk on eggshells around other guys. Every women was my mother, and every guy was my father, and all my half-hearted nice-guy efforts, the desperation of a withering soul, alienated people.
I learned not to get close. To turn my back and walk away. Another friend I won't remember down the road.
I turned into a narcissistic, because the world didn't love me, and no one taught me to love myself. So I learned to fake it.
Welcome to Generation Y. The Generation of keeping up with the Joneses. The Generation of mom-or-dad-spoiling-their-kid as a way to get out of actually raising them.
Welcome to rage and sorrow.
The future is here and now.
The apocalypse has come and gone.
The namesakes all been mortgaged.
For the same old dance and song.
Fuck the boomers.
Cause My Generation will inherit the earth. And when we do, there will be one last hurrah, a giant orgy of sex and violence followed by a bang. Then comes silence.
I love it. It isn't enough to be worthless. It also has to be someone else's fault. Your failure is now complete.
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