by Ken Vincent, Featured Contributor
Now let me say up front that I am of the Pre baby boomer generation. The generation born before generations even had names. That means that some will say that he is just an old grouch and doesn’t understand. Perhaps, but the other side of that coin is I and my generation have lived a lot years and seen a lot of things.
I don’t like these generalized labels, but since they seem to be the norm in all the surveys, articles, and posts that we are bombarded with, I’ll use them.
A common theme of the Millennial generation is that they will change the world. Best educated, up to speed on the latest hi tech, energetic, enthusiastic, high ideals, connected, and plugged in. Then there is the camp that maintains that they are spoiled and idealistic. They want it all now and don’t see why they should have to work for it. Someone has always provided for their needs, so they are owed. Society, parents, government or somebody should open that dream of having it all now and a way to pay for it later.
Well, I’m of the camp that says don’t worry they will outgrow it. They are not the first generation to think they can change society, culture, and humanity thus making the world into what they think it should be. The baby boomers dreamed of that too. Free love, sporting peace symbols, laying in a pasture smoking grass, and going to Canada to avoid the draft. That was going to stop wars, make everyone love each other, stop discrimination, and fix all the failings of prior generations. Then the Xs, Ys, and whatevers thought that individual revolt would do it. Nose rings, sit ins, tongue bars, tattoos, and orange hair would prove to everyone that there was a better way.
One by one they hit the wall of accountability and reality. They had obligations to meet. Things had to be paid for by hard work. There was a day of reckoning for spending more than you made. Nose rings and orange Mohawks were frowned on by employers and society as a whole. Free love, drugs, and peace signs didn’t change much except create more of the next generation.
History has proven two things.
1. The world does change, but only an inch at a time. No generation has every made it all work the way they thought they could when young.
2. As has always been the case, the millenials will grow out of it and hit that wall of accountability as all prior generations have.
So, my advice to those of you that have the next generation living in your basement is be patient and show some tough love. They will outgrow it.
