Generation Me

While I was in Wisconsin one of our family friends started talking about generations of people. Baby boomers, generation x, then there is generation y but the slightly younger generation as well, also known as the "peter pan" generation because of the lack of growing up. He called it generation me. Hit the nail on the head with that one.

It is safe to say that people in their late twenties down to late teens live in a world that revolves around them to a point more extreme than generations before. Given the fact that all of us have at least one website dedicated strictly to ourselves. I have two. I have a website that you type in my name and all these stories and random facts about me, my life, my thoughts, come up- for anyone in the world to see. And if you join a network and type in my name, you can see pictures of me and essentially track my entire day to day life from 2006 and on. People buy into that stuff.

I think the difference between us and people ten or so years older than us is that they were told you can do anything you want, while we are being told you can do whatever you want. Just like everything else-we take advantage of that statement.

Now, I love this generation. I like the spirit everyone carries with them and the independent thinking. The problem is it seems to stop at the thought and doesn't get put into action. The phrase "I'm not ready" is such a crock and it is said repeatedly by this generation. I'm not ready for marriage, I'm not ready to go to school, I'll go back to church but I'm not ready. Even worse is that, that, is an acceptable excuse. But if you say "I just don't want to" people think you are irresponsible and lazy. Which is logical. I typically shrug my shoulders and mumble something in hopes that the subject will be changed.

Everyone seems so fearless. We all want to go sky diving and buy motorcycles and do crazy tricks on longboards and what not. We are invincible, yet we are so afraid of committing. If I go to school that means I have to pick a major and what if I don't like that major? Then I have to start over. So I might as well not bother. I get by supporting me just fine. If I get married then that means that someone else is sleeping in my bed. Someone will be in my comfort zone and someone will ask me where I have been, where I am going, and why I bought what I bought or did what I did. That someone has to know your life mistakes and what debt you have too. **Disclaimer-those are thoughts of the general generation, not solely my own.

We do a lot of whatever. We care about what we care about-and we let everyone else care about the rest. The things we want are usually things we can get. If we can't get them right then, we find a way to get them right then, or we accept it and find something else. We don't really know what we're doing but everyone seems so happy doing whatever it is they are doing.

It's a pretty good bunch of people this generation has. A very glass half full, happy go lucky, love one another-generation. I am certain one day we will figure it all out. But, for now, maybe we just aren't ready.