Picture it. You're a millennial in 2017. You're scrolling through Tumblr and stop at a vintage photo of The Beatles. You sigh heavily and say,
"I was born in the wrong generation."
STOP.
When I hear fellow millennials say this with the utmost sincerity, like they really truly believe it, I really just have the urge to scream. I get it, you saw The Great Gatsby and want to throw parties like that. I get it, you see how women used to dress in the 1940s and 50s with actual style and class and want to emulate that. I get it, you crave a time where cellphones were not the crux of existence and people actually wrote letters.
But really. When you actually think about living in previous generations, and I mean really think about it, is it really something you would want? Because I used to say it all the time too. I used to watch period films like The Duchess (Keira Knightley is the queen of everything, I don't make the rules) and would wistfully sigh and say, "If only I lived back then... Imagine all the dresses and hats I could wear on the daily."
But then I got to college and my brain started connecting what that would actually mean...
I don't want to be part of a generation where electricity doesn't exist.
I don't want to be part of a generation where cell phones are not in use.
I don't want to be part of a generation where women can't vote or get an education.
I don't want to be part of a generation where people of all races are not equal in the opportunities America has to offer.
I don't want to be part of a generation where medicine is underdeveloped and people can die from the simplest of illnesses.
I don't want to be part of a generation where traveling means riding a horse for days or weeks.
I don't want to be part of a generation where One Direction didn't exist. (I'm sorry, this just had to be included.)
I don't want to be part of a generation where medical technology and scientific advancements are rare.
I don't want to be part of a generation where computers are unheard of.
People, this list could really go on and on and on.
At the end of the day, you wouldn't want to be living in previous generations either. As a religious person, I'm grateful that God put me on this Earth when He did. But even if you're not religious, you have to admit our generation is so extremely powerful and lucky. The things we have been able to do in the 2000s are things our grandparents and great-grandparents could have only dreamed of.
So, next time you're about to say you were born in the wrong generation, remember that even if you're living in 2017, you can still throw a party like Gatsby. You can still be a hippie. You can still drive a 1966 Chevrolet. You can still wear vintage clothing from the 1940s. You can still write letters. You can still listen to The Beatles on vinyl. You can still take polaroid photos.
The only difference? You're doing these things with all the added advantages of being alive in the 21st century.
