To the enigmatic millennial,

I hear you. Because I'm one of you. Though I try not to be biased and lament about the tragedy of our generation not having things. I digress. Maybe I do a little. I can't speak for all millennials, but I certainly can for some. I speak for those millennials not relying on daddy's money and mommy's mercy when desperate in the throes of college. We are the kids who scavenge for money like it's fucking medicine that works as a panacea, which it does in this world. I speak for the honeys working the late night shifts at the second job or the third just trying to sustain ourselves, learn the trade, remember it well and regurgitate on cue. I speak for the well deserving students begging for coffee to revive sleepiness and boredom so that we might do that homework a bit of justice. I speak these words to dissuade the older folks about passing judgment on the young ones.

Not all of us are what is represented on Facebook. We shouldn't be defined by that picture from half of year ago when we celebrated a friend's birthday. Yes, we drank and posed in a room brimming in alcohol and balloons, but that doesn't mean we're party animals. It means we're living life as young adults do. We shouldn't be defined by the times you caught us leaving a messy room to rush to work. Sure, papers and clothes were everywhere that you would think it was one of those random art pieces but we clean and haul ass on the daily. You just caught us on a bad week.

The point is please don't judge and define us. Better yet, don't highlight the differences between your lovely selves and us. Because there is no comparison. We live different lives in other times. We have mad respect for people who pulled cash from the air for college by working odd jobs. Same goes for the culture. Nowadays, things have changed. Houses cost more now and we live in tiny apartments instead. There's Internet to pay for, otherwise we wouldn't be able to access the work emails and our bank account. Excuse us, if we find Snapchat as a break from reality while we stare at the smartphone we worked hard to buy. The car payments coupled with insurance nearly cripple us. Taking the bus is cheap, but we are always late and end up depending on rides from friends and family. We fear student loans like the reaper's come to get us. It's unrelenting with the calls and the emails. Give a few years and all debts will be squared away. It's discouraging, but we find could to still push through and hope the bills gets paid in time.

This is not a plea for the older generation, our predecessors, to take pity on us. This is a plea for those who presume that all millennials are like this to take a step back and realize our plight is just as serious and important. We don't fool around and deliberately live off the land. We are trying everyday to make our lives better. We are surviving by pennies and dimes. We are going to make it, no matter what.