Unlike most people's opinions of us, being a millennial is actually very difficult. I understand that a lot of us get away with not working and playing the victim and wanting everything for free, but then there's the rest of us who actually want to work for a living instead of getting it handed to us. The worst part about being a millennial is the opinions of other generations. However, their judgements don't really matter as long as they're not true. The truth is that every generation offers positive contributions to society. But most people are unwilling to see it that way.
Most people see us as lazy, entitled, and immoral, but have they ever stopped to think about where we may have gotten all this from? I'm not trying to place blame, but it is something to think about. People don't just start acting different, they are raised by an older generation that passed down characteristics, influencing how younger people act. So, older generations should consider the possibility that maybe they had something to do with the way millennials act.
Viewing the millennial generation as inferior to others won't solve anything. In fact, all it does is simply make us feel like we aren't an important part of society. It's really sad for those of us who want to make good decisions and have those same values, but are constantly scrutinized because of our age. Those of us who want to make a difference and be ourselves are still seen as those who have no cares in the world.
But maybe, possibly, there could be some of us in this great big melting pot we call America that went to school, got jobs, met someone, and started a family. Some of us still have traditional values and want the same things that older generations wanted for themselves and for all of us. To me, the idea of finishing school and getting a job seems like the most successful goal I could reach because I will have done it all by myself. Throughout my life, I have constantly strived for independence. Although I sometimes need help from others, I know what I am capable of and have always tried my best. Sometimes we need a little help, and that's okay. But we also need to figure things out on our own and be able to push ourselves and make difficult decisions without asking for help.
Being raised in the south may have influenced the way I believe and the values I have, but I am not ashamed of it. Even today, after graduating and getting out into the real world, I still have the same traditional values I had when I was a little girl in ribbons and pearls. I still want that career in the medical field, a husband who loves and supports me (forever), and little house in the middle of a field with flowers growing all around it. I want that stuff. I don't know that the world can still offer me that, but a girl can dream. And being a millennial certainly doesn't mean that those values have disappeared. Maybe after seeing how modern the word has become, I have developed a tighter grip on those dreams I once had because I'm afraid they might not be possible. But I believe that everyone, even millennials, have that dream, whether or not they believe it is achievable.
