A couple of days ago, I found myself in contact with a woman I will always remember. Not because she was sweet or wise, but because for the first time in a very long time she brought up emotions in me that made me want to knock her teeth into next week. Those of you who know me are probably up in arms wondering what she could have done to make me so mad. And those of you who really know me are probably like, "so, just another Tuesday?"

Let me begin by saying this: I'm sure this woman meant no harm. I'm sure she thought that her nuggets of golden wisdom blessed my soul. Well...they didn't; they gave me heartburn. This woman was a self-proclaimed film prodigy although I had never heard or seen her before (alright, Imma stop being petty) and once she found out about my film major she took it upon herself to write my future. She told me what almost everyone else who has no real interest in my future assumed about me: you're not doing enough. She wasn't interested in what I had done or my plans for my future, she didn't even think to ask. As soon as I uttered the words "film and English major" she began giving me advice that she thought I needed and that she apparently thought I asked for (sorry, I know I said I would stop being petty a couple sentences ago).

Now, I was salty and steamy for a minute, but not all of my anger was channeled at this one woman I had met for the first time and for only 15 minutes, tops. My anger was channeled at the hundreds (excuse my hyperbole) of older folks who had immediately underestimated my grind because of my age.

I'm 21. In your 20s you're expected to have your life completely together even though it's really just starting. And by 25 everyone is wondering why you haven't married yet. It's exhausting and, honestly, I'm tired of it. People my age are being underestimated while also being held up to these impossibly high and disrespectfully retro standards. Don't get me wrong, holding someone to high expectations can be a motivating tactic. But not when these standards are belittling and restrictive. (Sorry grandma) I don't want to be married with kids by 25. But what I do want by 25 is a different world. A better one. And not a world that has been made great again because it wasn't great for everyone back in the day (y'all know who I'm side-eyeing). I always thought I wanted to go to Hollywood and be Ava DuVernay, but she's clearly a celestial goddess and those dreams to be her were feeble anyways; the world couldn't handle two Avas. As I've grown and learned and listened, I've found my heart within the need for marginalized voices in film and I can assure you right now, Hollywood ain't interested in all that just yet. And when I say I want to change that, people have literally laughed in my face and told me to follow the money. My priorities are not to assimilate to the traditional "American Dream" (don't even get me started on that) my priorities are to make a life for myself that I'm proud of not one I can cash in.

That's just what this woman did. She basically told me that my dreams to shake the film industry would die along with my dusty wallet. And I laughed along with her. I jumped over to her side of the fence, pointed my fingers at my ambitious self and laughed along with her. Why? Because I didn't want to challenge her for some reason. Maybe it was the way I was raised not to talk back, maybe it was because sometimes I doubted myself too. I don't know the reason but I regret it today. I should have watched her finish her chuckle and then let her know that her words didn't effect me to the point of abandoning my vision. If anything, they inspired me. I should have challenged her because she underestimated me. She spoke to me in a way that devalued who I am building myself up to be. And, to be honest (Imma be petty again) I wanted to snatch her edges but instead I walked away and prayed for the Lord to do it for me (he said no).

I'm not being a whiny millennial when I say: stop underestimating us and stop trying to oversee our choices and decisions because you think we're not capable of being successful or thinking logically or shaping the world into something better for everyone. What if you believed in us? What if you supported us? What if you gave us the reigns? Now, this message doesn't apply to every "older person" out there. Some of y'all have our back and instill your wisdom in us while also trusting us.

But some of y'all really have no faith in us at all. Why? You raised us. 😏

So throw your stones and call us dreamers but don't underestimate us. And that's not a plea, that's a warning.

We're good, we're dope, magical and fabulous. Believe in us.