Every now and then, I hear someone utter a sentence said by thousands before them and one I’m sure you’ve all heard before as well.
“I was born in the wrong generation.”
Considering the fact that my iTunes library looks like that of a 50-year-old man and I can sometimes get emotional thinking about some of the things I would’ve loved to experience first hand (Fleetwood Mac performing live at their "Rumours" peak, the Apollo moon landing, the list is endless), most people would probably expect me to think this statement applies to myself, and I don’t blame them. Occasionally, I will even think it to myself, and in those moments, I find the need to remind myself of something. I absolutely do not wish I were born in a different generation.
The millennial generation has been subject to every spectrum of ridicule— we’ve been called lazy, entitled, narcissistic, coddled and even delusional. Other generations— Baby boomers and Gen X especially— believe our generation to be vapid, unrealistic and, plainly, stupid. They believe we don’t have the work ethic or the realistic mindset to succeed in this world. And they are right. We don’t, simply because there is no way to continue in the world the previous generations have created for us.
The cost of a year of education in 1970? $1,248. In 2013? $20,234. Median cost of a home in 1970? $23,600. 2011? $240,100. Societal problems are factors as well. Women still are fighting for the right to control our own bodies and make the same wages for the same jobs men have. Racism is still alive and well. The LBGTQ+ community is still discriminated against. Simply put, it is not possible for a generation like us to live in the climate that has been created. So, we are creating a new one.
Although there is certainly still work to do, our generation has seen unbelievable improvements. No matter what your thoughts on Obama are, it was our generation that saw the first black president in history. We are actually calling out the institutional racism that is still so incredibly prevalent. We have encouraged, fought for and seen the federal legalization of gay marriage.
According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, we’re probably the best-educated generation in American history. We’re more politically committed, with the National Conference of Citizenship saying we are voting at a higher rate than other generations at our age. We are genuinely interested in how to make this world a place where future generations can not only live, but also thrive. These are new, life changing and challenging a lot of internal structures that have been around for a very long time. This is something to celebrate. This is something to be proud of.
I feel truly grateful that I am not only alive to see these our world changing, but to also be a part of the force that is changing it. I do not, under any circumstances, wish I were born in a different generation, and you shouldn’t either.
