The Entitlement Generation
NOTE: If you are easily offended and are twenty-something, don't read this. 'Cause I'm so talking about you. (Except in the rare case that you don't subscribe to this phenomena, in which case yay for you.) Whatever you do don't read it and then leave me a flame in a comment. I DO NOT CARE. It is that simple. The following are my thoughts, and my opinions, based on things I have read/witnessed/experianced. If it pisses you off, I don't care. If it offends you, I don't care. I'm only writing this with the hopes of opening up some eyes. This isn't really at anyone in particular, because I know some of my friends are in this grouping, and I know some aren't. I know some are half and half. It was inspired by a friend's post, you don't need to know who, but it's not aimed at that person (okay person?), it's just aimed in the general direction of everyone. Like spraying air freshner.
Generations have names, as you know, baby boomers, generation x, whatever. I have a name for my generation of twenty-something smarter-than-thou, holier-than-thou, Americans (This doesn't apply nearly as much if you're from another country, except Canada, because they're very close to America in many ways, not just location). The Entitlement Generation a group of like-minded, like-aged, peers who all feel like they deserve things just because of who they are, not because they earned it. The poor little rich boys, and rich girls, of the world, who while not all of them are actually rich, whine poor me every time something doesn't go their way.
I admit it, here and now. Sometimes I am a card carrying member of this group. But the move has taught me so much, I've had to fight, struggle, go with out. I've had to eat generic food, wear "ghetto" clothes, and pretty much struggle just to start going upward in a new area. Why? Because I came here feeling so entitled to whatever I wanted, be it a job or what, that I became lax, and lazy, and dug myself into a hole that I am still trying to climb out of.
Some of my peers are probably thinking, 'But you live with your parents, how hard can it be?' True, except they moved too. My dad has done this before and he warned us before we even left New York, that it was going to be hard. The move drained us emotionally, physically, financially. Paying for the move itself, rent on the new house, new furniture and utitlies not to mention we were still paying the house in New York's mortgage. All before any of us had started a job down here. Granted, Dad came here having a job, but didn't start for a month or so until everything was settled, and then it was commission, so that sucked.
But this isn't about me. This is about my generation. We feel deserving of respect when we've done nothing to earn respect. We feel deserving of cash and goods when we've done nothing to earn these cash and goods. And god forbid something should happen with our homes, families, roommates, jobs, cars, friends, etc. We panic blindly ranting and raving in our blogs and podcasts, and oh yes I so do appreciate the irony of that statement. If we could travel back in time and meet our parents when they were our age, or they could come see us, they'd be ashamed. We've come from a generation of protests and hard work, of 'Damn the man!' and peace and love. Here were are resting on our laurels when we could be working for equal rights in workplaces if that's our problem, when we could be fighting tooth and nail to be the respectable one who gets the job, to help others help themselves.
Instead we're just sitting on our tushes bitching. We feel entitled, and we aren't. If you want something, if you want to leave the world better get off your lazy arse and do something about it! Do all that you can do to accomplish your goals, to accomplish your dreams, to accomplish your own personal bit of peace. Otherwise when you're the age your parents are you'll be looking back with your coulda, shoulda, woulda's. Stop feeling entitled, start becoming entitled!
I feel the urge to raise my fist though none of you can see it, so just imagine it is so.
Generations have names, as you know, baby boomers, generation x, whatever. I have a name for my generation of twenty-something smarter-than-thou, holier-than-thou, Americans (This doesn't apply nearly as much if you're from another country, except Canada, because they're very close to America in many ways, not just location). The Entitlement Generation a group of like-minded, like-aged, peers who all feel like they deserve things just because of who they are, not because they earned it. The poor little rich boys, and rich girls, of the world, who while not all of them are actually rich, whine poor me every time something doesn't go their way.
I admit it, here and now. Sometimes I am a card carrying member of this group. But the move has taught me so much, I've had to fight, struggle, go with out. I've had to eat generic food, wear "ghetto" clothes, and pretty much struggle just to start going upward in a new area. Why? Because I came here feeling so entitled to whatever I wanted, be it a job or what, that I became lax, and lazy, and dug myself into a hole that I am still trying to climb out of.
Some of my peers are probably thinking, 'But you live with your parents, how hard can it be?' True, except they moved too. My dad has done this before and he warned us before we even left New York, that it was going to be hard. The move drained us emotionally, physically, financially. Paying for the move itself, rent on the new house, new furniture and utitlies not to mention we were still paying the house in New York's mortgage. All before any of us had started a job down here. Granted, Dad came here having a job, but didn't start for a month or so until everything was settled, and then it was commission, so that sucked.
But this isn't about me. This is about my generation. We feel deserving of respect when we've done nothing to earn respect. We feel deserving of cash and goods when we've done nothing to earn these cash and goods. And god forbid something should happen with our homes, families, roommates, jobs, cars, friends, etc. We panic blindly ranting and raving in our blogs and podcasts, and oh yes I so do appreciate the irony of that statement. If we could travel back in time and meet our parents when they were our age, or they could come see us, they'd be ashamed. We've come from a generation of protests and hard work, of 'Damn the man!' and peace and love. Here were are resting on our laurels when we could be working for equal rights in workplaces if that's our problem, when we could be fighting tooth and nail to be the respectable one who gets the job, to help others help themselves.
Instead we're just sitting on our tushes bitching. We feel entitled, and we aren't. If you want something, if you want to leave the world better get off your lazy arse and do something about it! Do all that you can do to accomplish your goals, to accomplish your dreams, to accomplish your own personal bit of peace. Otherwise when you're the age your parents are you'll be looking back with your coulda, shoulda, woulda's. Stop feeling entitled, start becoming entitled!
I feel the urge to raise my fist though none of you can see it, so just imagine it is so.