And possibly born into the wrong generation. (I’m supposed to be either X or Y, don’t remember which letter of the alphabet). The more I hear about the millennials, the more I see that I agree with their values–which are often portrayed in a negative light.
Millennials don’t think of owning a car as a necessity. For those raised in our car-centric culture, this seems downright un-American. I happen to love being a non-driver. It all depends on what kind of lifestyle you’re looking for. Living in an urban area where you can take the train–or better yet, walk!–everywhere is a beautiful thing.
Millennials also don’t consider homeownership to be as important as their parents and grandparents did. Again, this is viewed as a failure of this generation, or as a sign that they are giving up on the American dream. But maybe the dream is simply changing. I am a homeowner at the moment, but as time goes on, downsizing to a condo or apartment is looking more and more attractive. Taking care of a home with a yard is a hassle, and living in the suburbs is a screaming bore.
Millennials believe in a work/life balance, and they’re right about this one as well. We exist with the delusion that our lives will be better if we sacrifice them on the altar of work. But what’s the point of making the money if you don’t ever have the time to sit back and enjoy what you’ve earned?
They are also socially liberal and accepting of diversity. I’ve always thought this was a no-brainer, but unfortunately, recent events in the news show us that it isn’t. Maybe this new generation will finally get it. And they tend to be spiritual rather than religious. Religion adds structure to spiritual practice, which can be useful, but spirituality is where the true connection with God is found. So it seems the young have their priorities straight.
There is only one area in which I will have to part ways with the millennials–they are disillusioned when it comes to politics, and mostly not engaged in political activism or even voting. I can’t blame them for feeling this way, considering the way our political system works these days. But I still believe that it’s crucial to be active. No matter how cynical you may be about it–and I am–it’s best to be alert and involved with your lawmakers, otherwise the day may come when your lawmakers decide to become involved with your life in ways you didn’t expect.
So I guess if nothing else, I’m younger in spirit than I am in body. Now where’s my latest time-bending invention? I have to make sure to be born in the correct year this time.
05/14/2014 at 12:12 pm
Interesting stuff. I’m off houseownership for a period, working with an ipad and traveling in Italy and the south of France at the moment. It’s not that bad a life, really.
05/14/2014 at 6:47 pm
Yeah, yeah, stop tempting me. Not sure why I ever decided to be a responsible adult 🙂
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05/16/2014 at 1:23 pm
Millennials are the hope of the world because they will be in total control of the government in time to come. They have sensible heads on their shoulders and I am fascinated by their ideological overview.
05/16/2014 at 8:47 pm
I certainly hope you are right, John. I love their mindset, but then again, every generation so far has been hyped as the one that will change the world, so I’m cautious. We’ll see if the millennials become more conventional or conservative as they get older. Thanks for reading! 🙂
05/16/2014 at 9:03 pm
I have great hopes because surely they have seen the necessity for a change from what has been. 🙂
05/16/2014 at 9:04 pm
Good, in that case I’ll have great hopes with you 🙂
Date: Sat, 17 May 2014 04:03:28 +0000 To: missvixiev@hotmail.com
05/16/2014 at 9:07 pm
🙂
06/18/2014 at 12:18 pm
“I have to make sure to be born in the correct year this time” Ahem, dear brat, I do hope you meant ‘next time’.
06/18/2014 at 5:04 pm
Well, if I had a time machine or some such contraption, it could still be this time…again. But “next time” works too 😉