In Defense of My Generation

Generation Y, the Millennials, the Echo-Boomers. Whatever you want to call us, it seems we get no respect. Sometimes, I think that part of growing older seems to necessitate a certain amount of disdain for the younger generation. So perhaps every generation goes through a time when they are looked down upon. But I only know that it makes my blood boil to see the word "entitlement" put together with my generation time and time again. Right now I've been set off by seeing it a book I'm reading called "The Unlikely Disciple" (p. 9, Roose). What bothers me most is that it's written by someone in our generation! Please, please, please, my fellow peers, don't endorse the stereotype!

I would like to make a quick note that I actually am enjoying the book I'm referencing, but this is an issue I feel the need to address. How are we entitled exactly?

• We're currently living in one of our country's biggest economic depressions

• Jobs we studied in school for years to obtain are no longer available
  

• Because our country is so obsessed with the War on Terror, we're not even entitled to the privacy of our own bodies when traveling

I won't say we're perfect. I won't say that some of us aren't spoiled. But this wouldn't be because of our generation.

Thoughts From My Road Trip and my Personal Life

So my boyfriend graciously just drove me down to southern California and back for an interview. I don't have any pictures of the trip since things generally flew by too fast for me to take them. But here's what I remember.

• I saw a car pulling a helicopter. At first I thought it was just the blade as the helicopter was partially covered, but then I realized it was the whole helicopter.

• I saw a trucker chugging a half gallon of milk as he drove. Good to know some truckers take their calcium intake seriously.

• I saw a sign that said "ALMONDS $ CHERRIES LB" and can only imagine some almond cherry Setter's of Catan-style exchange.

• I saw a hill with a giant F on it. It must hurt to fail at being a hill.

• I smelled a fog of cow drifting from an enormous cattle ranch. Not an experience I recommend.

I would like to admit that sometimes I find it difficult to keep diary entries from being dry when a lot is happening in my personal life. As a rule, I try not to say anything online that I wouldn't want my boss to see. I don't actually lead a wild life--unless you count burning rather quickly through my netbooks because I have a bad habit of falling asleep with them or racing to finish the books I read for my three different book clubs. I just generally regard many of my relationships and thoughts and feelings as strictly personal, and therefore would not discuss them here.

However, I don't lead a secretive life. If you're a friend, you're free to ask me what's going on with me these days by either e-mailing or calling and I'll tell you. Most those close to me know how much I love to talk. Basically, this is a shout out to those people to contact me if they'd like to know more personal stuff than I post here. I'm always happy to hear from people, no matter how long it's been. I've been doing well, but I've also been quite busy, and I just want my friends to know I haven't forgotten them. I simply don't spend as much time on the internet or phone as I used to--probably both good things for me, but I do miss talking to all of you. So please do drop me a line if you feel at all inclined.

Sorry for the inconsistency of my posts as well. I don't have a consistent enough schedule to make daily posts convenient anymore, and I don't tend to remember weekly posts. If I could pick a certain day of the week that'd be great, but I frequently don't know how busy I'll be any given day. And if I do it on random days I inevitably forget. I am trying to work on a solution to this problem, though. In the meantime, feel free to poke me from time to time to get me to blog.