Millennial Maya K. Francis writes in a refreshing piece at xoJane about, well, her generation. Instead of casting wild-eyed glances at the "me, me, me" generation, older folks should borrow a page from some of these, yes, industrious and tech-savvy youths. They could actually teach older folks some life lessons.
My first job out of graduate school was at a K Street public relations and strategic communications firm in D.C. My boss, who is around the same age as my mother, frequently capped the off-color remarks she made about me to whoever was listening with a matter-of-fact, “You know how these Millennials are.” This says nothing of the time a senior-level employee of a notable non-profit organization stuck a pencil in my face and told me to “Go sharpen it,” in a room full of people at the top of the client meeting.
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That type of thing is hard to buy into.
Talk to a boomer about this type of thing, they’ll tell you, “It happens.” They’ll package it with a story about their own public humiliation and they call it “paying your dues” or “starting from the bottom.” Well, to quote another line from fellow Millennial and contemporary philosopher Aubrey Graham, you only live once.
I felt sorry for the people who had been so conditioned to accept and expect their own misery that their best offers were to advise me of the same.
“Why do I have to wait until I’m 65 to enjoy my life?”, I thought. “Why do I have to be a manager to have my work, ideas and contributions respected, even in an entry-level position? If so many hours of our day are spent working, shouldn’t we at least feel fulfilled in the work we do?”
Read Maya K. Francis' entire piece at xoJane.
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