Are you there Internet? It’s me Rachel. I often have conversations with myself, and/or the Internet. Bring me kitties and lasers, or something entertaining. What can I say? I remember dialing up at a very young age.
I’ve been having those almost-30-something on-again-off-again conversation about generations. Whose generation? Well my parents, my grandparents, mine, those youngin’s below me; generations in general. Granted it continues to circle back to Generation X and Generation Y. The generations I inhabit, or as have started to refer to them as Generation Lost and Found. It’s a cusp. Not one or the other, we grew up with the Internet. Hello AOL. Saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and probably got a piece that Christmas. Thanks, Grandma Shirley! Yuppies were aspirational and flannel was king. It was a mix of marketing overload and a want to turn our backs on consumerism. Growing up, we were told the world was ours to take. My parents, both baby boomers, always let me know that through work and perseverance, I could accomplish anything. Not that I don’t still believe that, but the idea that college was my gateway is no longer so clear. I don’t want to say it was entitlement. I’m not a fan of that nor do I really believe that was what my generation encompasses, but it was the world was open and we were the ones that were in control.
Fast forward to present and this is not my world. This isn’t what I thought would happen. What are you doing to me universe? Debt? Ha. I’d make a money and live in a fabulous loft. Silly debt collectors; wrong number. Moving for the third time since moving to SF? Ha. I’m going to own a condo and sell it at a fabulous profit! Ok, that last one was joke. I never expected to own anything. It was part of my I-like-to-live-like-the-wind-nomadic-wanna-be-existence. I’ve had numerous conversations over the past few week about how we need to change the way we educate ourselves. But seriously, more than ever it’s about how to adapt. It’s no longer a clear cut path to success or a job. Resume paper, does that even exist anymore? It’s about mapping out your own plan. How can you fit your strengths into the market and not you-went-to-college-here’s-a-job, or my personal favorite I-want-to-this-well-known-school-so-give-me-a-job.
This is a different world from where I came from and not even Billy Cosby can come up with an awesome theme song to fix it. It’s different than the one 10 years ago when I graduated high school, it’s different than the one I first knew when I signed up for AOL and chose my first screen name and entered into a college chat room at 10-ish. It’s about finding opportunities, it’s about trusting your gut and it’s about throwing away the idea that your life will be for one company and only one company. There’s no shame if you do stay with one company your entire career and there’s no more taboo if you job hop. It’s popular to say start your own thing and do what you can and in some places it’s easier than others. All I can say is that when you pick what is important to you — career aspirations, travel, family, love — it’s easier to find a path. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, but give in and let go of what you think your life is supposed to be and make the most of this. No, it’s not a Yuppie mall, but it’s not a brown box of gloves, socks and other forgotten items.
Generation Lost and Found is about finding that key. Finding the way in which to push yourself and trust yourself to find those opportunities at hand. Taking smart risks and making stupid mistakes. So you worked for a start-up and it busted. What did you learn? It’s about taking a job so you can pay rent and food and live your life. It’s about taking a step back and learning and loving what you do even if that means a pay cut.
If anything, Generation Lost and Found is about finding yourself and doing what makes you happy at this point. This is the point at which we do have the control. Find it and capture it. What can you do to survive?
In the end, you knowthe kids are alright.
