Generational Divide

The vast differences between each generation is something to consider when assessing why we are who we are. Our generation and our grandparents generation are as different as oil and water. The generation sandwiched between us, our parent's generation, is in the most unfortunate position. They were raised by a generation built on devotion and consistency, and are now riding on the waves of a generation full of free-thinking and wandering souls.

Our grandparents seem to have followed a thorough plan, they graduated from high school, went on to college or enlisted in the military, found a mate, and worked the same job until retirement rolled around. Their children (our parents) began living life in much the same way. A great number more went on to college, but most still married young. They started having children (us) and were happy for a time. A career was chosen and there was very little job-hopping. As soon as our generation reached teenage years, a drastic change occurred. Rather than following in the footsteps of our parents and grandparents, we forged our own way. We began rebelling against the tradition of finding a spouse, starting a career, and popping out the next generation. We realized that this formula wasn't necessarily the map to happiness. We became discontent to stay in one place for long and made the decision to explore life as independent individuals. We've given in to our desires and have explored our passions and longings. Whether this freedom has served us well is yet to be determined, more often than not I think we are headed down a dark road. We change careers constantly, give in to our discontentment, and have yet to start saving for retirement. However, we have given ourselves time to discover who we are as individuals, in turn allowing us the ability to eventually build a life that is truly complimentary of who we are.

This new path may have saved us from experiencing what our parents are in the process of experiencing. Having been positioned between polar opposite generations has produced an imbalance in the hearts and minds of our parents. They are no longer content to settle for the life their parents modeled. More and more they are taking on the characteristics of our generation. As they start examining what their lives have become, they realize they aren't necessarily compatible with the path they chose. They were brought up in a generation that was devoted to the straight and narrow, and are now living in the world of self-indulgent independents.

In my opinion, it doesn't appear that one generation is better off than the other. Our grandparents have money in the bank and solid roots. Our parents have secure careers and many years left to explore. My generation has extreme passion and the ability to adapt to any situation. Yet, of the three, not one has managed a clear track record. It is becoming more and more evident that at some point each generation falls flat on their face. I just hope that by the time my generation is ready to settle down we won't have shaped ourselves into a group that is incapable of selflessly giving back to another person.