Talking about my Generation

Two weeks ago my boyfriend graduated college and I couldn't be happier for him. Partially because it was high time he graduated that mofo, but mostly because he was ready to take that next step and it's an exciting time. I can admit that this time last year I was slightly envious of him. Yes, I was done with school but I wasn't going on to "bigger and better things". Not immediately, anyway. He still had his college security blanket, his close friends living a few feet away from him, and I was mentally preparing myself to go back to La Madre.

In fact, my bf wasn't the only person I was close to who was staying in school. I felt like everyone had an extra semester or year tucked away somewhere, and I couldn't wrap my head around it. But then something  happened. The summer ended, I found a way to move out on my own, got a job within my field and I never looked back. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen, folks.

Now that some of my closer friends have graduated (at last) I'm extremely proud of them, not only because of what they've accomplished but because their attitude after graduating is way more optimistic than mine was. I'm generally a happy-go-lucky kind of person, but even I can admit that post-grad life scared me. The 20-something's I've talked to about their recent graduations don't all have jobs lined up but they're prepared to work and market themselves. I think in a lot of ways this generation of young adults is thought to be self-concerned (true), self-centered (true), self-entitled (very true), but we can also be self-sufficient. There's no shame in going back home if you're working hard to get out, and if you're temporarily unemployed just remember that it's only temporary.

My best advice to grads who have failed to realize the above is this: stop looking for a hand out. No one owes you a damn thing. You've made it this far, so keep the momentum going.