As I listened to the Billy Joel song "Vienna" the first few times it sparked a reverie within me. Are we to head the advice of the Piano Man, and others who similarly believe that you should not try to grow up too young, or the less enticing instructions from our elders demanding early maturity.
It is becoming more and more common for youths of my age and disposition to live at home longer, to not necessarily go to college, and to not necessarily find a career immediately after they have finished their education (whether by choice or not). This trend of post-high schoolers and collegers returning to the once empty nest, or never leaving, seems to be continually frowned upon by the parents of these blood-suckers.
I can not deny, as many believe, that laziness and limited desire for independence is to blame. However, I think that much of the causality can be aimed towards the big bad world that teens and twentysomethings with limited facial hair have to face. The blue collar world of the fifties, sixties and seventies, is no more. Outsourcing and insourcing and supply-chaining has drastically reduced the number of domestic workers needed to keep multi-national or multi-province companies operating smoothly.
The cost of living, especially in California, in conjunction with taxes and the appallingly low minimum wage make the early independence of our parents a dream of the past. Moving out and buying a home before you are the age of 25 with out a spouse is nearly a fantasy. Even though the present housing market is a buyers dream, the poor lending practices of the national banking system have prevented it from being a "first-time" buyer's dream.
Careers just are not as available as they once were. The amount of money to be made while starting at the bottom rung is almost not worth it without the years of experience to promote your initial salary.
It makes sense why many of my generation want to stay close to home. The laziness is permissible to my kind, because of the safety net that accompanies. I do not know how many of fellow high school graduates spent hours and hours at restaurants and Starbucks counters. Even if some of these examples are the ones that have moved out with a boyfriend, or good friend, they can barely stay afloat working full-time jobs of this calibur. When are they supposed to get the education required for position that were once being thrown at high school graduates?? Why do people all of a sudden need a bachelor's degree to manage a restaurant or small office?? The abundance of college graduates does not magically make these positions harder to hold and carry out the duties of. The standards and obstacles for jobs that have been around for decades have floated just as fast as the inflation rate, and left those with limited income, or natural born intelligence without the slightest possibility to compete.
This is leading me to believe my generation, will become the generation of lifelong renters, the generation of life long double-jobbers, the generation of dreams and hopes that were put on permanent hold and stand-by. WE CAN'T GET THE JOB WITHOUT THE EXPERIENCE, AND WE CAN'T GET THE EXPERIENCE WITHOUT THE JOB.
So I ask, are we supposed to grow up fast and thrust ourselves into the big bad world as soon as we can, or are we to take our time and figure it out and find a path that is bearable and profitable?? What do you want me to do Moms and Dads??
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