I’m sure this scenario has happened to more than one of us- you’re at dinner with your immediate family and a relative (in my case, it was my uncle) and the generational “When I was your age” convo comes up.  Somehow, this conversation turns into a bashing of the younger generation’s irresponsible and clueless lifestyle choices.  Oh, how original of them.

So original, it was recently discussed on The View, when the panel was divided between the older ladies, Joy, Barbs, and Whoopi and the younger gals, Elizabeth and Sherri.  The controversy was over the response young people (assume 20s-early 30s) give when asked about their 10-year plan. Basically, it seems we’re lost, with no desire to ask for directions.  To some degree, Whoopi and her crew are right, some of us (I won’t generalize and say all for those of you who have the 10-year timeline drawn out and color coded- kudos to you) don’t have a plan, and most of us may have a loose outline.  I may say in 10 years I want to be married and have a career, but if you ask me with who, doing what, I’m stumped.  But they’re wrong; I do want directions.  In fact, most of my friends do, because when we go to each other- it’s the blind leading the blind. One day I ask them for answers, the next day they ask me.  I’m sure one day we’ll realize how counterproductive this is, but right now, I think we just like knowing we’re not lost alone.

I still have hope for my peers.  I’m a firm believer that most people have an idea of what they want in life or where they’d ideally like to be in 10 years.  It’s not necessarily the goal that is uncertain; it’s how we’ll manage to attain it that is still the great mystery.

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