Sometimes in my efforts to keep up with current events and politics, I get discouraged about the future – the economy sucks, crime is everywhere, and political scandals abound. As I discuss this with my friends and say for the umpteenth time, “When I’m president…,” I realize it may not be that far off. It’s easy to pretend we’re not “real” grown-ups; besides having cars & being old enough to drink, I still see my friends largely the same way I have since grade school.  My friends already are or are in school to be all types of engineers, scientific researchers, doctors, government officials, psychologists, business managers, teachers, actors, directors,  - and me, the writer.  And of course until we strike it rich some of us slave away in retail, schlep coffee, and take unpaid internships while we bide our time to take over the world. But what will we do with it when we get it? Like it or not, we will be the next generation of leadership in no time, and we want so much more than the “American Dream” ever was;  we want the job, the house, the family, & the lifestyle, and we want it yesterday.

The world we live in is changing fast mainly thanks to technology, and we better pay attention and hold on tight. In the last century, we’ve come through Prohibition, women’s suffrage, civil rights, & terrorism, for a start. And there’s more on the horizon. We are the generation that will decide hot issues like gay marriage, legalization of marijuana, stem cell research, what to do when we ourselves age, & the ultimate healthcare & banking overhauls. The media likes to say Bush left Obama quite a mess, but make no mistake, WE are really the ones who will inherit trillions in debt (Can someone please tell me how many zeroes that is?), wars, and the probable bankruptcy of many government programs. We can wait with bated breath to see what the president comes up with, but that’s a tall order for one person in a few years. What next?

My point is, simply, that we indecisive choisters are going to have to make some choices, and difficult ones at that.  We have to take responsibility for the world we want to live in and create it. And we’ve gotta fight for a lot more than our right to party. I think we can handle it; after all, we’re the generation that invented Facebook. And one last thing- we’re still going to need a female president, so vote Rachel in 2030. That gives me about 20 years to figure out how to save the world; so if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to do.

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