Lila ~ May 19

 

Earlier today, I read an article online, by a new college grad, writing about how she feels about graduation.  With graduation, she is losing the structure and social support that she’s had for the last 4 years.  She’s also losing a piece of her identity.  For the first 18 years of her life were defined by academia.  Then, another four continued to be defined by it.  Now, at age 22, she’s out in the world on her own.  No more letters to hide behind.  On top of that, the war in Gaza, human rights violations elsewhere in the world, political upheaval, etc., still leave her feeling hopeless about the future.  She thought by now, she’d have more figured out, but she is more ambiguous about it all than ever before.  

I read the comment section of this article, reposted on Microsoft Bing (the original article didn’t have a space for comments), and saw many comments along the lines of 

“go get a job snowflake!”

“Suck it up, buttercup!” 

“You’re parents fed you a steady diet of Rachel Maddow and MSNBC!”  and 

“I didn’t go to college, and I make $200,000 working for the NYS Bridge Authority and I get up at 5 am! Sorry that you still need a nap!”  

I want to kick these people in the balls.  

Because while there are many problematic things about college and the atmosphere on college campuses today, and while I do agree that college is pretty useless and that we should encourage other paths in our young people, there are some people who are just like that.  Academically inclined.  We were good in school, honor students.  We went to college, got degrees in the humanities, but that didn’t get us much of a job in the real world.  Academics defined us.  We weren’t like other people, who were naturally good at just working with their hands.  The kinds of people who go straight into construction or truck driving or trade school, or working for the NYS Bridge Authority. 

Some people find a path there.  Others of us go to college.  It’s just who we are.  

I can relate to how hard it is to leave college, after having defined yourself by academia for so long, and now, must seek a real job, and learn real life skills.  It’s challenging in its own way.  

And some people just care about the world.  We are inclined to think deeper, to want to care about things like Sudan and world hunger and genocide, etc.  

There’s nothing wrong with this.  You just need to find a way to re-focus a bit, and find a way forward in reality.  Try to make the world a better place, where you are. 

And I can relate to how hopeless you feel, how formidable it seems to get through life at age 22.  

I worked hard, worked over time even, as a caregiver and eventually an RN, to prove myself to jerks like that.  To prove myself against the stereotype of a lazy liberal millennial.  To the point of breakdown and burnout.  

I was stumbling, limping through life.  Just struggling to keep my head above water.  I didn’t need to be labeled a snowflake or a buttercup.  I needed compassion, I needed help.