Except we don’t really despise them. We love them. We love them because we birthed them. They are our children and, grandchildren for better or worse, we raised these entitled lazy brats.I’d like to lend a different perspective to which I’m uniquely qualified to assess, as I often see Millennial couples here at the inn.
I think the Millennials value relationships far more than any other generation.
And let me make an even more bold statement: I contend that they are going to “do relationships” much better than previous generations.
My hypothesis was born out of a rather painful but insightful discussion with my older son where he angrily told me that he tried very hard to “never be anything” like me or his father and, when it came to relationships, he thought it prudent to “do the opposite.”
Ouch.
After some tears and personal reflection, I realized that he was right. His father and I had divorced, and nearly all his friends came from divorced families and most of my adult friends were also divorced – many divorced multiple times.
We didn’t value our relationships at all. In fact, we overwhelmingly messed them up.
We did value our stuff however.
So we worked long hours to pay for our stuff. We sold our souls to climb the corporate ladder so we could buy cool cars, live in bigger houses, go on elaborate vacations, wear flashy jewelry and watches, purchase designer clothes and see rock stars from our teen years in concert.
(did I mention that Scott took me to see KISS’s final tour a few weeks ago? See pictures below)
But as far as relationships…we were a giant failure.
As I’ve observed many young couples here at the Lake Pointe Inn I’ve come to admire and even look forward to their visits.
They hold hands and play board games with each other. They take a kayak out for the day with a picnic and actually talk to each other. They sit by the fire and roast marshmallows and have delightful conversations with other couples staying at the inn. They leave their phones in their rooms and they sit in rocking chairs on the porch reading books and sipping wine.
In fact, I have genuinely come to enjoy the Millennials.
Yes, you geezers read that right.
I submit that part of the reason they don’t want to work in the same way we did is because they value their relationships far more than we ever did. They witnessed our failures and resolved to do it better.
They spend endless hours on their phones (to our dismay) texting and exchanging pictures with each other, because they want to be in contact with those they care about.
They don’t have the appetite for material belongings that both motivated and plagued previous generations. Many of them don’t own a car or even have a license to drive. They’d rather take the bus so they can text/talk to their family and friends all the way to their destination.
Millennials want to spend their money on experiences that build and honor relationships.
I don’t have any statistical proof to back my hypothesis, just my observations.
But from what I’ve seen, I feel optimistic that these entitled brats will be great partners to each other and good parents to our grandchildren.
Thank-you Millennials for valuing your relationships. You are always welcome here.
rock on
lenina
