Remember when you were in junior high school and it seemed like high school kids had all the autonomy? You couldn't wait to have the freedom to take the bus alone....
And then you started high school. And folks kept making a big fuss about college. You were attracted to this idea of furthering your personal and intellectual boundaries. Watching "A Different World", hearing your parents talk about the stupid things they did back in the day, and wishing there would come a time when you could also head to a Halloween party dressed as a banana....
And then you started college. You were challenged. Grew your brain. Grew your heart. Grew your soul. Read about ideas that totally turned your mind upside down. Toyed with theory.. And you couldn't wait to get to the "Real World", whatever that meant. It was time to take what you learned (in and out of the classroom) and make this world a better place. After all, you know more. Now you have to do more.
But then you started your first job. The job that launches your career. And you're all the way back at zero.
And let's be honest... No one ever doubts the power of youth. Young people have historically been at the forefront of political and social movements. They're hungry. They're excited.... But more dangerously so, they have a chip on their shoulder. They think they can be the difference. And they are. But what sort of difference? I'm digressing now..
But really... You build up and break down. Over and over. Make it all the way to senior year of high school, listen to people tell you how proud they are that you're coming into your own... Then you hear 3 months later of all the stupid things college freshmen do.
Then you make it to senior year of college, and everyone says you're finally a woman headed on her own journey... And then 3 months later you feel like the baby of your first job. You're young. You ARE a baby... But you're not.
I suppose, the best way to put it is that your mind is mature. But your brain is not. You're ready to change the world and show these fools what real social action looks like. You're ready to be an advocate. You're tired of seeing politicians (and the general public) turn into beasts and devour the oppressed. You have no shame being THAT person who questions the viability of the Barclay's Center while everyone else buys Brooklyn Gear (made in China)..
But you're young. Indecisive. Sensitive. Selfish. You want your own apartment so you can eat pancakes for dinner without judgement. You want to go to Miami for Spring break and use a fake name when you talk to people (Samantha Jefferson). You're plotting on ways to get the bartender to be generous with your "i've-had-a-long-teacher-week" routine. You have no shame spending your last twenty dollars on a manicure.
And after all of that, after starting over and building up, you've gained something invaluable.
Perspective. No place OR space for an ego.
You're Me.
