I was catching up with a regular at the restaurant last week; his response to my joblessness was “ah, well, that’s alright, back home with mom and dad.” 

?!?! 

I didn’t even respond.  I just sat there. My head cocked in surprise at the assumption, I shrugged it off as an odd statement from an old man.  Later, I read a disturbingly matter-of-fact article in the Vancouver Sun about Gen Y (apparently that’s me, of the generation born between 1980 and 2001), stating that we may be doomed in the current economy because “[we’ve] never really had to work and, besides, mommy and daddy will take care of [us].”

?!?!?!?!

According to the article, “Tough times for Generation Y,” we have been pampered by our parents, are “accustomed to flocking back to the nest whenever [we] switch jobs or go back to school,” and can be “expected to return home when [we] can’t find jobs or lose them.” 

Shocked, I recapped the article over sushi last night, expecting D to be surprised.  Instead, she admitted that nearly her entire office fits the stereotype of twenty-somethings living at home, with parents who do their laundry and pack their lunches. 

I can’t believe my apparent obliviousness to how the other half live.

Here are the positive characteristics of Gen Y, mostly presented as negatives, scattered throughout the Sun’s article:

We have incredible parents.  OK, the article actually said that our “hovering” parents have “showered [us] with toys, praise, and piano lessons.”  True.  My parents worked their asses off and pinched every penny so that my brother and I might have every opportunity available to us.  Piano, dance, band, and constant encouragement have not crowned me a princess.  My brother and I are well-rounded and have faith in what we can accomplish.  We have our incredible parents to thank.

We feel we are entitled to the very best.  Shit yes, I do.  Don’t ever apologize for believing in your dreams.  You are entitled to every happiness that the universe has to offer. 

We have a strong entrepreneurial streak.  We feel we are entitled to the very best.  We have big dreams.  Thanks to our “hovering” parents, we also have the ability, faith, and esteem to make our dreams come true.

Whether you are shocked by the stereotype or are living it, make the best of Gen Y’s defining characteristics:  big dreams and the belief that you deserve to live them.

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