Maybe I Should Stop Bitching and Whining

I don't know if some of you all know this but my parents are a major guiding force in my life. My parents have been married for 34 years. Both of them are baby boomers that have lived during the Civil Rights Movement and the subsequent historical events of the past 40 years so they have much perspective to add to any problems I have. I’ve noticed that my parents give different types of advice. My mother usually advises me on my health, maintaining a house, working a job, cooking, children, family, my personal safety (she’s a little bit overzealous in this department) and men. My father mostly advises me on history, war (yes, I know many hand to hand combat techniques on how to kill a man), politics, music, culture, the nature of human beings and how to survive in this game we call life. They are both there when I need advice and offer it even when I don't want it.

Today, I was talking with my father about the Supreme Court's ruling on upholding President Obama's health care law and we started discussing the polarizing components of American politics. I was still pissed off about not recently being hired for a job I applied for (one of many) because I sank into a rant about how the previous generation lied to my generation about the attainment of the American Dream. I proceeded to tell my father that his generation had told my generation our whole lives that if we got a college education we could and would do better than they did. I went on to say that my generation was over educated, in debt, under employed or just plain unemployed and that America was not living up to its part of the deal or the promises made to us about if we worked hard we would be rewarded. My father tried to ease my anger by reassuring me that it would get better.  Maybe, you're thinking I should have stopped there but I continued on saying sarcastically, “Oh sure, I haven’t found a stable job since I graduated in 2009 but everything will be lilies and roses and when I walk outside the sky will be sunny and clear.”

After that, all I heard was crickets from the other end of the phone. At that moment I realized that I had descended into an abyss where I was about to get my ass handed to me. My daddy said,

"So you think you're the only generation that's endured hardship huh? (No, I really didn't think that but I knew where this was going.) My generation was lynched, attacked by dogs, kicked and spit on, endured blatant racism, discrimination, Jim Crow, the KKK, horrible educational opportunities and abysmal employment prospects and you're crying because you haven't been able to find a job fast enough.

*CRICKETS*

“You're talking to me about how your education hasn't gotten you what you deserve when our generation didn't even have the damn choice to go to college to even be angry about not finding a job. I know what your generation is facing and I know it's hard but YOU NEED TO STOP YOUR BITCHING AND WHINING because you have it a million times better than I did.”

*CRICKETS*

“My generation, your grandmother's generation and your ancestors went through a lot of shit for you to sit in Boston right now and get a Master's degree so you better finish that damn degree and shut up. If you don't get a job when you graduate then you will do what the rest of your peers are doing and bring your monkey ass back home to live until you do. You should be glad and blessed that you have that option because a lot of people don’t. If you have to apply to 500 jobs and go on 20 million interviews before you get a job then you will do it and be glad. My generation didn't promise you a God damn thing. All we told you was that you would have a choice and you have that!"

*CRICKETS CRICKETS* *BLANK STARES*

After we ended our conversation I searched for the infamous pictures of the Civil Rights protesters being attacked by dogs and fire hoses. Sometimes you have to be brought back down to earth during your hard times. My father's generation and my other ancestors had sacrificed so much unselfishly. How dare I blame them for my fears and shortcomings!? I realized that I needed to shut the fuck up and stop complaining.