Millennial Why? Trying to Understand Growing-Up!

Today at Millennial Why we will be discussing the Millennial who wishes they could get away. 

“I realize that some people might not think I live in reality. That by me wanting to travel and lay out on a beach somewhere exotic is impractical. 

I understand, no matter what age we are...we all wish that we could take a permanent vacation somewhere. 

I’m not trying to be that person who expects everything to just happen for me. I understand the frustration my significant other feels when they feel like they’re putting more effort into our relationship than I am. I try. Hard as I may, I try to put on a happy face and journey on. 

I get in these moods where I’m at a stand still. I can’t force myself to just be happy dammit. I function when I need to, but ultimately I’d like to hid in a dark room for days. 

I’d love to be one with nature. I’d love to travel the world and experience what the world has to offer us. I’m also pretty damn confused when it comes to figuring out what I want to do with my life. How am I supposed to travel if I can’t even afford to pay my rent? 

I never live beyond my means, but I’m always wanting. We’re human, and as humans I feel like we’re always wanting more. 

I ....want.....MORE! 

I hate feeling like I’m complaining. Am I? Am I saying I’m not living the life I want and it’s everyone’s fault but my own? 

Does anyone else feel that way? Do they feel like they are really sad, or upset with their lack of accomplishment, but are too embarrassed to speak up about it? 

I am. I live every day, day by day, but I secretly hope that one day life will find a way of working itself out.”

How do you millennials feel about life right now? Do you feel like we complain more than our parents’ generation? Are you excited for the future? Do you dread going to work? 

Until next time Millennials! 

XOXO, 

It’s been a long time Millennial Why peeps. 

Today, we’re featuring a “friend” of Millennial Why. She just published her first book. #Goals #Inspo #MauiLife 

Check out her press release here and check out her book: 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dreams Really Do Come True with Release of New Book, The Maui Magical Mystical Tour

Entrepreneur, Artist and Author Kathy McCartney Announces the Release of a New Fiction Book

Makawao, Maui, March 16, 2016: The Maui Magical Mystical Tour is a novel that will surely add to your personal collection of uplifting must reads. The story will make you laugh, cry, and ponder your own life choices. You will want to revisit the pages again and again.

The main character, Katie, works in an office and has aspiring dreams to one day be a writer and artist on Maui. Turns out God has a strange sense of humor and grants Katie her wishes in unexpected ways. Her life now capsized, after discovering her fiancée is cheating, inspires her to purchase a one-way ticket to Maui. She is called to the Haiku jungle to mend her broken heart and start a new chapter in her life. This is a laugh-out loud jungle trip, where a woman coming of age rediscovers her youth, swears off sex and re-virginizes at age forty-seven. For Katie, the journey is not as simple as it sounds; especially when she ends up booking a room at one of the most sexually charged spiritual spots on Maui. Will she keep her vows in this amazing setting in the middle of the Pacific where all women are considered Goddesses?

Life is stranger than fiction and so are the colorful castaways that Katie meets that inspires her to pray, play and love the Hawaiian style way.

The Maui Magical Mystical Tour is now available on Amazon.com and incudes art images by the author and artist Kathy McCartney

About the Author

Kathy McCartney originally lived on Oahu with her family but moved to Southern California when she was very young. In 2002, she bought a condo that would eventually become the launching point of her business career and the key to getting back to the home of her childhood and the place of her dreams, Maui, Hawaii. Prior to making that decision she had been working with friends in a vacation rental business and made the leap to start her own company. She has over twenty-five years of experience in both business administration and customer service. She merged her business ideas with her artistic and free-spirited hopes and dreams that would eventually find a way to be realized.

She now lives on Maui and is living her dream as a local artist, writer and owns a vacation rental business Maui Vision Rentals: http://mauivision.com

She is an artist who creates on canvas but most recently expanded her creative expressions to include works on etched metal. Those pieces are described as 3-D or holographic, with movement and a life of their own. For more information about Kathy’s art work including display locations, sales information, events and art classes taught by Kathy, visit: http://www.mccartneyfineart.com

The Maui Magical Mystical Tour is Kathy’s first novel and certainly will not be her last as we are sure this book will touch the hearts of many readers that will want more of Kathy's 'feel good' story telling based on her true life experiences.

XOXO, 

What is it with misery that gets Americans all excited? “You have to have an adult job.” “You have to provide for your family.” “You can’t be doing this part time job crap.” 

Everyone spends Christmas and New Years with their families, only to complain about the “shitty” time they had there. Why can’t people be more positive? 

I’m always getting in arguments with people about my “lack of a big girl job.” It doesn’t have benefits, it’s not 40+ hours a week, it doesn’t have retirement options. That must translate to just a shitty ass job. 

What’s wrong with having a job that fulfills me? I work 36 hours a week, which is not quite full time work. I have Christmas vacation, spring break, summer break. My future “Mr.” describes that as a child’s job. 

In one aspect he’s right, I’m not “pulling” my weight in the relationship because I’m not working as many hours and I don’t get paid vacations. In another sense, I’ve never been happier. It’s fulfilling working with kids. I enjoy my vacations to get to spend time with my family and friends. 

Our arguments make me miserable though. It often ends with me crying and getting upset. I have an advanced degree, and to him that means I’m not “pulling my weight” because I should be having some fancy ass job making six figures at a job I hate. 

Alright, so he doesn’t say “get a job that you hate.” But I do hate it. I hate corporate America. I hate this need for greed. This need to buy yourself a six series BMW because goddammit you’ve worked hard for it. 

Well good for you...take your BMW, Mercedes, super fancy car and show it off, you’ve worked hard for it. But leave me the FUCK alone while you’re at it. Don’t look down on me because I’m fulfilled by reading, learning new things and helping people in the America. 

Yes, shit on me for feeling the way I do about society. I can’t help to feel the way I do about life. We’re all raised different ways. Some people are mostly happy and some people are mostly miserable. 

I can’t stand this “American” way of working hard for stuff though. I have a place to live, I have a car that gets me from point A to point B, why does it have to be about more? Why is everyone always calling me a child or a gypsy or whatever? 

I guess that’s the #Millennial way right? To most, it’s us “running” away from our responsibilities. To me, it’s looking at the world in a different light. I’m sorry if I’m the disappointment in your life who didn’t live up to their full potential. To me, it’s just me learning to love and live my life. 

To me, I feel like a hard worker. I put my heart and soul into everything I do. I may not make 100 grand, but does that really mean you should look down on me? Does that really mean that you’re the success and I’m the failure because I could give two shits about the way America is obsessed with “keeping up with the Joneses?” 

I’m just tired. Tired of this war on Millennials and how we’re “selfish” and we “only care about ourselves.” Blah, Blah, Blah. Fuck you! I’m sorry I’m interested in helping kids learn how to read. I’m sorry I’m more interested in exploring this great, big world we were created in than figuring out a way to cure cancer. Sure, curing cancer is #amazing and I swear I’m not being sarcastic. But I’m not sure I want to live until I’m 90. You’re 90! I’m sure you’ve most likely seen enough of the world by then. 

I just want to live a happy life. I feel like I’ve spent most of my life being miserable that I’m okay with spending life being happy now. I’m almost 30 and by most people’s standards I’ve accomplished nothing. I’m a failure to society, I’m selfish (supposedly) and I only care about myself. 

I’m okay with my (future) kids going to a state university, or whatever university is cheapest. I’m okay with them “working” for things that they want like a tablet, or ipod or whatever. I plan to shower them with the love and affection that I never got as a child. Sure I got all the toys/stuff my heart could want, but I could never mutter an “I Love you” to my parents. 

That’s tough for a child. So I’m okay with my child not having the best “sneakers” or the best “cellphone” or not having every single toy they wanted on Christmas. I think that builds character. Not being able to pay the rent? That’s not cool, but not getting your barbie dream house that you’ll probably give two shits about in a month, I’m not so worried about that. 

I think I’m a good person. A Millennial who likes to think too much and who isn’t too democratic or too republican. Probably a Millennial who thinks we need a new political party because America is shit right now. A Millennial who doesn’t know it all, who doesn’t have all the answers, but is willing to learn. 

I hate people who think they know it all, I hate people who think they’re better than everyone else. I say I hate them, but I just don’t understand them. If they’d talk to me, I’d surely listen. 

Until next time Millennials, it’s 2016 and I wish for more Millennials posting on this blog. I hope that’s the case soon. 

XOXO, 

Today at Millennial Why we are going to be talking about Disney, and the type of hold they have on society today.

Now it’s no secret that I have always been a fan of Disneyland. I remember getting so excited the first time my parents took me there.

Talking to friends on the East Coast, they felt the same way about Disneyworld. I used to think the whole Disney franchise was great and magical. I grew up watching all the Disney movies about the Disney princesses.

Every year I hear about how Disney keeps raising their prices for the next calendar year to keep up with high demand. That just got me thinking, “Why?”

Why is it that every year Disneyland and Disneyworld get more and more people visiting their parks? I think it’s the whole “ideal” of Disney rather than the actual experience people have at the parks.

I was once upon a time a part of that notion. I even had a Disneyland annual pass for a couple of years. The funny thing about that was every time I went to the park I always didn’t enjoy myself. It was either too crowded, the lines were too long or it was too hot. That’s the funny thing about Disneyland, everyone wants to experience it, so that means just chaos when you enter the park.

I think I like the idea of Disney more than I actually like the park. Sure, I love theme parks, but there’s plenty of other theme parks with fun rides that don’t have as long of waits as Disneyland or Disneyworld.

I think the concept of Disney Madness has me thinking about a lot of other things going on in our lives. A big notion for me is how I’m anti-popularity. That doesn’t mean that I’m automatically against anything that gains popularity. I’m against the notion of liking something purely because a lot of people like it. Like Disney for example. Haha. Do I really enjoy “The Happiest Place on Earth?” Or am I more brainwashed into thinking I like it because it’s about fairytales, princes and happily-ever-afters?

Another good example for me is the Kardashians. I dislike the Kardashians because they don’t really do anything that requires a skill. They’re famous for being “booty-licious.” I will give a shout-out to the mom Kris Jenner though, she is a savvy business woman, I just wish their whole marketing ploy isn’t just to sell their bodies.

I wish Disney stopped being so popular. I wish there were other establishments that could promote childhood happiness. Just like the Disney princess mania that I can’t stand now that I’m older.

I keep hearing on the news about the “newest” Disney princess Moana and how she’s a “natural” princess with a “natural” waistline. Why are we promoting the notion of princesses still? Shouldn’t we be promoting the ideal that girls can be anything they want to be? I get the whole “Frozen” “Brave” “Tangled” phenom that these “princesses” are saving their princes and are strong, female characters, but I hate how people refer to them as “princesses.” What makes them a princess? Are they Duchess Kate who goes around England meeting the people and doing charity work?

I want Disney stories to be about regular people doing regular things. Only then can we all get over this whole notion of loving-Disney and that anything Disney puts out is good and that Disney can do no wrong.

Trust me, I want to push the idea of being a strong, intellectual woman for all the little girls in the world.  

Until next time Millennials remember that you don’t need a princess or prince to save you, you can always save your damn self.

XOXO,

Today at Millennial Why we are going to be discussing at-will employment and how it’s basically implemented to allow employers to fire their employees whenever they damn well please. 

I’m a hard worker. I get shit done, I get shit done right and I get it done fast. You think that matters to employers? It should! But it doesn’t always! 

Take me for example, I love what I do. I enjoy helping people but it’s ridiculous how people refuse to PAY YOU what you’re worth. Don’t ask people to take on “added” responsibilities and not COMPENSATE THEM FOR IT.

I’m too OLD for this shit. “Oh yes, be a team player, by doing new things you’ll learn new skills.” Bitch I don’t need to learn new skills, I’ve been in this working game for far too long. You want shit done? I’ll get it done for you! 

I realize this blog post seems more like a rant than an actual useful blog article, but I swear it’s useful! Don’t be like me MILLENNIALS, DEMAND what you think you’re worth! It’s fact that men still get paid more than women...and the real facts are it’s not because people are sexist, it’s because men know how to ask for more money.

I hate asking for more money, but you know what? Why is it wrong for me to do? Why did I go to school and get educated if all people want to pay me is beans? 

I have a master’s degree, and those apparently don’t mean shit anymore because they’re a dime a dozen...but I also got over 8 years of real-work experience. Let me utilize it and fairly compensate me. 

Today I want you Millennials to take this away from my blog: If celebrities can get paid 1 million dollars to act on a stupid tv show, or make a stupid club appearance why can’t we “REGULAR” human beings get fairly compensated for working our asses off? 

Society says we take “sex sells” too seriously...but why is it that everytime you turn around some celebrity dude or dudette is taking off their clothes and making lots of money for doing it. 

Things to teach my future children? Shake your ass for tips, and you’ll be richer than a school teacher.

Yeah, be proud of that America! (THAT’S SO LAME!)

Anyways, have a good weekend Millennials. You know you’re intelligent and will go far if you just think you’re worth more and know it! 

Until next time, keep your head up and know how to play the game, and then teach me how to play it okay? Lol. 

XOXO,

I’m not a big drinker. I never have been and never will be. I am a “foodie.” Some might say I go a little over board when it comes to eating food.

I feel like our society has a way of handling our problems with bad habits. Whether it’s drinking, smoking, over-eating, taking recreational or prescription drugs, we numb the stresses in life with distractors. 

Why don’t we handle our problems head-on? I’m so tired of being seen as “lame” because I don’t want to drink with you. Sorry that you’re not FUN without having a couple of drinks in you. I’m a creative Millennial, who thinks too much and has too much time on their hands. 

I want to explore life and learn about it. If I had endless amounts of money, I would travel the world. Take pictures, write about it and just study different cultures and the different way that people live. 

I guess we all have bad habits, my bad habits (besides eating too many goodies) is over-analyzing everything. I like thriller movies because it gets my mind going. I like researching things online. 

Here’s the thing though: Why can’t we enjoy life without our bad habits? Why do we have to over-eat, or drink or smoke or drug ourselves out to be able to handle real-life? People didn’t have access to all this stuff in the past, and yet life seemed a little tougher back then. 

Why can’t we just be straight and narrow? Perhaps I’m a naive Millennial, but I’m tired of all this bullshit. Tired of the struggles, tired of the bullshit. Does any other Millennial feel the same way? 

I think the purpose of this blog is just for Millennials to connect. For us to understand what another Millennial is feeling and either agree, or disagree with that fact. 

I’m perfectly okay with someone saying: “drinking is awesome and you’re wrong and here’s why.” Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I just want to spend my time expanding my knowledge, learning about things and life and I want to spend less time drinking or taking drugs that dulls my senses.

What’s your opinion about these things? I feel very passionately about this subject matter because it seems like a lot of people die and (excuse my language) fuck up their lives because they can’t control their substances. Drink too much, crash and kill someone. Sell drugs illegally, drug deal gone bad, kill each other. What the FUCK? Seriously!?!?! Did someone invent the “cure” for cancer while they were high? If you’re taking these substances and they’re not “bettering” your life or society, why are you doing it? Because you’re selfish? Because “I’m going to get mine.” 

That’s stupid. This is the most “blunt” and honest blog post probably to ever be posted on Millennial Why but it really hits home for me. I’m going to be working with underprivledged kids and the reason why they’re probably like that is because their parents aren’t helping them out. BE THERE FOR YOUR KIDS OR ELSE DON’T HAVE THEM! 

Okay, Millennials. End rant. :) 

Until next time. I appreciate all the readers, writers, contributors and twitter followers. You guys rock. I trust the Millennials to make a difference in this world and start making the world (a little) better place to live. 

XOXO,

Today at Millennial Why we are going to be discussing life. What makes a life purposeful? 

I thought I knew, but the truth is I don’t. I’m one step closer to getting older and in no ways wiser to what life is supposed to be about.

I thought I’d find my career by now. I thought I’d be more successful, but it’s been a hard trek through reality.

I quit a job I hated, only to realize that the new job I went to might not have been the right fit for me. 

I’m currently not working and I feel guilty to say I’ve never been happier. Yes, sometimes I feel like a bum. Sometimes I feel guilty while my significant other goes to work and I get to stay home, but it’s been a nice little vacation for me. 

I know I’ll have to go back to work eventually but for now it’s a nice change of pace. I couldn’t sleep tonight, hence this random “Millennial Why” post. I kept thinking about my old job and my old life and I didn’t miss it. 

Sure I missed some aspects of it, like it’s nice to feel needed and it’s nice to feel like you’re contributing. However, if I really think about work, I think about how I went into the office every day at the same time. I remember working on the same projects and no one giving me a “real” clear indicator of how things should go.

I don’t miss that old life. Sometimes I wonder if it’d be better to live in the olden times where life was much harder. Would we Millennials really be complaining about a job being boring when we had to get up at 5am and tend the farm? 

Or even if we had to hunt for our food and where the “motto” survival of the fittest was still true. I guess in some respects it’s still true, but it’s all just a blur to me. Everything. 

Don’t you wish that sometimes you had all the answers? Don’t you wish that sometimes you didn’t have to try so goddamn hard all the time?

With the invention of more prevalent technology, comes more stress, more headache on the Millennial generation and younger. Why should 12 year old girls care how much they weigh? When did our society start favoring super slender figures and start shaming everyone else?

We’re all different, we’re all special, but of course our society doesn’t think like that. It’s a dog-eat-dog world and sometimes it’s just a burden if you really think about it. So and so has all this money. So and so is so pretty. So and so is so successful.

Who gives a fuck? Seriously! I feel like we all need to love-ourselves, accept ourselves before we start letting some stupid ass people belittle us. 

Don’t take handouts if you don’t have to, but work hard, be kind and don’t let people’s opinions of you make you crazy. 

When you really start to figure out life, it seems to make a little more sense. Things start to be a little more clear. 

Of course, I’m a Millennial who is still trying to figure it all out. What about you? Do you feel like you pretty much got life figured out? Good for you! This isn’t sarcasm, the Millennials who have figured it out early, are the ones who are more likely to be fulfilled. 

Fill your life with meaning and trust your instincts and you’ll go far.

Until next time Millennials, keep your head up. Millennial Why is back with a vengence and ready to display more opinions about life. 

XOXO,

Today at Millennial Why we are going to talk about happiness. Yes, Yes, we’re talking about happiness, and it seems like we’re always talking about “happiness” at Millennial Why. 

Why is that? Because people want to be happy! We want to feel like the world is our oyster. We want to feel like we’re making a difference, or doing something that fulfills us. 

Ever since I quit my job I’ve been happy! I’ve been broke, that’s true, but I’ve never been happier. 

When I work a 9-5 job, I don’t have time to pursue my other interests. By the time I get home and eat, all I want to do is watch tv and go to bed. I want to turn my brain off after work. I spent all my energy going to work, the last thing I want to do is work on 5 other projects that I should be working on.

Life happens and people get tired. Sometimes people think if someone’s passionate about something it won’t feel like work or effort to them. While this is true most of the time, it’s not always true when that person feels spent.

You might love your passion with all your heart, but if you’re exhausted. If you feel just so tired, perhaps agitated from work, the last thing you want to do is try and exert any kind of effort.

I will be working...eventually, but for now it feels so great to explore my options. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind working. I actually think working is fun because it gets you involved and not just sitting at home doing nothing. What I hope you readers will get across is that the type of work you do really affects you. 

Do you hate your job? Do you hate your co-workers? Do you hate your boss? If you answered yes to any of these, chances are your exerting more energy at work than you’d care to admit. 

Being happy at work, having friends at work, these things help make you happier at work. Who doesn’t want to get paid to hang out with their friends at work? 

Millennials just need to find the right job for them. I know that sounds easier said than done as I’m still looking for that. I hope this new job I’m starting will be every bit as “awesome” as I hope it’s going to be. 

Until next time Millennials, don’t sweat the small stuff and keep your head up.

XOXO,

Today at Millennial Why we have weekly guest contributor, Brad Crainer discussing human nature.

“It is not in the nature of man to change. Physiologically speaking humans are made to remain in homeostasis. Our bodies instinctively will attack any invading organism, any change. If our body temperature gets too high or too low, if there’s too much change, we die. Systems shut down. Our brains cease to function.

It is the same in life. Yes, we will reach for something that we want but once we have it we seek to keep it. We don’t want our status to change. And there are those who do elicit change among the species. These are those great minds, those forward thinkers, those who’s genius is seldom accepted or celebrated in their time, and is too often forgotten shortly after they’re gone.

However as a species, globally, we are simply parts of one larger organism. And despite the slow change over time, we seek to maintain the status quo. This, is why the world will not change. We will not stop utilizing the resources of this planet. We will not stop genocide and war from occurring across the globe. The epidemics that we experience now, either medically or socially, will remain until the end of this planet.

The simple reason is because we will not change. We will look at those around us who have ideas, who have goals, dreams, visions for a true change in the world climate, and like an immune system we will squash them out. Or worse, we will assimilate them into this body. Into this broken, disgusting, unchanging and unwilling to accept its own illness, body.

I do not write this to exhort or admonish, simply to acknowledge. This is the state of things. Sure we will have innovation, but we will not have change. We will have amazing advancements in technology which makes everything we do today even easier to do. But we will not have change. We will simply have a way to do the same things we’re doing now easier, faster, more efficiently. But we will not have change.

As is so often the truth, mankind is going to be destroyed by its very nature. The thing that innately maintains us, is going to be the thing that ultimately undoes us.”

I think Brad makes a valid point, in order to really elicit change, we as a group need to collectively and mindfully change and work together to make that change. If we have ideas, but do nothing to put them into action then change cannot occur.

Until next time Millennials, remember we’re all just trying to figure out this thing called life.

XOXO,

Today, August 10th at Millennial Why we are going to be discussing drug testing for work. While some states have implemented drug testing in order to receive welfare benefits, most people are aware that they have to take a drug test to work.

I currently, possibly for the first time in my life, haven't been drug tested for the job that I currently do. Unfortunately that means that the other co-workers haven't either. There was no background check done on me before I started working either.

As private companies, they have the ability to decide whether they'll run background checks or not, whether they will drug test or not, and whether they'll pay the extra money to run credit checks on you too. If I was a business owner, I'd invest the money to run background checks because in the long run I think you'd be saving money when you hire dependable people that aren’t going to cost you more money in other ways.  

Let me be frank with you all, I like my co-workers, they’re lots of fun. I also want to be realistic with you too, the problem sometimes at work with fun is that sometimes co-workers spend more time on having fun and less time on getting their work done. 

I’m a very Type-A personality, I like things done and I like them done right. I hate having to re-do my work due to others errors. Sure if I wrote a piece and there needed to be changes and edits, I’d do it in a heartbeat. That’s because sometimes things just need to be edited and modified. What I can’t stand however though is when I do something right and then have to re-do it because someone else forgot to mention to me that this or that needs to be done to it. 

Why create more work, or duplicate work for other people when you should have fact checked it yourself? I noticed at the company that didn’t drug test, I found myself having to re-do a lot of work to implement the changes that people forgot to include or didn’t bother to let me know about ahead of time.

Organization is so key for a big company, I can’t stress that enough. If a company is not organized, or if co-workers don’t work together there becomes a lot of chaos, and people really need to work together or at least communicate to get things done right. 

So if you’re a hiring manager or owner of a company, here’s my advice to you Millennials: It’s so important to drug test, do background checks and verify that your future employee is going to be a good fit for your company. 

It may cost you some coin in the beginning, but hiring a good employee will save you lots of money in the long run. 

Until next time Millennials, remember not only do you want that job, the hiring managers/owners want to fill that job with someone who’s a good fit for their company. It has to be mutually beneficial to both parties. 

XOXO,

Today, August 9th at Millennial Why we are going to be talking about going back to elementary. 

What does that mean exactly? It means how hard it is for some to go back to the basics of what you learned about the English language. 

I’m currently serving as a reading tutor and finding how difficult it can be to go back to the basic rules of the English language.

Vowels, consonents, general rules for reading and other concepts I’ve found myself forgetting. It’s like learning how to read all over again. What were the rules again for reading? How does my brain understand when there needs to be an “i” before “e” except after “c.” 

All these re-learned concepts can make a Millennial feel like a child again. At least for me, it does. I always considered myself a good reader, someone who is educated and understands the concepts of the English language. It’s funny how something as simple as consonent sounds can make me re-think what I thought I knew. 

Do you ever find yourself trying to remember what you learned in grade school? I think that’s why the show “Are you Smarter than a 5th grader,” is so popular, it really makes us “adults” think and really look at whether we know the general knowledge about events or not. 

A good example is the American citizenship test. I remember watching a reality tv show that asked the foreigner whether she could name the three branches of government. For those of you Millennials who don’t know it’s the legislative, executive and judicial. Now I’m not going to lie to you readers, I only could remember the judicial branch of government. I had to google the other two! That’s embarassing for me, but it’s the truth, the older we get, the more information we have to retain, the more likely it is we won’t remember it anymore. 

It’s all about priorities to me, I’m embarassed to say I can sing the lyrics to most of my favorite songs, even songs I liked in the 90′s. So if I can do that, why can’t I remember each of the state capitals?

So what’s my advice to you Millennials that are now thinking about it? It’s that you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. If you don’t remember it, it’s probably because you don’t use it in your everyday lives and that doesn’t mean you should beat yourself up for not remembering it. 

Remember that you can always learn what you need to learn, don’t assume that you need to have all the answers all the time. 

Going back to the basic rules of the English language again just really helped me realize that we are all human and we can’t always remember everything. 

I’m okay with having to re-learn this, because it just means I’ll be better able to show off later on.

Until next time Millennials, try not to take things for granted and be grateful for the things you do know about and can memorize in your life.

XOXO, 

I keep hearing on the news or seeing on my social media news feeds the subject of police force brutality. With the everyday use of cellphone cameras being at every person’s fingertips the world is an ever evolving place. 

Do you believe that’s necessarily a good thing though? My issue with everyone having access to a cell phone, a camera and video option on that phone is that things can get blown out of proportion. Sure you might see a police officer kicking the shit out of a citizen, but was that citizen doing something before hand that provoked that? 

I’m what they like to call “on the fence” about almost every subject matter. I love debate, so I love seeing both sides to an argument. Anything being talked about can be argued either one way or the other in my opinion.

So I do believe, depending on the circumstances, that in some instances police officers are wrong. I also believe in some instances the person being detained was wrong. The problem with “everyone being a news reporter” is that things aren’t always seen objectively. What happens if a person wants to tell the story the way they see fit, or the way they think it happened? Finding out the whole story beforehand and just pointing and shooting your cell phone cameras are two very different things. 

I do agree that things need to start changing in our society. We need to figure out a way to evoke some kind of peace. No, I don’t mean the sitting around the campfire and singing “kumbaya” type of peace. I mean the just living with each other and giving each other mutual respect. 

You see the lack of respect society has with each other now that technology and other advancements in society have occurred. People are more rude, less polite, and have a general less sense of being “neighborly” nowadays.  

What happened to the days where we used to stand together and enjoy each other’s company? Now we’d be lucky to even look at each other nowadays. I think that’s sad and I think we need to stand together in police brutality matters but only where it COUNTS! 

If a citizen being questioned by a police officer is disorderly and giving the officer reason to believe he’s in harms way, that officer has every right to defend himself. That’s the problem with bringing race matters into these issues, lets forget if the person was black, white, asian, middle eastern, hispanic etc. instead let’s focus on what that person was doing. Who was in the wrong? The police officer or the citizen? 

I think that’s what we really need to STOP doing nowadays is bringing race into the issue. Excuse me for thinking that “we don’t see race issues” doesn’t apply as much as people would like to believe. Race still matters and we need to stop merging that with another issue.     

What’s your opinion about these matters? They are always in the news and it seems like there is always new emerging stories about it. 

Until next time Millennials, remember to be objective. Don’t just follow the crowd, look at the whole story and base your opinions based on what you believe is the right thing. 

XOXO,

Today, August 3rd at Millennial Why we have weekly guest contributor Melanie Carbine talking about her summer experience and how she furthers her story about her connection with Marshallese people.

“As an educator, the rhythm of my job won’t surprise many: I’m on summer break! However, teachers don’t get paid in the summer when they’re not working. So, for the most part, if teachers aren’t taking classes, they’re working—summer school, tutoring and the like—with the occasional vacation. As for myself, I’m about to start another degree program, so this year I decided to do something different with my summer. 

I contemplated several ideas: visiting friends in Europe or camping out all summer. In the end, I packed up my car and drove out to Northwest Arkansas. Because, Springdale, AR has the largest Marshallese population in the continental U.S. In fact, they make up more than 10% of the city’s population. I originally arranged to volunteer as a translator with the University of Arkansas’s medical clinic, but my plans rapidly evolved as a friend’s inkling of an idea for a literary magazine began to play out.

A few months ago, when I was just starting to think about having another Marshallese summer, I made this new friend. He was on a temporary consult job in D.C. that he didn’t find interesting enough to talk about. He would tell me about how Welsh successfully made a come back from dying and he was trying to puzzle out when missionaries stopped trying to learn Hawaiian. He loved talking about Nahuatl, and how it was written down for over a hundred years as the language of the Spanish government of Mexico, and with over a billion speakers, is still at risk of being lost.

While we bonded over our wanderlust lifestyles, I planned to stick with my job and start a master’s degree and he said he was going to quit his job to start a literary magazine in Navajo.

He didn’t quit his job. He finished off the project he was on and went back to LA. Before he left,though, he suggested I start my own magazine in Marshallese. I was already going to go to Arkansas anyway, so I talked to a few people in Majuro and the response was overwhelmingly optimistic. 

This was something people wanted, and suddenly I had a magazine to make. So, I headed out to make some more Marshallese friends. It’s all been a matter of asking—asking authors if I can translate their stories and essays, asking for interviews and oral histories, asking for stories and poems, asking students to edit and revise, asking non-profits for support. While I only have six weeks to really work on this, it’s been amazing to see what I’ve started in just a summer.  

It’s also been wonderful to talk in Marshallese again, eat Marshallese donuts and pancakes, and even the sea of green Ozark forest makes me feel like I’m on an island again.

As I drove to the airport, I began to admit to myself that I’ve fallen in love with Arkansas. I ask myself what’s different about this place. I have never liked a place any more than another. I’ve always been happiest everywhere. So, it surprises me that I could even imagine living anywhere, let alone Arkansas. 

The green trees rolled on and on in waves, and I figured it out. Arkansas is acombination of all the best parts of the many, many places I’ve lived. It’s an island of Marshallese culture in an ocean of untouched wilderness. They weren’t kidding when they nicknamed it “The Natural State.” Everyone is so friendly and near strangers even taught me how to drive an ATV. I still get slightly confused, regularly reminding myself that it’s not polite in the south to mind your own business. In fact, I need to stop being so rude and say hi already.  

Fayetteville fulfills all my hipster needs with all the coffee shops and yoga studios and farmer’s markets that come with a college town. Bentonville, also is a gem of art and culture. Go figure. Best of all is that there are more than 7,000 Marshallese people. It may be “a beautiful place to starve” but for me it seems ripe with possibility.

I don’t know where I’ll end up after graduate school, but it’s been a great summer. I was afraid my friend wasn’t going to get going on his plans for Nahuatl, but he saw what I was doing with Marshallese stories and his idea was coming to fruition. It was a good idea and it still amazes me how its become something in such a short amount of time. All it took was acting on an idea.  

My friend finally committed to his own plan. He’s on his way to Guatemala to learn K’iche’ and make some K’iche’ speaking friends. Right now, you can only find Aejemjem: Jeje in Kajin M̗ajel̗ on Facebook, but I promise I’ll have the website up in the next three weeks before the school year starts up and I have to get back to my salaried job.”

Thank you, Melanie for sharing your stories of travel. They sound very exciting and I’m interested to learn where it takes you to next!

Until next time Millennials, remember that your life is short and it’s your life to lead, so make it a good one. 

XOXO,

To me, working culture is everything. I feel, a person either fits into the company they work for or they don’t. 

The current company I work for I don’t fit in. I don’t drink much, I don’t smoke pot or cigarettes at all, but yet I decided to work for a company that sells sex. Granted, selling sex doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be partaking into these things, but it certainly helps. 

There’s no “limit” in my company as to what is “right” and “wrong” because we look at boobs, porn and graphic images for 8 hours a day. You eventually become desensitized to it, but it’s definitely an eye-opener.

I’ve learned so much from this job, and despite not being a “perfect” fit for the job, I’m glad I took it. I’m glad I learned a thing or two about the “industry” and well, I’m always looking for jobs and opportunities that will broaden my horizons. 

It’s life at its finest and I love it. I only wish I could more perfectly fit into the work culture of my job. Fitting in is so important to the livelihood of your career success. If you feel wanted, if you feel encouraged, if you feel passionate, you’re more likely to do great things.

That’s life for me currently, as I transition into a new position that’s more “me” I’m sacrificing things that I normally take for granted. I’m taking a paycut and losing my health insurance benefits, but I’m also taking a risk to explore something that could pan out for me in the long run. 

Life’s a journey and I believe you need to grab life by the balls and explore all that it has to offer. 

Some call me a wanderer, a quiter, and vagabond but I feel we are only put on this life for a short time so why not spend our time doing things that make us happy? I want to explore different career options, I want to work for a company culture that is welcoming, open and friendly and not a company culture that is hostile and petty. 

This is my new journey and I can’t stress enough to you Millennials how important it is to REALLY, REALLY like the culture of the company you will be working for. Remember you spend most of your time at work, so why not work for a place that makes your heart sing? 

Until next time Millennials, keep searching. F the rest, let them judge as you try and figure out the next steps you plan to take for your life. 

XOXO,

Today, July 22nd at Millennial Why we are going to be discussing the “helping hand,” and why more Millennials should be active in community service.

Community service is vital for the advancement of society. Whether it’s helping people individually, being a scientist that develops new drugs or procedures that advances human assistance, or even just giving money to a charity in need, helping greatly advances our society.

We are all the same human-being wise. So why has technology driven us all apart as opposed to bring us all together? It’s true that thanks to technology you can be reading this blog post from England and I’m here in America, but in the same argument, people that live close together might see each other less because they’re talking on Facebook or Twitter. Computer interaction is NOT the same as face-to-face contact. 

I believe more people need to make face-to-face contact connections. Sure, I might volunteer my time online, but I also need to volunteer by being present in the moment and with people. I want to feel that sense of group accomplishment when we know we did a good deed. 

We all need a helping hand sometimes, whether that’s financially, or through guidance or through job skills, we all need assistance in our lives. I think we as humans should be sharing and enjoying each other’s skills and abilities. 

I think it’s great that our society can join together and support a musician or actor etc., but I also think we need to STOP admiring false gods. 

No offense, but the Kardashians shouldn’t be nearly as popular as they are. What have they done for society? Have they developed a cure for cancer? No! Have they saved little orphans in somalia? No! They’re known for strutting their wealth and being “attractive.” That makes me sad society! That we’re more obsessed with the rich and famous than helping each other out. 

I’m in a job that’s for profit and I miss non-profit work so much. I miss making a difference in people’s lives and helping those that need help. I think it should be a requirement that all society should be forced to do some kind of community service. Even if the community service is just sharing your knowledge or skills, that still will benefit society as a whole. 

What do you think about community service? Do you help out in society? Do you give back to your community? 

Do you agree that we should all be helping one another out and spending less time idolizing celebrities? 

Until next time Millennials, remember life is what you make of it. 

XOXO,