The Lost Generation

It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

- Agnes Repplier

I was born in the year 1984. I'm not actually sure if this makes me an 80's, 90s or even 2000 er kid. For starters, the only thing I really remember about the 80s is Adventures in Babysitting and when it ended and went straight to 1990. This was a new decade and that was insanely awesome. Why was it insanely awesome? I have no idea. Why was going in to 2000 awesome? I have no idea. Y2K was ridiculous and I knew this at 15. For those who were still worried, they should have watched the trends as other countries hit the new year first.

This is what I do remember about my childhood...

Headbands, leg warmers, a book of Bible stories I read a million times. I always prayed and it was always as if I was in a conversation with God rather than obediently following orders. I asked questions and though I never received answers I always felt like he was listening. I don't know about religion anymore and sometimes I wish I held on to that faith of childhood.

The only cartoon I think I liked was the Care Bears.

Video games: Regular Nintendo was an amazing time in our house. Mario and duck hunt was a family event. So was Monopoly the board edition. Once we received the Super Nintendo it became strictly a kid only activity. My true love was the Game Boy and playing Tetris.

TV: We are truly a grand extension of the TV generation. Full House, Ghost Writer (the one with the kids solving crimes), Clarissa Explains it All, TGIF (Sabrina, Boy Meets World, Family Matter aka. Steve Urkel, Step by Step), 90210, re-runs (Designing Women, Golden Girls, Gilligan's island), Blossom

Men: Jonathon Taylor Thomas was my true love, but I also had a thing for Michael J. Fox and Jason Priestley.

I've always wished I grew up in a different time. I wished I was a teenager in the 50s and a young adult in the 60s. Truthfully, I have no problems with the time in which I grew up and am thankful for being shoved out the door to ride bikes or even read underneath the giant tree in my yard of the trailer park.

These were all great things, but with great things they must all come to an end. My generation as the Title states, seems to be a Lost Generation. It seems the majority of us are walking around in miserable lives looking for happiness. We're trying to find the ways in which will bring ultimate happiness and can not decide whether this is family, career or both.

Those with families still want something with their lives. Those with careers are lonely. Those with both hate both. We are the generation that doesn't want to work if we don't like what we are doing. Work at McDonald's until you find something (too good for that). Work in an office (that's boring, I will be wasting my life).

We are also the generation that can't find a job because we have a terrible economy. We are in our late 20s and mid 30s living with our parents. Those that are married, mostly did this young and those who did not marry young seem to bounce around as if they can't seem to make up their mind. The problem seems to be we don't want to settle when something else could come along in both areas. Does this mean we've passed up perfect opportunities, that we're doing the right thing by waiting or that we are too lazy to get up and search so things must come to us.

We all have dreams we want to fulfill. I want to be a painter and a writer. I dream of travelling the world. I work in one of those office jobs that's killing my soul. I want to save money in this job to do other things. Somehow it doesn't seem to be adding up after the bills begin to pile up. Am I doing the right thing by staying in this one spot?

I am lucky though, I know what I love to do and I know where I want to be one day. Not everyone in this "Lost" generation seems to have this piece in place. Does this mean they will be unhappy and stagnant in their lives...for now? Are we the only lost generation or is this a sign of all times?