I was driving home today, listening to NPR. And they are doing a whole series on Winter Songs. Well, the song and the person who picked the song of the day, told the store behind what made that song important to them. The story he told was of this man who in the bitter wind and winter was out trying to find work while he the son was watching the father from a school window. After he told his story, he made a point that the "American Dream" has always been to be better off then your parents. And I ask you this, Has that changed for our generation?
I'm not talking about the bright eyed and bushy tail just recent grads who are convinced that if they get into the "right" company that their lives will be perfect. I'm talking those of us while still young in age have already seen ourselves, our husbands, or friends getting laid off of work. To realizing that it didn't matter if you were putting in twice the number of hours then others where. Or that you put up with a boss that was at best slightly crazy and at worst down right evil with a twist of manipulative thrown in there for good measure. So do we still define success the way that we as Americans have for generations?
I'm not so sure about that anymore. I'm now contracting for a very good company with in the my little corner of the universe but at the end of the day, work isn't what is driving me. I'm not sure I want to hike up my skirt to climb a ladder to get to a point where the glass ceiling will force me to stop. Please don't get me wrong. After being unemployed for almost a full two years and then taking a job that everyday walking in there just felt like another shackle anchoring me to being a very unhappy person and I was happier home with no money. I love the fact that I honestly love the work that I'm doing, but I'm just not sure that it defines me the way that I once let it. I remember feeling pride that I worked for "This Company" and looking at my peers like see, I am smart and do have a future. After being laid off, that was part of the depression that kicked in. It is horrible feeling like you are not a worth while member of society even if you didn't chose to opt out of being a member of society.
So I guess in a way, I've answered my own question to everyone. I do feel like what I can only assume my Grandparents felt after the Great Depression. Oh you try to better your situation but you do things to make sure your family is safe. If that is hiding jewelry and money. Then you do it. If that means getting stocks, putting a percent in and letting it grow. Then that is what you do. Or like my Nana, teach your self to play the stock market, and make yourself wealth. But maybe, just maybe, this isn't such a bad thing. Maybe it is going to teach our generation which was born into the "I'll just put it on a credit card, if I don't have the money for it right now" generation can look back at these last few years and say, "I'll wait til I do have the money for it." So tell me, How do you define Success?
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