The Me Generation (and I’m okay with it)

“This is OUR generation. I don’t think I want to be a part of it anymore.” – Maisie Williams in response to Webster naming ‘selfie’ as word of the year.

So, people call millenials the ME generation. And yes, we like our selfies and social media and all of that stuff. But, really, the ME generation? Have you been to a museum? It’s full of fantastic portraits where people posed for HOURS and paid outrageous amounts of money to hang a picture of themselves or their family up about the fireplace. So, really, we’re just like every other generation that wants photographic evidence of their existence, we just have the technology to make it easier.

But, for what this post is really about. Sometimes, focusing on yourself, prioritizing what you need above everything else, is exactly what you have to do. I’m in medical school right now. Actually, I’m in week 5 of a 6 week prematriculation course, so I haven’t even technically started school yet. But I can guarantee you, that for the next 4 years, I’m going to be my first priority.

I love my family and I don’t want to ignore them. I hate not spending as much time with my boyfriend as both of us want. I miss going to the gym everyday or going for a walk in nature or getting drinks with my best friend. But I have a goal. And that goal is going to demand everything that I have to give for the next 4 years, or possibly even more.

I will still see my loved ones every now and then, but not nearly as much as I would like to. And my situation isn’t even close to unusual. Pretty much everyone in my life has had to make school a number 1 priority at some point.

Our high schools assign more work and offer harder classes than they ever have before. If we want to have a career, we HAVE to get a college degree. It’s no longer optional for a good quality of life later on. And that degree also costs more than ever. Honestly, most of my friends are getting graduate degrees as well because their employers want them to, or because they can’t find employment without it.

Our parents always pushed us to do more. Well, doing more is demanding. And in order to preserve our sanity, we need to prioritize ourselves and our lives. I’m not going to spend every second of the little free time I do get with my parents. Sometimes, I’m just going to watch Netflix or go for a swim or maybe just sleep. Because, while I need family time, I also need me time.

It’s okay for me to put myself first. Because I want to spend the rest of my life putting other people before me. So, these next four years are mine.

It’s all about me, and that’s okay.