Just Wait For The Trade: Eric's Blog

I may be an old fuddy-duddy at the ripe old age of 31, but what exactly wrong with kids these days?

When I went to Uni we all got blind drunk. Well, I did and I eventually got through and got a job. Others dropped out, others studied much harder and went on to get more advanced qualifications.

Does your generation have "apathy and self-fulfilling underachievement" or is that just the people you know?

I don't think I felt a great urge to help society. Australian culture isn't overy ambitious in general (except maybe in Sport).

When I was growing up, we had just come off a recession. My family did ok, but I had to pay my own way through. Worked 25-30 hours a week + Uni + drinking + hangovers. So while I wasn't driven to make the world a better place, I was driven to complete my degree and ensure I had food to eat.

The impression I get is young people today have a bit more money and we live with governements that will start illegal wars no matter what you think about it. (I think the US may be different, but the majority of Aus did not support the war).

So perhaps that's what breeds apathy... comfortable powerlessness.

Having said that, I work with a few youngsters just out of Uni and they don't seem to far removed from how I found it.

I'm glad you've decided to take up a blog - I think you're a pretty smart guy, and I think you'll wind up having alot to say.

I honestly don't think it's just your generation, I see the apathy and underachievment with mine as well. I'm not saying it's a great way to go through any phase of your life, be it college or middle age, but you're unfortunately not alone.
Well, again, no - not just your generation. Upon returning from a few Habitat builds, when my co-workers asked if the sunburn was from laying around on the beach, I've been greeted with blank stares when I tell them that it was from a construction site. If it was going to be a story of total drunken debauchery, they were all for it - the faces were actually bright and eager to hear the details. But when it was nothing of that sort, the faces would fall and I'd get a reply of "Oh... that's nice, too". Now, it doesn't make me a saint because that's how I chose to spend a few vacations, but I take alot more away from it than your usual "shopping while drunk" vacations. But you should see how fast the "eager-to-hear-about-your-vacation" faces are replaced with a person who can't wait to get away from you - and these are from people in their mid-30's.