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Dear Gen X, Ain’t Millennials Your Kids?
“They’re lazy! They have no work ethic! They’re entitled! They want it all. They can’t even rap!” The consistent drone of the purveying masses these days seem to be that Millenials (the generation whose birth years range broadly from the early eighties through 2000) are ruining the beautiful planet and awesome foundation that we prior generations have laid out for them. As much as I champion individuality, this sentiment seems to reek of every middle age generation’s beliefs at the height of their hubris;
“Why is everyone around me flawed? I mean I’m not perfect but the people older than me ruined everything and the people younger than me don’t seem to have a clue how to sustain all that I’ve repaired. What is we gone do now? “
I get the feeling generations prior, who’ve endured much worse hardships than Gen X ever could imagine find our gripes to be both entertaining and utter nonsense.
Why exactly does Generation X think we are so awesome in the first place? We championed drug culture, consumption and consumerism. We want Millenials to be healthy but forced Big Macs down their throats. We want them to be happy but taught them that money is root of all salvation. We are genuinely upset at today’s rappers and their lyrical content but direct them to N.W.A. and B.I.G as a frames of reference for quality hip hop. Has there been any consideration to the notion that we paint future generations into a corner then chastise them for having to survive?
Secondly, and more importantly, aren’t Millenials either Gen Xer’s siblings or offspring? They are often made reference to like a meandering, misplaced tribe of Wildlings who wandered over the wall but in full disclosure, Millenials not only developed those traits we find so deplorable under our watch, we taught them everything they know! #Ilearneditbywatchingyou
What exactly did we think was going to happen when we constantly reinforced to future generations that they could be whatever they wanted? Or did we mean whatever they wanted provided it was what we thought they should be? Well that’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works. Carte Blanche means just that. Zero boundaries. You get to operate with impunity and immunity. And in order to truly believe you can be whatever you want in life, you have to develop a sense of confidence both merit based and imagined. And that my friends could be why these apathetic Millenials feel so entitled. In an effort to ensure they grew up with everything we never had, Generation X handed over the title without letting them do the deeds. Kinda hard to teach work ethic when you yourself aren’t doing the work now ain’t it?
It may make for great ego chow but it makes zero sense to mount your high horse and speak ill of the Millennial generation as though they are someone else’s kids and not ours. I guess it’s more fulfilling to say “look at that mistake” than to finish the sentence with “…that I helped cause.” The truth of the matter is although there are generational differences, it’s is the perceived divide that drives most misunderstandings and not any actual differences in desire. What further drives that wedge is the notion that we are somehow operating independent of the society that was left for us and that we have nurtured ourselves.
Almost every year for the past 6 years and on the same day, I’ve posted the same pic of me in the hospital during my temporary and untimely demise in 2015. A few weeks after I was back to “normal”, I asked Eric “Why’d you take the pics?” And he said, “I knew you would want to write about it if you lived.” Eric was right. Eric was often right and Eric always had my best interest at heart. I am going to miss my friend.
You ever meet someone and become friends immediately?! Well this was not the case with Eric. Before he was my manager at Morgan Stanley, I would often see this 6’4″, giant white guy walk up to the only black woman at work, say something then walk away without any hint of human emotion. Naturally I thought he was a jerk until I asked her “Yo, is that dude bothering you?” She laughed and proceeded to tell me he was a great person, which I ultimately got to experience first hand. Little did I know this Italian from Staten Island was more Brooklyn than most Brooklynites.
Eric was not with the shits!! If there were ever someone who lived their life in direct, honest and no uncertain terms, that would be Eric. He would ask me questions at work like “Why are the other consultants making more money than you?” I knew the answer to that question and so did he. Eric then proceeded to increase my salary by 15K. After arguing with all our managers that “You need to hire Alfred!”, they eventually did 1 year prior to the 2015 incident. In the hospital, one of my friends asked me, “What if you didn’t have health insurance when this happened?” I would be in debt for the rest of my life is the obvious answer. I still am in debt for the rest of my life but at least, it is to those who made sure I had a more enjoyable life and for that, I will gladly repay.
My mom loved to tell me the story of how she met Eric. After they told her I was going to be in the ICU for some time, she told the doctor “Well I’m not going anywhere.” She then hears a voice from that back of the room that says “Well I’m not going anywhere either!” That was Eric and in true form, he was at that hospital every single day until I was discharged.
Eric passed away in December 2021 of stage 4 cancer. After feeling faint on his way to my bbq, he went to get checked out and was diagnosed. During the past 5 years, Eric lost his mom, twin brother and dad. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like but I’m glad that pain he was feeling is no more.
From being my manager to my business partner, writer, book editor, artistic director, and most importantly, my friend, I am going to miss you MC Krispy E a.k.a “Enrique Pollazo!” And although you told me Enrique means Henry in Spanish and not Eric, it was too late!
Sidebar. The day I was discharged, while everyone was deciding what was best for me, no one had remembered that I would need clothes in order to leave the hospital. Eric shows up (unasked) with all the clothes I had on the day I coded, laundered and ready to go. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve friends like this but i need to keep doing it! Sidebar complete.
Rest in Peace Eric. “Be Good.”
I had the distinct pleasure of participating in a panel discussion on writing your first book, presented by the Harlem chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Alongside Jim St. Germain, Author – A Stone of Hope: A Memoir and Dr. Keneshia Nicole Grant, Author – The Great Migration and the Democratic Party: Black Voters and the Realignment of American Politics in the 20th Century. We opined on pain points, benefits and strategies regarding our inaugural voyages into authorship. Feel free to watch for your self and I hope this provides some insight to all those looking to make the same voyage. Enjoy!
