Snowflake

A snowflake. That’s what I was called. Obviously not because I portray some sort of unique beauty or character, but rather to insinuate that I’m soft and sensitive. If you ask me, those are still valuable qualities to have. This term “snowflake” is being used to insult an entire generation—the millennials. The dreaded millennials. So, if you were born between 1980 and the mid 1990s—Congratulations! You’re one of us, a millennial snowflake. Own that shit! I used to be so offended being referred to as a snowflake, but now—I own it! I think we’re the most hated generation. That’s a feat in and of itself.

Thank you, Baby Boomers! The crazy thing—the generation that created us and raised us, are now the ones hating us. These are our parents, folks! Something went seriously wrong! They did such a good job though. They raised an entire generation that’s entitled, easily offended, and can’t handle adversity. Sweet! We are onto great things! I can just taste the success.

So, why is it, that an entire generation is being attacked? I know that we are collectively being targeted and not all of us fit the bill, however we are all guilty by association. I feel the need to defend myself and my fellow millennials, even though we all have very different perspectives. We don’t all share the same religious views. We don’t have the same political affiliations. We don’t share the same opinions on the various moral issues at hand. But one thing we do have, is a deep connection to humanity and humility. I guess that’s what being soft and sensitive gets you. I don’t know how because as I already mentioned, we were raised by Baby Boomers, who clearly don’t share the same mindset. I’m not here to bash the Baby Boomer generation. They brought us “snowflake” millennials into the world. The game-changers! The generation that is here for real, honest change.

One thing worth mentioning is the fact that growing up, they were exposed to vastly different current events than we are experiencing right now. The political climate was different. Everything was either black or white. There was no room for a grey area. The millennial generation is the grey area! We are able to reason and offer differing perspectives; and respect that. Say, what? Is that even allowed? So far, it’s not going well. But give it time.

When it comes to political parties, you’d be hard pressed to find an extreme right or left winger among the millennials. Now, I am speaking collectively. There are always outliers! Most of us hang out somewhere in the middle. The middle ground. What’s that? That’s not acceptable. Pick a side, they say. Are you blue or are you red? Which gang do you belong to? That might be extreme, but that’s what it feels like. Well, my beliefs don’t always align with one side or the other. As a matter of fact, I’m torn on most issues, actually. Now what? Millennials are damned to hell if we do and damned to hell if we don’t. It’s ludicrous!

We live in a society that is drowned by the media. It is the end-all be-all. It’s funny to me that the generations before us are relying so heavily on technology to form opinions of our generation. Anyone else see the irony in that? Is it just me? But then we get the, “I don’t even know how to use this phone” or “I don’t know what Facebook is”. I call bullshit! Folks, they are all over social media. And maybe some aren’t. They definitely know what Fox News and CNN are, for sure. It’s their only reliable source of biased information. How else would they know what a “snowflake” is? These media outlets are responsible for crippling our society. Yep, I said it. If they report it, it has to be true. Right? Stop believing it all. Millennials have been painted as such villains, almost like we are some home-grown terrorist group, out to destroy.

Who are we really? Who are the millennial snowflakes? Let me tell you—

We are strapped with student loan debt in our 30s. We are marrying later because we are career driven. That means kids come later than what’s deemed acceptable. We are the workaholics—much like our parents, the Baby Boomers. Shocker. We have changed the narrative. We are women as breadwinners. We are stay-at-home dads that are killing it. We are the tech savvy bunch. We are passionate about change. All kinds of change. We value differences. We are liberals. We are conservatives. We are moderates. We want acceptance, for all. We care about the environment. We are foodies. We enjoy our green smoothies and organic veggies. We like our craft beer and frou-frou coffees. We value our family time. We are CEOs, scientists, politicians, doctors, entrepreneurs, mentors, athletes. We are here to stay. We aren’t going anywhere. We are here to inspire change. We are here to build a better world for tomorrow.

Maybe we are soft and sensitive and easily offended. Or maybe it’s just compassion. When you’re constantly attacked and belittled, it’s natural to feel hurt and defeated. But, I’ll be damned if we don’t pick ourselves back up and make the comeback stronger than ever. We will strive for change and togetherness. Change in which differences are accepted and respected. Change in which love and kindness supersede negativity and division. I’m a snowflake and proud to be part of the narrative, creating much needed change!