My Generation (Katie)

I was watching this show called My Generation and some of it hit me like a brick wall. If you haven’t seen it, go download it on iTunes. The pilot is free and then the second episode is on hulu. I’ve only watched the first episode so far but it’s made me look at my whole life and my decisions the past 18 years. When I look back I can remember things that make me laugh and I look at younger kids now and I giggle at the things they’re crying about.

For example, no little kid wants to be pushed in the stroller. WHY? Because, as I’m typing this I have my shoes off and my feet propped up because I am exhausted from walking around all day, so the stroller idea is a pretty good idea from where I’m sitting.

Or how about naps? No one wanted to take one when they were little but now that’s all we talk about. When do I get to sleep next? I wonder if I can sleep for 15 minutes here or there. I wonder if my professor notices that his monotone voice is putting me to sleep and I’m drooling all over my notes?

Does anyone else remember not wanting their parents to pay for things? You wanted to pay for it YOURSELF. Yeah, there’s that independence rearing its ugly head again. Now all of a sudden you pull up to the gas pump where they’re charging outrageous prices and your mom whipping out her cash or card sounds like an awesome site, but then you realize that people actually expect you to be independent now and you have to pay.

I found myself thinking about a whole bunch of things like that after the show was over. I also found myself thinking about things I said once upon a time. I want to be a doctor, I want to be a lawyer, I want to cook, I want to go to space, I want to travel the world! I used to want to go out and conquer the world. Now I just can’t wait for the day it leaves me alone. No one grading my every pen mark, no one to tell me I’m just not cut out, no one to tell me that my dreams are too small or too big or meant for someone else, or waiting for me to turn in another homework assignment or test paper. I want the day to come where I get to not listen to another professor drone on about something or another for 50 minutes just so I can count down to when I get to go home and get food. I know, huge aspirations. Why doesn’t anyone ever tell you that it’s ok if you don’t know what you want in life? I think that’s ok to a certain age. I know what direction I’m heading I just don’t know what the destination is. I do know that the destination is something science shaped.

For those of you who don’t know, one of my greatest passions in life is coaching volleyball. I love when volleyball season starts, and it’s starting my friends. I’ve coached in one form or another for 4 years now. I helped out my little sister’s middle school team for 2 seasons, coached at Preston middle school last season, and I’ve coached club for 3 seasons now. I’m at a point now where I have seen some of them go from little 6th graders to going to their first homecoming. It’s one of the coolest things in the world to see their dreams grow and change. One day they’ll look back on it when they’re in college and laugh and cry just like I’m doing now. I’m sure I’ll look back in 3 more years after I graduate college and laugh at some more points in life.

-Katie