In Response to Gen X-ers: the Millennials and the Olympics

Sitting in a dimly lit Cracker’s Bar and Grill with damp hair and a tired body, I knew instantly I didn’t quite belong. My diving instructors drank as they chatted with my other, mostly older classmates. Next to me were two boys who, at best, were twelve and seven years old. I sipped my ice water, awkward and unwelcome in either conversation beside me.

“You see, the problem is,” one of my instructors began, sipping a local brewed beer, “All the kids get trophies for stepping outside. In the Olympics? There’s Gold, Silver, and Bronze. No one gets a participation award. Anyone else is a loser.”

Another instructor, sunglasses pressed against his wrinkled forehead, nodded. He mentioned how little “kids” seem to work anymore. Another person in the conversation chimed in about Ryan Lochte, and how shameful he was, fooling around and having fun instead of focusing on hard work.

When I came home from college, my first thought was not basking on Florida beaches. Over the summer, I had secured my first research internship while taking several chemistry courses. By the time my classes were over I was exhausted. My first day in the Sunshine State was spent sleeping. When I woke up, my mother joked that she’d never get to see me if I kept waking up in the afternoon. I grumbled as I completed the online part of my two diving courses. This was the start to my two and a half week summer break.

Despite being an Honors student and taking an average of 18 credits a semester I still found myself feeling largely unprepared for my future. In most science based careers, it is realistic to plan for a Master’s, even a Doctorate degree in order to get a decent paying job position. Marine science positions demand remarkable GPAs, research experience, and extracurricular skills.

This is how I found myself spending a weekend in a fast track diving program with complete strangers, listening to Gen X-ers discussing “The Millennials” alongside Ryan Lochte and the Olympics. As they raged on about the plague of fairness drifting in a sea of congratulatory accolades, I ate my burger. It was almost as if they didn’t realize every Olympian is celebrated during the Opening and Closing Ceremony. Sure, it’s no medal, but it sure is a memorable participation award.

Outsiders don’t always see the hard work that people put into their lives. My father asks me why I haven’t gone to any parties yet. My friends struggle to pay for college despite working four or five summer jobs. I’m not about to say that everyone my generation is poor or has never sipped a glass of alcohol, but that doesn’t mean my generation doesn’t work hard. For every Ryan Lochte, there is a Katie Ledecky. A Simone Biles. An Allyson Felix. Most of us don’t want a pat on the back every time we get something done. The standards for success have never been higher. When my grandfather got into business, he had a general Associate’s degree from a community college and found success in the properties he collected. To replicate that now, in 2016, would be unheard of for a Millennial. Let the stakes be high, but give Millennials a chance before disqualifying them from the competition.