Thoughts on a Wonderful Woman

On this day ten years ago I lost my grandmother. This was particularly traumatic for me because she was a mother figure to me. I spent nearly every day with her since I was a baby. Needless to say she had a profound impact on my life and helped to shape who I am today. I credit her with inspiring my love of travel as a child. Even though my parent's couldn't afford to go on vacations much, I can recall many day trips on weekends where my cousin and I would hop in my grandparent's SUV and go somewhere. My grandma loved travel well before me. She had gone all over the country, taking my dad and uncle on trips to visit her mother in Texas. My dad recalls those trips fondly just as I do with my own experiences.

My grandma showed me how wonderful it is to be curious and experience new things and places. I often think about what she would say to me if she were still here today. I have my moments where I am discouraged and feel defeated. It's at those times that I stop and think of her. No matter how badly someone screwed up or didn't live up to their expectations, she was always there. She picked up the pieces, offered anything she could to make someone feel better. She was their for the good moments too don't get me wrong. Nothing would stop her from missing a t-ball game or school play. No event was too small for her to rearrange her schedule. Today I like to think she would see me and be so proud that I am following my dream, struggling but nonetheless thriving. She was, and in spirit, still is my biggest cheerleader. Now she simply cheers from a different sideline.

Miss you every day. RIP Grandma Carol

Generation Me

So what is generation "me" anyway?

At a first glance in my Google search, generation "Me" was the name first given to the baby boomers in the 1970's. They were one of the first groups of people to put themselves before others. The ones that strived to get ahead in the twentieth century when everything was shiny and new each day. From new kitchen appliances to advances in the modern automobile. This generation were the first to purchase, and probably the most willing. What I want to know is, where did the disconnect happen? At what point did the baby boomers (and I'm not saying all baby boomers I'm making a huge generalization) stop giving in to new technology. A precipice was reached and many stopped, halted in the mid 1990's while the rest of us are zooming ahead.

I just recently connected the dots on this whole subject today at work. I am at the front desk at a select service hotel and it hits me, "Why do all these people expect me to spoon feed them absolutely everything?!" Now that's not to say that I am not polite, or that I don't help them in every way possible. However, I often find myself saying to myself, "no one my age, or my parents for that matter would ask these types of questions or require this much help.

So for those who say my generation is lazy, or doesn't utilize the resources of the world I have to say I disagree. Again, this is a huge generalization I know some people my age are complete lazy bums. But when I don't know the answer to something I research and then research again. I fact check to make sure the hotel I am booking is in a good location, or that it has complimentary breakfast. I don't go into situations blindly expecting the answer to always fall in my lap. Sometimes I feel like I am asked questions only god could accurately answer. "When will the leaves change?" Well I could go into a long analysis of temperature and climate to predict that for you, but I won't. Why you ask? I haven't the time, I do not have super powers, I cannot predict the future, I cannot tell the government to reopen. I do not have a direct line to the White House or God.

A number of Baby Boomers today have now become the helpless generation. The answers will not always be handed to you in life, something Baby Boomers themselves tell my generation. My hope is to empower this generation to help themselves and seek some answers for themselves, at least the obvious ones anyway.