our generation

I will never understand this generation..

The saying, "don't cross oceans for those who won't jump over puddles for you," echos from within the crowd of young people who have trust issues and broken hearts. The quote seems reasonable and relatable enough- why should we pursue those who don't fully appreciate us? Yet, for some reason I just can't completely agree.

We, as a generation, take short cuts.

"How can I love without putting my heart on the line? How can I do the least amount of work yet still be successful? I can only be as nice to people as they are to me."

In other generation's eyes, we are seen as lazy. Too invested in ourselves to put forth energy towards things that don't directly benefit us. Things that scare us.

Love, for instance. We are taught to be selfish. We see and experience too much hurt and heart break throughout this life and, in some way, we want to numb our emotions in order to avoid inevitable grief. Instead of loving fully and with our entire devotion, we pour only half of ourselves into our partners, keeping the remainder of ourselves locked within us. Fear of losing someone we love, or even worse, losing part of who we are to someone we love, inhibits us from sharing the inner most elements within us. The elements that compose all of the beautiful features and qualities instilled in us.

We even mirror this in our daily interactions with strangers and companions.

We are warned to watch how we treat others because if they don't reflect positivity back to us, they didn't deserve it in the first place. (When in reality those people probably need love most).

I guess I just don't quite get why you wouldn't want to do everything in life to the best of your ability and with as much passion as your heart can muster. I think life has so much more meaning when instead of just simply interacting with others, we appreciate and sympathize with them. Making emotional connections with people is essential. Without these connections we become nameless, soulless, pieces of flesh. We then aim to merely survive and lack the fundamentals to absolutely thrive. These relations with people are what separate us humans from animals in the wild- wandering around the world with only instinct and no sense of purpose.

I think what this generation lacks is simply courage. Why do we fear what doesn't yet exist? Whether it be rejection, humiliation, and those alike- these are lessons to be learned. They show that with incredible highs come ferocious lows. And no, they shouldn't teach you to shut off your emotions entirely. When you love hard, yes, you're risking it all. When it fails, it hurts. But when it lasts, it's magnificent. It's worth the previous heartache. We shouldn't try to mask our feelings in order to protect our hearts. Love is only beautiful when it is full and mutual. You can't truly and fully appreciate what you have if you're constantly asking yourself "what if?"

I think what I'm trying to say is this: love completely and fully. Be passionate, be brave, wear your heart on your sleeve, and wear it with pride. Don't bury your emotions to protect your dignity.

It is imperative that we, as a generation, learn to stop hiding behind our egos. If we aren't willing to take risks and open ourselves to the ability to create meaningful and absolute interactions, this life will remain empty and insignificant.