Real Talk

You know, you try to be a good child. Maybe even the perfect child and still, somehow, nothing is ever good enough for the parents who bore you. For someone like me who has never done drugs inside or out of the home, rarely, and I mean rarely, drinks and listens and follows instructions given by her parents, I sure am treated like a second-class citizen these days.

As young people, we are expected to go to college, land great jobs and build a life for ourselves, leaving the comfort of our parent's home. That is the normal thing to do. The right thing, but I do think parents need to understand something about today, about our generation. Those of us fortunate enough to get a job may not be making enough to afford our own places. With rent as high as it is and salaries as low as they are, it is only reasonable and smart that we remain in our parent's home if they so allow us to.

This is my current situation. But of course, it is not good enough. Since I graduated college three months ago, I am no longer a member of my own household. Instead, I am a temporary guest who, at any time, can have her privileges taken away. With any error I make now, I will be kicked out. I am being watched like a hawk. This means that I am not allowed to be in bad moods, raise my voice or even breathe in the wrong direction without constant threats of my termination in my childhood home.

You know, I can care less about money or being taken care of. I am not a mooch, hence why I have my own job, and I contribute what I can to my own household like a good daughter should. But, I'm not part of a family anymore because my status as a helpless student has been removed. No, instead I am a helpless adult trying to get by in an overpriced world. For those of you reading this, wherever you are from, I don't know how living/working situations operate, but here, it is very difficult. You must have a roommate. That is why many couples move in together before marriage, because it is just cheaper that way. This brings me to the next part of my rant. Moving in with my boyfriend.

So, if I move out of my parent's home, I will most likely need a roommate due to expenses. Splitting them is just smarter and easier on the wallet and nerves. My boyfriend is looking for an apartment too so this means we will try and get one together, I mean why not? However, the watchful eyes of the hawk, aka my parents, are scouting this out. They would never like this, but because they can't stop me, they will drop me from everything. Look, I am not complaining about being an adult and having bills and responsibilities. I am just scratching my brain as to how in God's name I will afford all I have to afford with the small salary I am making presently.

Basically, my point of my whole rant is that you are damned every which way possible. Life's a crap shoot, especially for young adults trying to begin their lives right now. We stress about getting into college, then we stress about getting out, and then we stress about finding jobs. Then when we have a job, we wonder how we can afford high rent when companies refuse to pay us anything near what we paid for college. Look, $100 doesn't last a second these days, yet prices get higher while salaries get lower. If I could see the future when I was a little girl, I would have started working at 10 just to save money.

So parents, if you are reading this, take it easy on your kid. You know how it is and that it is much worse out there today. Stop breathing down their necks and making threats. And if you are going to try and kick your kid out, don't. If he or she has a job right now, right after graduating from college, they are doing a fantastic job. Give us a chance for God's sake. Doesn't our generation deserve that? Don't we deserve the benefits people have received for years before us? That's all I have to say. Comments, thoughts, stories, leave me a post.