I'm an on and off fan of Cary's. I tend to only read his column when the byline in my newsreader catches my eye. When I read an opinion of his, I usually wholeheartedly agree. Today's column was one of the gems because I feel it spoke to my exact situation (and also functions as advice for my entire generation.
Here's the portion of his article that resonates with me the most:
If I were you, I might be a little angry that my culture neglected to tell me the truth about these things, that my education did not prepare me for adversity. I might be upset that I had not gained an understanding of economic forces, of class forces, of the way power is wielded in hidden ways in the workplace, how we are led to believe that things will be easy when they are actually hard. I might be angry that I did not study how advertising and popular culture portray a world in which problems can be solved instantly, by making certain purchases or wearing certain clothes.
I am angry at my culture. I feel the implicit and explicit promises of success, well-being, and comfortable excess have poisoned my generation. As I look at my enormous debt, I'm realizing that this wasn't a promise, this was a devil's bargain.
When a student leaves home and heads for college, he or she is bombarded with the world without a filter, in many cases for the first time. A fortunate student has been taught by his family and teachers to be smart, buckle down and study, manage finances, and avoid debt wherever possible. But there are other teacher's in this student's life: mass media and television. They teach us that the spoiled, bratty people are the winners because they have the life we can only imagine. Consumption, greed, inflated self-importance—these are the things that are held on a pedestal for our entertainment. And then comes the commercial break, where we are shown the products that will help us get to this state of consumer bliss.
I do not blame the entertainment industry solely for this: the banks are a larger part of the problem. The banks show you that credit is easy to obtain as long as you fit within a certain class of society: middle class city dweller. The cost is a mountain of debt which locks you into indentured servitude. Bankruptcy is no longer an easy option thanks to the Bush regime. The banks are no longer on the hook for their own decisions, the "blame" and penalties for credit abuse are shifted to the consumer's shoulders.
Credit greases the wheels of an infernal machine. The naïve college student, fresh faced to the world, cannot immediately see the dangers of the banking industry. I have fallen victim to its siren call on more than one occasion. But I feel this is the last time. In my adult life, I have lived under moderate debt while a student, debt-free while out of school, and now in crushing debt while out of school. With the possible exception of educational loans (as soon as I get a job, I'll clear them of complicity), debt is something to avoid at all turns if humanly possible.
Cary ends his article with this insight:
You are beginning to see that much of what you have assumed to be true is false. That is a good thing. Now you must begin to replace your assumptions with a more balanced view.
That takes a lifetime.
I feel like my finally finishing school, most likely permanently, and coming face to face with my life problems is changing me and making me an adult. At 27, I'm finally coming of age. This seems extremely late to me, but for my generation, the realization that life is difficult, offers huge challenges, and that the ache from unfulfillment cannot be soothed with material goods is one that is learned much later in life—too late by many standards. But it is a lesson that is necessary for a person to take the reigns and be fully responsible for himself or herself.
j
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