Ladies and gentlemen, meet J.D. Millennial.
Who is this seemingly non-fascinating individual? This mild-mannered, go with the wind blows type that seems like they nonchalantly go through life with no care or emotion? Ah, but those same looks could be deceiving, as J.D. Millennial is an anomaly all on their own. They are an individual of a mixed hash of different periods. A guarded but somehow open personality that has seen more than most and has gone through the very peaks and valleys that life has given them, for better or worse. Yet J.D. is often misunderstood due to the same attitude they are perceived as having, and they are shunned and placed in a box for it. To know J.D., however, you must know their whole story.
Starting with the roar of the 90s that brought about the best childhood one could ask for, enjoying the fruits of the American Dream as described in school or by their parents. Yearning for the one day to be an adult while taking their adolescence for granted. Dreams of graduations, future occupations, and illusions of grandeur. Simpler times and the thought of it being just as straightforward, if not more, as time goes on. Kept away from the ills of the world to protect the innocence needed to maintain those illusions. Riding on the wins but being protected from the losses. That beautiful naivety, whether chosen or forced, is greatly missed. Thinking back brings a tear to their eye, not knowing then what they would know now. These moments would be their happiest.
Flash forward to the start of the millennium, and gone are the days of adolescent innocence. The world, once known to them as simple, becomes much more complex—the added drama of being a teen in a world engulfed in chaos after one event. J.D. watched along with the rest of the world, unable to fathom what was going to unfold. They knew that the world had changed once the towers went down. The country looked at differently, not just from the outside looking in, but from everyone’s viewpoint. A sense of fear and uncertainty began to creep and linger. The added ills of the world coupled with the added ills of something far worse…. High school. Or so J.D. would think at the time, for as much as they are learning, they are still that much more naive. They mull over the various events that were seen as a crisis at the time. ACTs, filling out college applications, deciding what to become, and escaping this one-horse town. They had a plan, and everything was still going to ride along, despite the uncertainty in the world. But they still had to navigate the political and emotional minefield that is high school drama. Little did they know that these moments may better prepare them for the future than college would, as it’s well known that you never truly leave high school.
It’s in these moments that they begin to discover themselves beyond the indoctrination imposed on them, exploring their individuality and finding out that certain things learned and taught may not be what’s best for them. They discover how feelings and emotions can and will trigger thoughts and actions, both rational and irrational. These days, they strive to find ways to express themselves in front of an audience while not speaking to a soul. This is when the next important milestone in their lives would be discovered: the internet. From MSN Messenger and AIM to writing personal journals on blogging sites to the inevitable growth of the almighty Facebook, they turn to these mediums to let out angst, express gratitude, or spread and read gossip. It becomes a pastime to the point that the hours spent outside become hours spent online. The new norm has begun to set in. It’s also during this time that more innocence is lost, as news from beyond their small town or lives comes at them faster. Any news during this time is to be believed as if it’s on the internet; it has to be true. Viners and influencers begin to replace traditional means of gaining news and notoriety. The beginnings of acceptance of a gilded age take hold as a way to escape the ills of the world. The gullibility of the time, believing everything you see and hear. It’s helped lead to the non-caring attitude they have now.
Getting out of high school and into the world, J.D. takes the advice of the generation before him and heads to an institute of higher learning. They know it’s an opportunity not afforded to most, and they believe, full well, that the leg up it will give them will be the advantage needed later in life. Oh, the naivety. It’s cute. However, it’s an unforgettable experience that helps mold them into the adult they eventually become, for better or worse. More independence is gained as everything is on them. They’re fully responsible for their success or failure. It’s not in the classroom where these lessons are learned, but in street-knowledge lessons that’ll be useful—learning to be continually self-sufficient whenever lunch points run out—figuring out how to stretch that extra student loan or textbook buyback money through two semesters. Leaning on friends, they’ll maintain for years to come, even if they don’t talk every day. The second-best memories of life were made during this time. A time in which they were allowed to escape the real world for about four years, eight if Universal Studies was the choice of major. They’re aware of the real world and real issues and have ideas with like-minded individuals to fix them. Fighting the power and doing work from the inside out, working from the bottom up, and making the changes. Still so naive at the time. So so naive.
We look at J.D. Now and how they feel. Going beyond moving through what they’ve already experienced to seeing the world as it is now. From being guinea pigs through the indoctrination era to seeing this current generation see through it. From being the last remnants of the American Dream philosophy to seeing it fall in one traumatic instant. From believing wholeheartedly in a system aimed at making a change to seeing it fail significantly on both sides of the coin and in two different elections. From being told the world is one particular way if you work that way to seeing the world for what it actually is. Beaten down physically and emotionally after experiencing life-altering events and country-shaking experiences, they’re numb to them anymore. No feeling, no emotion. No caring. To the point where they….. exist. Why? Because it’s easier to live existing than waste energy on things that won’t change, no matter how much you ask for or demand it.
It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? Discovering just a small glimpse of how J.D. Millennial has come to be. So much to understand and yet so much misunderstood. And this story is still unfinished for J.D as they are only partially through this journey. Yet, one would think that they’ve already experienced a whole life in such a small span. The last nugget is to understand J.D. The nonchalant feel and the non-caring attitude has come from a lifetime of passed-down pain and angst. It’s not that they don’t care; it’s that they’re too tired to care.
And thus, J.D. Millennial will continue to live their life as they always have and pass that mantle of change to their younger sibling, Young GenZi.