Have you ever heard anyone say that they think that they were "born in the wrong decade"? Well, I have, and as a teenager, living in the 21st century, I have been able to form my own opinion on that phrase. As there are many different opinions about the similarities and differences between previous decades and this current one, I would like to add my own into the mix, and explain how "being born in the wrong decade" has shaped my frame of mind.

Even though I wish I had been born perhaps in the eighties, or even further into the past, in the medieval period, being raised in the generation that I have been has given me an interesting perspective on the world and the changes occurring around me. As young as I am, my only look into the past has been through textbooks or through my mother's stories, but I have also discovered a few things for myself, through my own personal research or through old movies and books that I have read.

For example, though we seem to be much more materialistic than those whom lived before us, the simplistic aspects of their way of life may have made them rather naïve to what was going on under their noses, and that could be seen as both positive and negative. Today, we have the news to tell us what is going on, security to help ensure our protection from those occurrences and many new technological and medical advances to improve on the results of such situations. In the past few decades, however, they did not have the newer technology or medications that we currently do, which caused a bit of a problem, as well as many fatalities in the country.

Another thing that I have observed and have been raised upon over the last couple of years is respect, a value that I now hold the highest in what I say and do everyday. One of the main differences that I have noticed has been the respect that children show authority and their parents now, in comparison to the level of it that was portrayed and exercised in the past. Nowadays, a majority of our children talk back to their parents, or intentionally start a banter, while in the 70s or 80s, that was unheard of, for if someone were to do that, there would be severe consequences and it just was not something you dared to do. I have always been taught to treat others with respect, especially those older than me, because they do know much more than I do and they deserve to be shown the respect that they have earned. Many people are surprised when I address them and speak to them in a respectful manner, which leads me to my next point.

It slightly frustrates me that people my age these days don't seem to mirror those views, because it isn't that hard to be respectful. If someone is older than you, is potentially wiser and has earned it, you should give them respect. Just give respect as you would for any other person, and even sometimes, you might gain the same in return. It is such a good feeling to spread respect, because the atmosphere seems to become less negative, and more neutral. If our generation could realize that the adults today were born in times full of knowledge and situations that we could not even begin to imagine or decipher, then I think we wouldn't have as many differences between ages.

Lastly, our generation has seen a lot, as well, such as malicious events like shootings, mass murders and things that were not seen or recognized in those times. On the other hand, we have also seen the legalization of same-sex marriage, the first nomination of a female president and even the possibility of further expansion or recession along the United States borders. All of these things could have many results, but has and could induce change. Change is good, and so is being born in this generation, because, for example, if I were born in the 80s, my mom would be ten, and that would just be very strange.

While sometimes I might not always like the world I live in, and would prefer to choose a more simple, easy route, many good things come from adjusting to one's surroundings and building up knowledge on how to deal with it. We cannot change or go back on the period we live in, but evidently, we can change the world we live in, and that in itself, is truly a beautiful idea to work towards and look forward to. As it has been said before, the whole world is in our hands, and no matter when we were born or how we've been raised, we have the ability to do something great together.