For those of us in college and about to embark on the journey of the rest of our lives, we're constantly told we need to let go and move forward. We must progress and become the best version of ourselves for our friends, family, future employers, and our own well-being. Only then will we be able to reach our long-term goals and make a great life for ourselves. While I absolutely agree with overcoming our personal obstacles in order to achieve what we want in life, I don't believe we should feel the need to completely re-invent ourselves to please those around us. Our pasts are what made us who we are today, and we should love and cherish them for that fact.
My sophomore and junior years of high school were some of the best of my life; I reached a massive goal in weight loss (which I had been struggling with my entire life), learned to be happy with my appearance, met my current boyfriend of nearly four years, got my first real job, and made some of the best friends I'd ever had along the way. I, like many others, look back on these days and smile. Sure, there were rough patches, but I wouldn't trade what I had for the world.
Back then, things were less complicated and I constantly wish I could be a kid again with minimal responsibilities, time to kill, and nothing more to worry about other than making it to my 7:15 a.m. bus on time. It is so hard to believe that this was four years ago. They say time flies when you're having fun, but what if you're not having any fun at all? What if, in that short time, your life feels as though it's falling apart? People will tell you that's just the way the life and becoming an adult is, but why does it have to be that way? We need to stop being ashamed of looking back and wishing things could be the way they were; everyone has wished for something like this in their lives. We're all afraid of the future, and I'm always thinking of how I can relive the past in the future. Perhaps we have more control of our futures than we think.
The Millennial generation (despite the negative connotation of the word) is and has been growing up in one of the most turbulent times in America. We're all dealing with a lot. From outrageous student debt to not being able to get a job out of college due to ridiculous requirements, we're struggling to make it on our own, only to be met with harsh criticism from previous generations. We've all heard those "when I was your age..." stories from parents, grandparents, etc. telling us that if we put in a little effort, we can accomplish anything, but I'm here to say we're already trying hard enough, harder than you think. Many of my peers are taking 18+ credit hours per semester, taking summer classes, and working two jobs in their nonexistent spare time. It's no wonder we want to go back, seeing as many of us have had to grow up more quickly than we would have preferred. There's a common misconception that millennials are unappreciative of what they have, disregard tradition, or seek to uproot and change the American way of life. The truth is, most of us wish we could have had the same experience as our parents or grandparents. We want to actually date people, we want the security of a steady job after diligently working for a college degree, we want the safety of a home - a real home - that we make our own, we want the typical 'American dream', but now it just seems unattainable.
We look back to the past to escape the dim future looming ahead. We become nostalgic because of the pressure of turning the hurting world into something we can see ourselves bringing life into; we want the best for future generations, but are expected to fix a problem we didn't cause. We are in love with yesterday because we are afraid of tomorrow. Of course, we all need to learn to face this fear, but there will always be memories of happiness and simplicity to come back to (and work back towards) when your bout with life doesn't turn out the way you'd hoped. While your past does not control you, it is a part of who you are and it is okay to love it and your past self as much as who you have become.
"Your past is just a story, and once you realize this, it has no control over you." - Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters
