"When you hear the word 'millennial,' what comes to mind?"

"Lazy."

"Drop outs."

"Entitled."

These were some of the answers I received from asking random passersby at a coffee shop. One gentleman said, "microwave." When I looked at him questioningly, he elaborated with, "you know, microwaves cook food quickly; all you have to do is throw it in there. Millennials want a lot of money, and they want it now, without having to put much effort in. It doesn't take much effort, but you get what you want really fast."

This is an issue that has bothered me increasingly with each passing day. Not one person said anything remotely nice about the generation I was born into, and I am tired of my age defining who I am as a person. Yes, I am a millennial by age, no, I am not who the world thinks me to be. I am not lazy, nor am I entitled. I was raised better than that: I was raised to work hard for the things I want out of life and taught that nothing comes for free. Ever.

I am not rude, nor am I disrespectful. I hold doors open for everyone, and especially for elderly people because that’s the right thing to do. I say “yes, please” and “thank you," two phrases that seem to be going out of fashion. It’s because of us, because of millennials, that that's not as common to hear anymore, and I can’t seem to wrap my head around that concept. Were we not taught basic manners by our teachers in grade school and by our parents?

I want to blame millennials entirely for many, many things, but I couldn’t do that for one simple reason: more often than not, kids are a reflection of their parents and the way they were raised--so parents, what’s up? It’s not okay to tell your child he or she is always right because no one is ever always right. That leads to vanity, overly large egos and narcissism. It’s not okay to not punish your child for a misdemeanor. That leads to one learning that being disrespectful is acceptable. It’s not okay to give your child everything he or she wants, whenever they want it. That leads to entitlement. It’s not okay to tell your child failing is okay, or getting a D in a class is sufficient because that leads to laziness. Can’t you see where the shortcomings are stemming from? Parents today, now more than ever, are not teaching or have not taught their children basic lessons between what is right and wrong, between what is acceptable and what is not, in fear of their child lashing out, and this is the product. Millennials are the product, and the next generation will be even worse.

Unfortunately, parents raising their children properly isn't the solution, though it can massively help to improve the attitudes of young adults. Everyone reaches an age where they can begin to see the difference between good and bad for themselves, and in the end, it is up to an individual to see the wrong in their ways and grow out of their parents' inadequate teaching. This is where millennials are lacking, and where they need it the most: character development is the key to growth.

To the millennials that are like me: I am sorry. I am so sorry you are suffering the same negative connotation that others our age are, but if that’s how we are portrayed, that means there are enough millennials out there that are behaving this way. This is a trend, a pattern, that is noticed by older generations, and it’s not good. It doesn’t feel good knowing that we are known as the generation that can’t get it together. It’s already hard enough to get a job after graduating college, but now you throw the title “millennial” in the mix, and no one wants to hire you--and I don’t blame current employers a single bit.

Who would want to hire someone, knowing there’s a high chance they’ll be lazy, rude, entitled and disrespectful? Who would want to hire someone who has never worked a day in their life? That doesn’t even show bad work ethic, it shows no work ethic right off the bat. If you can’t muddle through a minimum wage job or two, how are you going to handle the responsibilities given to you in the professional world? Who would want to hire someone who doesn’t have an internship on a résumé? Millennials aren’t taking unpaid internships now, they are complaining about them. It’s about the experience, guys. I get it: college costs an arm, a leg, and your firstborn child, but if that’s the difference between getting a secure job for the rest of your life and not, my god, do it. Life is not a smooth ride and you aren’t going to start off being financially stable, but at this age, we aren’t expected to be, because we haven't had the chance to establish ourselves yet.

Millennials have more opportunities today than any other generation has had in the past, but we aren't taking advantage of them, we're taking them for granted. We are innovators, the best of the best, the brightest young adults out there, yet we're so stupid. We expect everything to fall into our laps and get the easy way out, but here's the thing: there is no "easy way" out. If there was, everyone would be taking it, and we wouldn't be where we are in the world today if everyone settled for being mediocre. We waste so much time on wishing and wanting for all of the greatest things in life, but wishing and wanting isn't going to cut it.

Soon, we will be the generation that has shaped the world for younger generations, and if we keep it up, we are going to leave them with an absolute mess. As millennials, we are the most open and embracing of change than any other generation, and that is something to be proud of. As millennials, we are more than capable of changing this world for the better. Sometimes, it's just a matter of your desire outstepping what you think your abilities are, and that can make all the difference.