I was born at the tail end of the baby boom, 1964. My biggest mistake was buying into that BS. It wasn’t until after 3 “careers” and my late fifties when I finally imploded into such deep depression that I no longer saw the point of living. Thanks to a lot of therapy, meds, and getting over my fears of not having enough $ to sustain a lifestyle teetering on the edge of middle class did I finally pursue my long suppressed dream of being an artist. It’s all B.S. that we’ve been fed. Find your passion and figure out a way to pursue it if you can.
Even though ambition may be weakened, you can still toughen your resolve with the fulfillment of knowing you are using your gifts in life, and let those lead you where they may.
I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this essay. It hits pretty hard. I’m a grandfather’s of 2 still innocent girls. From reading this, I realize I have slipped past the guardrails and began feeding our children with the same murderous curses you’re shaking your fist at the heavens about. Ultimately as parents we’ve planted the same insane seeds to be harvested by the next generation. I’m grateful to get this warning. I believe that part of the alternative is in having. A community, a diverse multi-everything community. A community that has slackers as well as ambitious folk. However all is in motion, changing within a purpose. The community must have some unity of purpose. And it has to be more than lipspeak.. it has to be real, not just within the net. I’ve said enough.
Many of my generation extolled letting their freak flags fly 50 years ago. And many of them now bemoan their lack of adequate retirement income.
Many spoke of quiet quitting at their jobs as the pandemic neared its end. Now that well paid work is again recognized as a privilege rather than a right, many of them I wish they still had those jobs and that they could work extremely hard at them rather than having lost them because they simply were quiet quitters.
Many federal government employees insisted that they would not go back to their offices and that they be allowed to work from homes in their sweats in perpetuity. Now, many of them are being granted the right to stay at home for a long period of time, only without a paycheck from the federal government because the costs of their salaries and benefits outweigh the value created by their productivity at work.
The simple fact is that some of us have a big appetite for job related work while others don’t. This leads to vastly different outcomes over decades long time frames, especially when this hard work is paired with true productivity. The key, as an adult, is to not complain when your financial well-being isn’t as good as you see others experiencing, even though you know you were less ambitious and hard-working than those other people over a span of decades.
It’s like you reached in to my brain and took my thoughts and made them 10x more eloquent. So comforting to know I’m not the only one at this weird crossroads
I was born at the tail end of the baby boom, 1964. My biggest mistake was buying into that BS. It wasn’t until after 3 “careers” and my late fifties when I finally imploded into such deep depression that I no longer saw the point of living. Thanks to a lot of therapy, meds, and getting over my fears of not having enough $ to sustain a lifestyle teetering on the edge of middle class did I finally pursue my long suppressed dream of being an artist. It’s all B.S. that we’ve been fed. Find your passion and figure out a way to pursue it if you can.
I too became an artist when my ambition ended. Art has been my therapy and savior throughout these trying times.
It truly is saving me. Best to you!
god it’s like this was written just for me
The perfect bench! The perfect Line Dance! The perfect Ma! The perfect essay!
White men have not been working for generations to break the glass ceiling. So that extra stress is not an issue for them.
Preach!
Even though ambition may be weakened, you can still toughen your resolve with the fulfillment of knowing you are using your gifts in life, and let those lead you where they may.
So relatable.
Thank you for writing this! Beautifully said, and I do hope we find a new and better system soon.
I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this essay. It hits pretty hard. I’m a grandfather’s of 2 still innocent girls. From reading this, I realize I have slipped past the guardrails and began feeding our children with the same murderous curses you’re shaking your fist at the heavens about. Ultimately as parents we’ve planted the same insane seeds to be harvested by the next generation. I’m grateful to get this warning. I believe that part of the alternative is in having. A community, a diverse multi-everything community. A community that has slackers as well as ambitious folk. However all is in motion, changing within a purpose. The community must have some unity of purpose. And it has to be more than lipspeak.. it has to be real, not just within the net. I’ve said enough.
Aces.
Many of my generation extolled letting their freak flags fly 50 years ago. And many of them now bemoan their lack of adequate retirement income.
Many spoke of quiet quitting at their jobs as the pandemic neared its end. Now that well paid work is again recognized as a privilege rather than a right, many of them I wish they still had those jobs and that they could work extremely hard at them rather than having lost them because they simply were quiet quitters.
Many federal government employees insisted that they would not go back to their offices and that they be allowed to work from homes in their sweats in perpetuity. Now, many of them are being granted the right to stay at home for a long period of time, only without a paycheck from the federal government because the costs of their salaries and benefits outweigh the value created by their productivity at work.
The simple fact is that some of us have a big appetite for job related work while others don’t. This leads to vastly different outcomes over decades long time frames, especially when this hard work is paired with true productivity. The key, as an adult, is to not complain when your financial well-being isn’t as good as you see others experiencing, even though you know you were less ambitious and hard-working than those other people over a span of decades.
I felt this on so many levels. I think it's ok now to get a gold star for rest.
⭐️ ⭐️ amen!!!
"The problem with this kind of ambition, of course, is that it never ends." I loved this essay, Jessica.
It’s like you reached in to my brain and took my thoughts and made them 10x more eloquent. So comforting to know I’m not the only one at this weird crossroads
🩷🩷🩷