Lodro Rinzler
Author of The Buddha Walks into a Bar: A Guide to Life for a New Generation
Posted: 02/6/2012 4:12 pm

hen I was seven years old, my first grade teacher asked everyone to draw what they wanted to be when they grew up. I remember walking around my classroom, learning all about my classmates' long-term aspirations. Not surprisingly for this Manhattan private school, it was a room full of aspiring astronauts and baseball players.

I and all of my classmates grew up and became members of the generation often referred to as Generation Y, sometimes referred to as "Generation Why?" in reference to our supposed apathy. A new nickname came about circa 2008: Generation O. This was due to the Obama election, which galvanized my generation into action, into a state where we finally believe that Change with a capital "c" is possible.

While it feels like many of my peers are awakening from a slumber of video games and reality television to suddenly confront the possibility of societal change, they are simultaneously realizing that the space for them to throw elbows is surprisingly limited.

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lodro-rinzler/becoming-who-you-want-to-_b_1243137.html