This morning I read an article through the NFL app. It was perfect. I tried to share it on my FB feed. I couldn't get FB to edit who I wanted to see it (public, not just my friends) and it went back to the NFL app. The article was not to be found again!! I was so frustrated...
So here I am writing my own darn article!
Over the past year I've decided that Millennials are getting something right - they are taking care of themselves. I've written about different generations before and what each generation thinks of the other. But over the past 3-4 years I've worked w/ and for more millennials than throughout the rest of my life. At first I was shocked to see their attitude of working only 40 hours a week in a salaried job. I looked at this as lazy or uncommitted to their career. Here I was, a girl working her ass off in every single job I'd ever had, salaried or not (although I don't work over my paid hours in an hourly job, that's just stupid) and it never occurred to me to stop working a salaried job at 40 hours. You work until the work is done. DONE. It's called "work ethic" and I felt these younger people didn't have that. I could actually go on about my frustrations of unfairness, lack of work ethic, being rewarded for not working hard, etc.but that's not the point of this blog so I'll step away, take a deep breath, and move on!
Today my perspective has changed a bit. I am in the unique position to not have to work 40 hours a week b/c I am part of a two-income family. We aren't super wealthy but we can afford our house, food, clothes, vacations, my Jeep, his Mustang, swim club, piano and drum lessons, and quite a bit more simply b/c we are frugal and smart w/ our money. Being in this position has allowed me to take more time for me. I compete in triathlons and spend hours each week during the season training. It's MY time. I LOVE it. I encourage my daughter to find things she loves and pursue them. She's an artist, loves math, loves swimming, and seems to have musical talent as well. I encourage it all as part of living well.
Then I began to realize that millennials are doing the same thing. Many do live at home for longer than "normal" but they're saving money and enjoying themselves. While their "work ethic" isn't the same as mine, I have come to the conclusion that it's healthier. Either employers are more lenient with them or they are more efficient w/ their time, typically the work gets done on time. They are not working themselves to the bone or overly stressed. I am willing to bet their generation will have fewer heart attacks than previous ones b/c they are taking better care of their health. Their Physical and Mental health...
Which brings me to the original thought this blog was based on - Andrew Luck. He's a Millennial. He's a retired professional football player at age 29. He's honest w/ himself, his team, and his fans. And he got booed for this. And is being critised by loads of people. And we wonder why people suffer depression, why anxiety is a growing concern, and why people take their own lives. This man has been in physical pain and unable to do his job to the best of his ability. He's a team player who couldn't be in the thick of things w/ his team due to injury and doctors orders. He is a player w/ a lot of integrity, maturity, and brains. I mean he went to Stanford, for goodness sake! And when he decided enough was enough, the timing wasn't great. But you could see it in him - it was either he step back and save himself, or he stayed and would lose himself.
Instead of booing, fans should have waited to hear him. Instead of leaking the news given in confidence, whoever let it out should have held onto it until Andrew had a chance to make the official announcement. (I 'm not sure it would have gotten a better reaction, but I bet he would have felt better about it. Honestly,though, that's neither here nor there.) The point is, he used his Millennial wisdom to make a healthy decision and should be praised for this. To watch him give his statement last night I was reminded of the things we teach in Youth Mental Health First Aid. Yes, he was happy on the sidelines during the game. But much like someone who has finally decided to kill themselves, he knew the worst was behind him. This caused his mood to shift. He would soon get some healing time w/ his wife and upcoming baby. His speech mirrored a person who had become hollow inside and was just trying to stay alive. Our society makes it a very difficult thing to recognise when you need help, Some people are saying it took courage. Some people are calling it weak. I call it being human and knowing your limits. We all have breaking points. How many of you reading this have ever quit a job? Quit a project? Quit a sport? Quit a diet? We are humans who live long lives and at some point we'll find something that we cannot endure. And we'll quit it. When it comes to a person's health, physical and mental, sometimes that's all we have.
So at the end of the day, I in no way fault Andrew for retiring when he did. We don't know the whole story - did he talk about this w/ Irsay over the summer? How long has he been thinking about this decision? Does it even matter? He's going to get the help and rest he so desperately needs to be able to fully function as a teammate. And that's all that matters to him and his teams. So support him, support others, show compassion, and behave like a Millennial!
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