I often find myself talking to young people about what their career strategy is or could be. Many young adults find themselves in a quandary because of the types of jobs that are available in today’s market vs. what we had when growing up. During my years, right out of high school we were expected to get a grown man’s job and start becoming a productive citizen.
You know it’s been said that ‘age knows and youth supposes’, so I am supposed to know a little bit more about life and living since I am 66 years old. Now if you’re in your 60’s you’re probably thinking that’s not old, but if you’re in your 20’s and 30’s you’re thinking that I’m older than dirt. Well the truth of the matter is, I am closer to the dirt with more years behind me than ahead of me.
Things are different for our younger generation since now the number one cause for death for children and teens is death by gun violence. When I was young the only person that had a license to kill was James Bond and the FBI. Now everyone in America presumably has a license to kill or doesn’t need a license. To add insult to injury, they have the gun to do it with. We as Americans are finding ourselves in dangerous times. While the danger associated with gun violence affects people of color the most, there is no color line when it comes to this phenomenon.
Recently a delivery guy was shot at while attempting to deliver groceries to the wrong address. He and his girlfriend were delivering groceries when the homeowner shot at their vehicle as they were leaving the hostile environment. The young man said his delivery days are over. So back to careers for young people. If you want to be in the delivery business then work for a reputable company like the US Postal Service, FedEx or UPS. These are what we call grown men jobs, jobs that offer insurance and 401k’s. Working in a warehouse or manufacturing environment may be strenuous but can help bring some stability in a young person’s life, especially if they are trying to raise a family or even purchase a home.
When you become an adult by age, you should focus on how you will strategize the rest of your life, because your decisions could literally mean life or death. Living in America is more stressful than it used to be. Well, let me rephrase that. Living in America has gone back to pre 1960s and perhaps a history lesson might help you to make some hard decisions. However, you better hurry up on the history lessons if you live in Florida because you might not be able to learn your history or just true American history.
Our world is pretty jacked up right now. If you’ve been keeping up with what is going on around the world, you should know that other countries are having their issues with civil unrest, and you should truly be involved in your own civic duties right at home.
When you turn 18, your life is just about to begin so you have a lot of things ahead of you. Knowing your history will help you chart your future. Work on eliminating things that can negatively affect your quality of life and living. Based on how our world, our country, our state, our city is changing, now more than ever, your vote will help make the change you want.