Our daughter, Kathryn, is home for the weekend. She only lives about an hour away, but we don't get to see her all that often. She's accepted an offer with the Government of Singapore to teach there starting in January 2012, and we'll miss her infrequent visits home. Actually, with the advent of Skype, we would probably see more of her when she's overseas (by more, I mean virtually, not physically) - I know during her last few months in Turkey she was on the computer with us almost every day.
But that's not the reason for my rant today. Kathryn forwarded me a website this morning which makes me both sad and angry. Two young, well educated, smart, motivated people have come to this - trying anything and everything to get a job. Interning is great, but if it doesn't lead to something with cash attached to it, how can you live? In our never ending quest to drive every last dollar out of our costs - both at work (outsourcing) and at home (Walmart), we've effectively neutered the next generation. These are the people who (we hope) will be looking after us when we get old. They won't be able to afford it.
When I was 25, I had a career. And starting a family. And a house. And a car. Opportunity too. None of these things were all that grand, but they were ours. What does a current 25 year old have? I know that the reasons for all of this are complex, but I have to think that a big contributor is our never-ending drive to get every last dollar on the table.
What should I tell Kathryn?
1 comment:
Hey Doug - I was perusing your blog this morning and saw this interesting article on Kathryn's friends... Now you've triggered a rant in me! :0)
Yup - wringing every buck dry is taking a toll... Herein lies the challenge - what must a young person study these days in order to get work when they graduate? Many a student loan is used to finance an education that leads to the same work that could have been gotten without the education - although there are some inherent benefits to the whole education process in itself. But in the end - it takes money to do just about anything.
As you know I am in Mexico right now. We are in a place which is real Mexico - not the artificial USA-style artificial resort. Talk about the value of a peso - here every single peso counts! It is clear that all the things we consider essential (house, car, opportunity) are scarce here.
While here we met an American who finally took her trade (photography) and moved to Mexico. Here - she brings a skill that is valued in an industry that is not saturated. She provides affordable quality photgraphy to young brides and others. She has a simple life but does what she loves. You mention Kathryn is heading back overseas to get work... It is interesting how initially it was jobs that were sent away to low wage countries. Our insatiable demand for cheap iPods. iPhones and other e-toys forced exportation of almost all the mfg jobs. Shortly after that all the R&D jobs scurried to the airport destined for China (remember a certain Burnaby based company?). Try calling a call center for help - you get the Philippines or India (ever try telling an Air Canada rep that you need an update on the bag they lost in Kamloops?).
So - first we exported our jobs. Now we are exporting our young people!!!
My observation is that here in Mexico, the people work so very hard for a very basic existence. It appears that our young people are headed for the same thnig. If our next generation is indeed headed for the same thing, who is going to buy those million dollar basic homes just down the road from you when the people who bought them want to cash out?
Would you be willing to state what the friends you referred studied? I'm just curious...
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