The recent discussion sparked by Life!�s take on the generation of Y has been interesting, and so have the reader�s comments. It certainly isn�t the first time the media has thrown the generation into the spotlight, what with previous articles portraying these people as �young and restless�, idealistic or even worse � people who don�t know what they want in life. These youths are outspoken, ambitious and smart. They want to stand out. Most of their sentences also begin with the word �I�.

No wonder the generations above view us as self-centered and shallow; most of what �we� say is just talk and no show. I guess the stereotype of our generation as being all about �me, me and me� is justified. After all, what have we, as a group, done to change that perception? If anything, the subjects featured in those articles have perpetuated the stereotype.

As such, I beseech the media to seek out those who have taken the road less traveled and present some of their views. These people should offer a wider range of perspectives as compared to those who have gone the traditional route of college, varsity and the like via parental financial support. Some in this group might even have defied conservative views and paved the way for the new practices and less taboo of today.

The road I�ve chosen isn�t exactly a dream. I�ve been through plentiful ups and downs, battling with deaths, disappointments and being jaded. Looking back, I wouldn�t exchange those experiences for anything because they have shaped the way I am and taught me how to handle situations better. I have also been exposed to the job market enough to know that it all ain�t a bed of roses and people aren�t all what they seem to be. While those reasons don�t exactly qualify me as authority on the views above, I�ve chosen to make a statement because I still believe in my generation. Some of us who have gone through life the hard way (though it may pale in comparison to what the older generation may have been subjected to) definitely do not deserved to be stereotyped as self-centered, money-minded airheads. If you look hard enough, you�ll realize we�re not all about the superficialities you think we are.

(I just realized I�ve used the word �I� way too many times in the above paragraph.)

To my generation of �me�: Treasure the pains that you�re going through today, for it is part of the dream you�ve chosen to pursue. These pains are the best times you�ll ever have in life. After all, the dream, once attained, is going to be as good as it gets.

That said, it is really now up to the older generations to quit being the old fogeys some of the young think they are, and be more receptive to the thought that, perhaps, we are about something.

Then again, what do I know? I�m only 21.