by Frank Shetland

Created on: February 15, 2007   Last Updated: May 02, 2007

Since I am included in the group being assessed, I thought it may be helpful to offer my insights on the matter. John Mayer's new song says that our generation is "waiting on the world to change." I disagree. What we are doing with the so-called quarter-life crisis is changing our own little worlds.

I am employed as an academic advisor in the adult studies division of a college. In my job, I help adults already in the workfield achieve associate and bachelor's degrees; some of them continue in the program to receive their master's degrees with us under someone else's advising. 95% of my students are above the age of 30.

This is by far the best and most rewarding job that I've held, as my previous jobs included working as a bank teller and as a guest services clerk at a YMCA conference center. It was not what I thought I would be doing when I declared my major as a BA in English, or later when I walked across the stage, but it is rewarding, it has its perks, and, most importantly, it pays the bills.

I still think how much I would love to stay at home. As a feminist, officially I support the woman's right to work; however I sometimes wonder if we women knew what we were getting into or foresaw the fact that it would later take two incomes to buy a house, establish a family, and eat healthily. I know that when my husband and I have children, I may have to pay someone most of my income to experience all my child's firsts with him. I know that I have talents that could be developed if I did not work 40 hours/week; I believe these talents could bring in income. I know that life would be less stressful if our tiny apartment could be clean all the time, or I could proudly serve my husband a hot meal when he gets home. (It could just as easily be less stressful if he were the one staying home and doing this.)

But this is life in these days, and I accept it because I have a job that I like. Other people my age, especially the overabundance that graduated with me holding bachelor's of business administration degrees, may not be so lucky. On a daily basis, it is likely that they must dehumanize their customers in order to lie to them, and for no company loyalty.

Think about your bank. Do you trust and like the individuals that work there? I know my tellers, and I trust and love them. The people I do not trust are those at the corporate level. Because I worked there, I saw when funds stopped being refunded to people who had never been educated on how to keep a checking account,

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