Well done Lydia! So many people fail to act in gratitude for this modern day dream that we live in and forget what our ancestors were forced to endure to get us here. We stand on the shoulders of GIANTS. Good times create weak people, weak people create bad times, bad times create strong people, strong people create good times. Keep up the excellent work.
I'm so glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who went to college and was like "I don't want a career; I want a productive job that I can hold down until I get married and start to have babies." Some days it really felt like I was the crazy one.
I feel this in my soul. I have been grieving the life I never got to have. The world is how it is now, and the best thing to do is innovate and make the best life we can for ourselves.
Great piece. I’ve always felt a kindred spirit with you. My husband and I were much more successful than most millennials, but 4 years ago we took the plunge of me being a SAHM, and trying a more simple, traditional life. Women were so lied to by feminism, and what “they” pushed.
First time reader. Love hearing your takes on IRL. You have quite the knack for this! Can't wait to read more. Fellow millennial approves this lol. My wife and I are very bellesed to be in a position where she doesn't work and takes care of our house(rented unfortunately nearly impossible to buy anymore) and kids. I hope you and Mr.Patch are able to do something similar in the future. It's not impossible I promise! This article is very encouraging!
Exactly what I needed to read tonight. I think I've been going through the same grieving process for our generation and the one's to follow. Just today my wife (a wonderful and beautiful SAHM to our 6 month old son) told me that Ive developed a Doomer mentality and that she's afraid I'm missing all the joy of what we have accomplished together.
She's right.
While our generation has a long and legitimate list of grievances against the elites, if we let our Red Pills become Black then we'll lose all the joy we could have had.
You are totally right that those who deeply care about what they do & know exactly what they want to do are more likely to succeed in general, because their goal is their passion. Their goal isn’t simply gaining material wealth or prestige or fame. My husband, to whom I’ve been married for 18 years, is a scientist, which required he go to university & then some. He did eventually attain this version of the American Dream for our family (after years of hard work & university debt…), but it was a byproduct of his goals, not the goal itself. I sometimes feel guilty for “riding his coattails” of success because society tries to convince women that we are only real women if we do the same things men do, such as entering the workforce (although I did work the first few years of our marriage). My husband is the one who provided this life for our children & me, I don’t feel like I’ve contributed much at all, at least in the ways culture tells me I should.
My 15 year old son wants to be a scientist, which will require college, & someday work for NASA, so we try to involve him in things that will help him reach that goal. My 13 year old daughter’s dream is to live on a farm & be a writer. I’ve told her those things do not require college. We look for opportunities to help steer her in that direction so she can attain *her* dream (as opposed to the “American Dream”) if that’s what she really wants. My 11 year old daughter wants to be a professional dancer. My 9 year old son wants to be a professional gamer. My 6 year old daughter wants to be a famous YouTuber (🙄 Jesus, help me with that precocious little girl).
I think the main problem with the American Dream is that it instills discontentment. It’s never enough in quantity or quality. Women wanted in the workforce & to be equal with men. We wanted bigger houses, more convenience, fancier cars, etc. These things aren’t inherently bad, but Americans’ discontentment created an environment in which many families now need dual income.
The American Dream should die. It’s a lie that robs us of joy & gratitude.
Beautifully articulated - excited for your thoughts on creating this future, especially as a woman working towards building a family and creating community.
Well said, thank you. I needed this uplifting take on the world... because as someone who studied the past I have a pretty good idea that it will get a lot worse before it gets better.
You speak my language! I am learning all the valuable skills that have been lost, and hope to teach them to my children one day, surrounded by a community of trustworthy friends and family. I am building my own American dream, and LOVE to see others doing the same. If we were closer, I feel like we would be great friends.
My dream has always been for work to be optional for my wife and unfortunately it's not; at least, not yet. I do think the core of our focus should be focus on being resilient and preparing the next generation for what's to come and what ultimately matters is family.
Most millennials don’t want to do what it takes to have the “white picket fence “ life.most millennials want a trendy cushy job in an office or online.Most I talk to turn up their noses at the thought having a career that might involve sweat,dirt or physical assertion.Most want to live in trendy neighborhoods and towns,want to drink Starbucks and have avocado toast for breakfast.Millennials want to travel the world and whore around all before they are married.
I have a 1600sqf brick house,two newer cars and a project car,stay at home wife and we home school our three children.
I don’t have a college degree nor do I make 6 figures.
I am a 36yo HVAC tech,that means I don’t have a summer,I work long hours in the heat,rain,cold and the snow so my wife and children are provided for.
My home is not in a trendy neighborhood or even a trendy town.grocery shopping is 20-30 minutes away.We only take one vacation a year usually to the redneck riviera (Alabama gulf coast).
My wife and I were married young,I was 21 she was 18 we’re about to have our 16th anniversary.
We closed on our first house a month before our wedding,I lived there alone until I brought her home from our honeymoon.
The house was 1k sqf with only 2 bedrooms because that’s all we could afford.we had flip phones and rabbit ears on our TV and no internet.
So yes it is still achievable if a person and or family can figure out the difference between a necessity and a luxury.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this little spot. Recently new fan of TimcastIRL, and just discovered your writing. I could tell from Timcast that I would agree with you on a lot!! This subject is near and dear to my heart. I am old enough not to have any idea what generation I am (born in 1964)--it is not the way I think of people. I figure if you are married you are in my generation! But when I was a young adult my vision of the American Dream was home ownership, a stay at home mom, food and shelter covered by one income. There was no Starbucks or even mini-vans. A nice boring station wagon was the thing. Vacations? Lots of places to camp around this country. Tents are cheap. To me the American Dream was never about how nice your house was, or your neighborhood (just safe) or your clothes. Maybe this unrealistic version is a by product of 24/7 TV with lifestyles of the rich and famous being sold to us as normal.
My family belongs to a community of large families (Catholic-Seamus would love us!), mostly single income, a truly wide variety of levels of “luxury”--there are families that struggle to make ends meet, who own chickens, and shop at resale stores for their kids clothes. Others are more comfortable, but still making sacrifices to have a stay at home mom.
All that to say--we are out here. And it is still possible.
You are spot on about past generations being used to hardships and having skills that we don’t have. I have a blog recommendation for you from a homeschooling mom who has successfully raised many kids (7?) to adulthood on one small income. She writes about “maintaining the collective memory” and is all about passing on the skills of our grandmothers. Her blog is a treasure trove of everything from the “clean enough” house, to freezing foods, canning, making bread, knitting, raising children, etc. http://likemotherlikedaughter.org
I think you will like her.
I am so happy you are writing and happy to see your smiling face pushing buttons on Timcast! :)
Well done, Lydia! Keep it up!
Well done Lydia! So many people fail to act in gratitude for this modern day dream that we live in and forget what our ancestors were forced to endure to get us here. We stand on the shoulders of GIANTS. Good times create weak people, weak people create bad times, bad times create strong people, strong people create good times. Keep up the excellent work.
Well written
I'm so glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who went to college and was like "I don't want a career; I want a productive job that I can hold down until I get married and start to have babies." Some days it really felt like I was the crazy one.
I feel this in my soul. I have been grieving the life I never got to have. The world is how it is now, and the best thing to do is innovate and make the best life we can for ourselves.
Great piece. I’ve always felt a kindred spirit with you. My husband and I were much more successful than most millennials, but 4 years ago we took the plunge of me being a SAHM, and trying a more simple, traditional life. Women were so lied to by feminism, and what “they” pushed.
First time reader. Love hearing your takes on IRL. You have quite the knack for this! Can't wait to read more. Fellow millennial approves this lol. My wife and I are very bellesed to be in a position where she doesn't work and takes care of our house(rented unfortunately nearly impossible to buy anymore) and kids. I hope you and Mr.Patch are able to do something similar in the future. It's not impossible I promise! This article is very encouraging!
Exactly what I needed to read tonight. I think I've been going through the same grieving process for our generation and the one's to follow. Just today my wife (a wonderful and beautiful SAHM to our 6 month old son) told me that Ive developed a Doomer mentality and that she's afraid I'm missing all the joy of what we have accomplished together.
She's right.
While our generation has a long and legitimate list of grievances against the elites, if we let our Red Pills become Black then we'll lose all the joy we could have had.
You are totally right that those who deeply care about what they do & know exactly what they want to do are more likely to succeed in general, because their goal is their passion. Their goal isn’t simply gaining material wealth or prestige or fame. My husband, to whom I’ve been married for 18 years, is a scientist, which required he go to university & then some. He did eventually attain this version of the American Dream for our family (after years of hard work & university debt…), but it was a byproduct of his goals, not the goal itself. I sometimes feel guilty for “riding his coattails” of success because society tries to convince women that we are only real women if we do the same things men do, such as entering the workforce (although I did work the first few years of our marriage). My husband is the one who provided this life for our children & me, I don’t feel like I’ve contributed much at all, at least in the ways culture tells me I should.
My 15 year old son wants to be a scientist, which will require college, & someday work for NASA, so we try to involve him in things that will help him reach that goal. My 13 year old daughter’s dream is to live on a farm & be a writer. I’ve told her those things do not require college. We look for opportunities to help steer her in that direction so she can attain *her* dream (as opposed to the “American Dream”) if that’s what she really wants. My 11 year old daughter wants to be a professional dancer. My 9 year old son wants to be a professional gamer. My 6 year old daughter wants to be a famous YouTuber (🙄 Jesus, help me with that precocious little girl).
I think the main problem with the American Dream is that it instills discontentment. It’s never enough in quantity or quality. Women wanted in the workforce & to be equal with men. We wanted bigger houses, more convenience, fancier cars, etc. These things aren’t inherently bad, but Americans’ discontentment created an environment in which many families now need dual income.
The American Dream should die. It’s a lie that robs us of joy & gratitude.
Beautifully articulated - excited for your thoughts on creating this future, especially as a woman working towards building a family and creating community.
Well said, thank you. I needed this uplifting take on the world... because as someone who studied the past I have a pretty good idea that it will get a lot worse before it gets better.
You speak my language! I am learning all the valuable skills that have been lost, and hope to teach them to my children one day, surrounded by a community of trustworthy friends and family. I am building my own American dream, and LOVE to see others doing the same. If we were closer, I feel like we would be great friends.
My dream has always been for work to be optional for my wife and unfortunately it's not; at least, not yet. I do think the core of our focus should be focus on being resilient and preparing the next generation for what's to come and what ultimately matters is family.
Um no it isn’t.
Most millennials don’t want to do what it takes to have the “white picket fence “ life.most millennials want a trendy cushy job in an office or online.Most I talk to turn up their noses at the thought having a career that might involve sweat,dirt or physical assertion.Most want to live in trendy neighborhoods and towns,want to drink Starbucks and have avocado toast for breakfast.Millennials want to travel the world and whore around all before they are married.
I have a 1600sqf brick house,two newer cars and a project car,stay at home wife and we home school our three children.
I don’t have a college degree nor do I make 6 figures.
I am a 36yo HVAC tech,that means I don’t have a summer,I work long hours in the heat,rain,cold and the snow so my wife and children are provided for.
My home is not in a trendy neighborhood or even a trendy town.grocery shopping is 20-30 minutes away.We only take one vacation a year usually to the redneck riviera (Alabama gulf coast).
My wife and I were married young,I was 21 she was 18 we’re about to have our 16th anniversary.
We closed on our first house a month before our wedding,I lived there alone until I brought her home from our honeymoon.
The house was 1k sqf with only 2 bedrooms because that’s all we could afford.we had flip phones and rabbit ears on our TV and no internet.
So yes it is still achievable if a person and or family can figure out the difference between a necessity and a luxury.
Honestly, reading this gives me hope. It’s so easy to get black-pilled these days. Thank you
Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this little spot. Recently new fan of TimcastIRL, and just discovered your writing. I could tell from Timcast that I would agree with you on a lot!! This subject is near and dear to my heart. I am old enough not to have any idea what generation I am (born in 1964)--it is not the way I think of people. I figure if you are married you are in my generation! But when I was a young adult my vision of the American Dream was home ownership, a stay at home mom, food and shelter covered by one income. There was no Starbucks or even mini-vans. A nice boring station wagon was the thing. Vacations? Lots of places to camp around this country. Tents are cheap. To me the American Dream was never about how nice your house was, or your neighborhood (just safe) or your clothes. Maybe this unrealistic version is a by product of 24/7 TV with lifestyles of the rich and famous being sold to us as normal.
My family belongs to a community of large families (Catholic-Seamus would love us!), mostly single income, a truly wide variety of levels of “luxury”--there are families that struggle to make ends meet, who own chickens, and shop at resale stores for their kids clothes. Others are more comfortable, but still making sacrifices to have a stay at home mom.
All that to say--we are out here. And it is still possible.
You are spot on about past generations being used to hardships and having skills that we don’t have. I have a blog recommendation for you from a homeschooling mom who has successfully raised many kids (7?) to adulthood on one small income. She writes about “maintaining the collective memory” and is all about passing on the skills of our grandmothers. Her blog is a treasure trove of everything from the “clean enough” house, to freezing foods, canning, making bread, knitting, raising children, etc. http://likemotherlikedaughter.org
I think you will like her.
I am so happy you are writing and happy to see your smiling face pushing buttons on Timcast! :)