It is very quiet in the lab today. The other person that was in the office was the current Honours’ student, and he has already left for the day. I’m beginning to wonder if it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to walk out in an hours’ time too.

Recently there has been a bit of a debate going on about Generation Y, and how and why we were a bunch of lazy, slack-arse, mommy’s-boys and daddy’s-girls. The members of the other generations (mostly just Generation X) are worried about the outcome of the future, especially once they have to release the reins for us to take over. How will the World function??, they cry and wring their hands, eyes heaven-ward.

I can understand where they’re coming from. There are days where I feel like I’m the archetypal stereotype of Generation Y. I have no responsibilities apart from making sure that I deliver the rent to my cousin on time, I start my working hours as and when I feel like it because my job does not require me to be there from 9-5, and if I don’t feel like going in to work, I don’t. I work enough to make sure that I earn enough to keep me surviving in this harsh and oft-times vicious city (plus a little more for when I feel like entertaining myself), and I make sure I have a little to save and to tide me over till my next paycheck comes in.

Generally, I am usually awash with a sense of apathy. I don’t really care for politics, although that doesn’t mean that I don’t care about injustice. I’m not part of a Union, I don’t bay and hound for equal marriage rights or women’s rights to wear skanky clothes on the streets and not feel threatened i.e. SlutWalk (although I WILL sign a petition if you shove it into my face because, although I’m apathetic, I hate confrontation more, and I will do whatever it takes to get me out of any awkward situations, including signing petitions I don’t really believe in i.e. SlutWalk).

I don’t have a plan for myself for the next 5 years. Every time someone asks me what I want to do with my life, or where I see myself heading to, I just shrug my shoulders and say, Not Sure. Also, the frequency of people asking me questions of this genre seems to be increasing exponentially with increasing age. Are they trying to tell me something? Is it an indirect suggestion to get off my ass and find a full-time 9-to-5 job?

Actually, I lie. Every time someone asks me what my plans are, I say I want to work and save up enough money to go traveling, and then when I run out of money, I’ll return to whatever job I can find again. Is that bad? Then they ask, What about a PhD??? And to that I answer, It’s in the cards for the future, and leave it as ambiguous as possible. IS THAT BAD? At 25, should I really have some sort of Life Plan by now?

My parents were hard at work when they were 25, why is it that I don’t feel the same? I’m not trying to white-wash the whole Gen Y with the same Brush of Apathy. I know a lot of my friends who are hard at work earning beaucoup bucks. But I also know a few individuals who are of the same view as I am. We are just happy to subsist through this life with whatever that’s on hand, and to make ‘seeing’ the World our priority.

So, the main question here is: Is this normal? Should I start getting my act together and become a Responsible Citizen or do I still have some time to buy? How far will this 'Not Sure' mentality carry me?