I am a Gen-Xer. They are millennials. Somehow, friendship blurred the generation gap.
Six months ago, I was new to a job and I found myself in a group of 20-somethings who are wise beyond their years. (Because they took me in as their friend! Ha! Kidding.) There were challenges to the job but it is easy to forget the struggles because I had these friends who always had my back. These friends are more than a decade younger than I am yet their maturity is something I want to turn into a pill so that I can just take a dose of anytime in order to breeze through adulthood effortlessly. I think it is safe to say that I am keeping these friends and I think you also need to find your own awesome squad like mine.
Here are the reasons why:
1. They wear their hearts on their sleeves. You know their triumphs and struggles because they know how to express them. They live in authenticity and never apologize for who they are.
2. They will make you feel younger. They radiate youthful exuberance and, like air, you inhale it and fuel yourself with the energy that comes with it.
3. They see the world in a fresh perspective. I often wonder what I was doing when I was their age. I was just trying to eke through life then. They, on the other hand, have plans for their future while dancing to their own beat.
4. They are your backbones when you lose your own. You will feel you can do anything when they are always there cheering you on. My voice cracked and my tears were in the brink of rolling down my cheeks out of stage fright when I was asked to give a speech. When the ordeal was over, they were there still cheering me on.
I remember that we traveled 128 kilometers to attend a wake of a colleague’s brother.
5. They love to eat. And they say that people who love to eat are the best people. Most of our group photos involved eating! They are young so they do not struggle with weight woes. I feel like I do not have to by association. (Ha! excuses, excuses) My peers are now in the chapter of their lives where maladies, cholesterol, etc are slowly sprinkled into the conversation.
6. They are driven. They put in the hours when they need to and smiled their way through it.
7. They are multi-talented. Ask them to host an activity, sing, dance or write a last-minute report, they will do it.
8. They make you feel like you belong to their group. Well, at least until I got carried away and exposed my age. I remember commenting about the time when the airport terminal fee was only Php20 (now it is Php150) during my first plane ride which we immediately realized that they were not even born then. And there was a time when they had to ask me the name of Brad Pitt’s first wife. They are in the generation along with Selena Gomez, Lee Min Ho, hmm okay Darren Espanto while I belong to… hmm never mind. I should stop. Ha!
9. They are brave. One friend got married in her early 20’s which I think is not very common these days. ( Or is it just me who think so? )
10. They are camera-ready. You won’t forget memories because they are well-documented. I swiped many of these photos from their social media accounts. Thanks, Jumegs!
Today marks the 6th month since we became friends. Happy monthsary!!! Stay strong! Lablab!
Friendships knows no ages! It’s the opposite in my part – I have so many friends who are so much older than I am. When I was in Grade 4, my best friend was in 2nd year of high school. When I was working in Japan, my group was mostly moms or grandmas!
Mine mostly same age (like you!). I am always the youngest because I am a year younger than most of my classmates. This group is special because they are, on the average, 18 years younger.
I married younger and he definitely keeps me on my toes! Though I am the one that always want to go out and try new things – he’s just along for the ride at some points.
Back when I was working all of my friends are young, they are fun to be around always makes my day. I was one of the break-giver that give their lunches and breaks. I get along with younger people than the women or people my age. At-least that’s what I noticed, I have older friends as well, but for me I am careful on whom I call friend or wanna be friend just for the fact that some of them are your friend just to be nosy. With that being said there is a lot of great friends out there though that you can call friend and I am glad to find those people. They are not that many but i can always count on them.
Happy to read that you’ve those people you can call friends.
These are all correct, but I think it’s okay to be friends with anyone regardless of age but make sure that these are positive people who can uplift your spirits and bring you to greater heights. Being friends with millennials can get more excitement also because they are more adventurous.
True. They said you need friends with ages ranging from 0 to 99.
When it comes to friendships, age does not matter. This is something I’ve proven through the years. I used to hang with people my age, but then for the past years, I found myself making friends and going out with people who are 10-15 years older than me. I enjoy it and we’re all like family – conversations are always intellectually stimulating but still fun .. that kind of stuff. And since they’re all older, it’s re-assuring because if things get tough you know that they’re all so experienced and you’re sure that they really got your back when they tell you they’ll be there for you.
And in your case, I’m glad that you guys ‘gelled’ well. I’m sure you guys are all gonna go on a lot of adventures. Cheers to beautiful friendships 🙂
Age really does not matter that I often forget that I am more than a decade older!
Hmm… I totally agree! we always need younger friends to feel young and wild and older to feel wiser. Younger friends also keep u updated with what is latest – I love to catch up on technology and be updated and that is one way of doing it!
5. They love to eat.____ hhahaha! on point!. definitely agree.. this is such a wonderful post here.. and i coudn’t agree no more. younger friends make you feel young at heart and that makes them so much fun to be with
I think we need friends both younger and older than we are so that we get a well-rounded perspective of the world around us. The younger people you meet keep you in touch with what is current in terms of societal norms. Your way is not always the accepted way anymore.
I get updated with music! I am stuck in the 90’s.
I also get to mix up with different age groupers. They can make us feel young and they can teach us new things.
Totally we do need younger friends. Going out on a trip with them, brings out so much energy that’s just amazing! Asking the name of Brad Pitt’s first wife? Lolz!!! That’s a funny way of revealing your age!!!
Having friend is great but you can definitely have friend either they are young or older. Having a young friend is great because it keep us going, older friend they listen to you and know how you feel when things goes wrong. Friends comes from different ages.
True. I have friends of all ages. This group is special because we were together almost every single day for 5 months.
I am a millennial, and I have a lot of friends who belong to the Generation X category. Maybe they are feeling the stuff that’s posted here. A lot of things you mentioned here are true. The reason why I like having older people as company is because, I feel like I am always pampered. They always treat my like their daughter. lol
True. I always tell them that if I gave birth at a young age, they could be my children.
Cannot agree more with this post! I totally believe in mingling with young people. Lots to learn from them.
Hahahaha you are absolutely right, we (millennials) love to eat! But even though I’m only 22, I feel a little identified with you. I just moved to Madrid to continue my language studies in the best language school of Spain. When I started the course, six months ago, I wanted to die seeing that all my classmates are children, they are between the ages of 14 and 18 years old (there are only three in our class over the age of 20 and we are the oldest). But with the passage of the months I have realized that I am in a wonderful class, since with them I learn many things that I, despite being still young, I did not know, in addition their active way of being and absurd jokes give joy to the class.
How refreshing that I read something of a positive tone about the millenials. They’re bashed too often, we start believing they’re a hopeless generation.
I agree that they wear their hearts in their sleeves and I wonder if I ever did when I was their age.