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Generation Y Only |
GenYer's - You're The Best Around
Posted: Monday, 01 Nov 2007
So what's your motivation everyday? How do you
remind yourself, or in some cases, convince yourself, that there is a glimmering
light at the end of the tunnel. Some of you cannot see the finishing line
during the first half of college or ever wonder if studying for your biology
exam will ever pay off after graduation. Honestly, the dedication to a
task is the most obvious pay off after graduation. Completing a college
degree shows a level of dedication to a task or, after school, to a
company.
If you're not in college or already graduated, the challenge
to meet bills and balance family life is not the easiest thing in the
world. No one ever taught us how to stay motivated or how to handle the
big issues in life. For most people, learning motivation starts at a young
age and is often influenced by the family life. I'm not going to go to
deep with this notion, but just know that it happens.
As for me, I
learned that music affected me a great deal. Therefore, I made sure that I
always listened to music that would motivate me to do well and make me feel
great about my abilities. Lyrics were everything to me, the beat came
second and it didn't matter the artist. As long as the song made me
excited or made me believe in myself, I didn't care who sang it.
I
have a long play list of songs on reserve for special occasions...in fact, I
have one or two for practically every occasion. Remember, Lyrics are
everything, for me at least. The one song I am going to share with you
today is the one that started it all...enjoy!
Motivational Song for Kyd Wilde, what song motivates you?
- Kyd
Terrorist Rocket Crashes 50 yrds Away.
What Do You Do?
Why Are You Laughing?
Posted: Monday, 22 Oct 2007
"Keep your head up," were the wise words of the late Tu Pac. My
fellow GenYer's, there are going to be many times over in this life when you
will be down on your luck. Things will seem out of control and no one may
be around to help. No matter the situation, if it's stressful enough, you
may not know how to handle it. Therefore, when the times get to tough and
you lose a grip on things, there's one piece of advice I can proffer up to
you. Let your grasp go and take ahold of yourself...you can control the
way you react 100% of the time. Well...err...unless you are drunk, in
which case, you might regret telling the police officer to hold your beer while
you get your licence and vehicle registration.
Be that as it may, when
there are no foreign chemicals clogging your judgment, there are instinctive
reactions that you must learn about yourself. If you haven't heard of the
fight or flight theory, it suggests that if you are confronted with a highly
stressful situation, that small moment where your body freezes over is when
your instinct decides get out like a fat kid in dodge ball, or stay and
fight it out like an Irish Sailor after 3 bottles of Jack, Jim and
Jose.
The wisest advice I can give is to be weary of where you go, who
you hang out with, your work environment, all extracurricular activities - look
to find the pot holes that cause stress in your life. Avoid running over
them and learn to try out new things or think in different ways. Try to
see the perspective from all angles when it comes to your behavior. Let me
make a testament to the Younger GenYer's. Many of you are graduating High
School and are subject to a phenomenon occurring during those years alone.
Only while in HS do we believe friends will be around for ever. Sure there
are the select few that manage to hang out every day after graduation...but
that's only to dance with Mary-Jane.
My testimony on this
matter...Well, I had two best friends in High School and we were
inseparable. We got into so much potential trouble that when I think back,
I couldn't image what my life would have been like thereafter. Anyhow,
after we graduated, I of course when to The Citadel, one buddy went to Coastal
Carolina University, and the other went to Riddle Flight School in
Florida. We went our separate ways because, well, we all wanted different
things for our lives. My CCU friend lost all his baby fat and found out
what it's like to kiss a girl...or 100. My Pilot friend earned his pilot
license and is now training Army Pilots to fly Cargo planes.
The
phenomenon we experience is common to a lot of close friends who go their
separate ways after HS. It sounds a bit crazy, but when we are together
again, it seems we are the three mythical links to some ancient curse, that
opens a time portal every time we gather in one place - and it zips us
right back to our coming of age days of fun, invincibility and
laughter. We make jokes about each other, reminisce about the way things
were, and care nothing about the bad times. Mentally, we can't take our
selves serious enough to greet each other as the responsible adults we are
turning out to be. My CCU buddy would eventually enlist in the Marines and
serve our country in Iraq as well. We've all done or are doing things that
consider us mature. However, a best friend who never lets the friendship
interfere with life, is truly your best friend.
I hope this is not the
first place you are reading this phrase, "If you hang out with dogs, you'll
catch flees." In other words, don't be surprised if you are in jail after
you decided to date a drug dealer who wanted to take you on a trip to Georgia on
"Business." On the other hand, don't be shocked when you receive a diploma
after 4 years of hard work and study. It's all about environment,
baby. Find out where you want to be and you'll soon believe you can get
there.
If I can try to inspire you for one moment; never
believe that you can't, because you won't. If you don't think you are made
of the right stuff, think again. You know the same energy that fuels the
sun and every star in the universe is the same energy that fuels parts of
you. If you think there is something wrong with your mind, consider
this: Your brain has around 50 Billion Neurons and about a Million Billion
synapses (connections), and works at a firing rate of about 10 Million Billion
times PER SECOND. Not even the finest Brain Surgeon can understand
the brain organ in it's entire capacity; ironically, its the only organ
that gives you the ability to understand, including yourself. Use that
noggin to learn about you and what you want out of this life. Your entire
being is neither mistake nor a coincidence. You're too complicated to
have become about by a chance in chaos. We have been designed to
perfection, in that, there is no limit to what we can learn and what we can
achieve.
I hope you take this for what it's worth. In case you
are wondering about the picture above. That's me giving a "Thumb Up" to
the explosion behind me. I was smiling and laughing in the picture even
though Death missed me by about 50-60 yards. And it wasn't like I accepted
Death because I was at war...it's because over the years I learned about me and
how I wanted to react under stress. I want to be happy all of the time and
find joy/humor in everything around me. Suffice it to say, a Terrorist
Rocket flying over head was not exempt from me being happy about something -
perhaps that it missed and I was still alive. Instead of stressing, I
laughed at the feeble attempt from those wacko fanatics and carried on with the
mission. If only they knew about TiVo, they couldn't possibly be so
violent toward people and perhaps value life for everyone, including
themselves.
My fellow GenYer's, learn all about your self and
learn why you want to be you. It's all you got to offer to yourself.
So be understanding of what's going on around you and what's attempting to shape
you, or stain your identity in any way. Avoid the stress by avoiding the
place where stress resides. Know that you are a phenomenal creation
because of your complexity to even be. Make sure you tell this world who
you are and not the other way around, never be a Second-Rate Somebody when you
can be a First-Class You. Remember the wise words of the late Tu Pac,
"Keep you head up."
- Kyd
Don't Believe The Hype
Posted: Wednesday, 03 Oct 2007
| Something to Think About... |
| What does the Man who thinks he can and the Man who thinks he can't have in common? |
For the past several days I have been laboring in my parents old
house. Like some of you, my folks helped pay my way through college.
Well, now I can satisfy my appreciation for their love with free labor.
Yes, though my back is killing me and my hands are blistered, I can't help but
thank them for putting me through college. Cleaning out the old garage, I
uncovered the so-called storage space my mother used for all my old stuff, from
high school through college. It was somewhere between the rusty grill and
the moldy cabinets. But hey, it was all there! Now memories can be
good and then they can be bad. For instance, all my photos of me and my
friends at The Citadel. I found one bad picture though. It was my
ex-girlfriend who I dated those four years. We broke up for religious
reason...I was Christian and she was Satan. Yes, yes, yes, the Prince of
Darkness can take on many forms. But moving on...I came across something
more serious. Something I forgot about which was actually the rock that
started my snowball ambition.
In the summer of 1998, I lead a troop of
AFJROTC high school cadets at The Citadel. It was a leadership camp that
tested a lot of our abilities. My flight placed first and I earned a
Leadership Excellence Award...it was also when I decided to go to The
Citadel. Everyday I would look up The Citadel on the internet and learn as
much as I could about the school. I was even lucky enough to get a copy of
Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr's aspiring commencement speech for The Citadel's
graduating class of 1998! When school started in September, my AFJROTC
Commander, Colonel Wood, highly recommended me to The National Youth Leadership
Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy.
On November 19,
1998, my parents received a letter from Admiral Crowe himself, congratulating me
on my "scholastic recommendation awarded by COL Wood of Socastee High School,
who certified Scott as a student of high academic standing, with leadership
potential and intent on pursuing a career related to national security and
diplomacy...You will find detailed information regarding theses and many other
issues in the letter Scott will receive shortly." It seemed the path I
always wanted was finally presenting itself; this was a great
opportunity!
In December, I did receive a letter...a
letter informing me that I was not accepted to the Forum.
Unfortunately I was below the minimum 3.0 GPA, it was required in order
to be accepted. It didn't say anything about leadership being a
requirement for the National Youth LEADERSHIP Forum. Evidently Admiral
Crowe felt high grades were great indicators for potential leaders.
Forget the youth already displaying leadership but maintain a lower than
3.0 GPA.
Therefore, I was determined to prove him wrong about
me. That I could still achieve my dream, to go to a challenging
college like The Citadel, serve my country and still exercise Defense,
Intelligence and Diplomacy - that I didn't need no stupid Youth Leadership Forum
to achieve these things. It was at that moment, with fire in my eyes
and passion burning deep in my heart, I sprinted on raging journey like a
stampeding herd of turtles!
Man was it tough for me! On my first
visit to The Citadel, the academic advisor told me I had to pull my GPA up to at
least a 2.5 in order to be considered. Okay, okay...I was more interested
in other things in high school. Well now I had to be interested. I
prepared for the SAT's with flash cards, which proved to be Superfluous
<--actual SAT word. The minimum SAT Score for The Citadel was 910
in 1999. My first attempt in January 1999 I scored an 810...FAR from
genius and FAR from the minimum score. I remember crying to my parents
telling them I could work at the car wash. With their encouragement and my
mother's words of wisdom, "Remember, the best revenge is success."
Meanwhile, I had until May to pull my grades up to a 2.5 GPA. So I'm
fighting on two fronts here. Studying for school and the SAT's was so
nerve racking. However, in February, during the same week I should have
been at the Leadership Forum, I took the SAT's and scored a 920! Yes, I
was good enough for entry! By the end of May, I had failed my last Spanish
class, I got a 68% - I needed a 70% to pass. Nevertheless, my dream
survived because my Spanish teacher gave me the two points I needed to pass and
called it my "Senior Gift." Think what you must, but that gift put me just
at a 2.5 GPA and sent me to college!
I wish the road was smooth salin'
from there on out, but man, things just got harder at The Citadel. The
physical part was okay, it was the academic hazing that violated my soul and
conquered my will to live. While cleaning out my mother's garage, I found
evidence of my struggle. My report card showed a GPA of 1.8 after the
first semester - three F's, one Withdrawal, two A's, one C and one
Pass. I also failed my first try at the Air Force Officer Qualifying
Test (AFOQT). Pretty devastating.
My journey to achieve my
dream and prove Admiral Crowe wrong was given a reality check as I was forced to
sit out on academic probation at the start of my would-be Sophomore year.
I was once again encouraged by my parents not to give-up. After spending a
semester at HGTC and preparing myself for the AFOQT, I was readmitted back
to The Citadel. Once returning, I took the AFOQT and passed! I could
now become an Officer, but the minimum GPA to earn a commission was 2.5. I
had a lot of work to do, but after three straight years, including summer
school, I became a Dean's List Student and raised my GPA well past the
2.5 minimum.
Commissioning in the Air Force was tear jerking but not
enough. I decided to earn 2 Master Degrees (3.81GPA) while Married, with a
Child, working Full Time, and even while Deployed in Iraq. Now, over the
course of time, my rage and humility of being denied acceptance to the
Leadership Forum faded. I suppose I began to do it for myself somewhere
along the way. But one thing did remain certain, that I would not believe
what the system tells me to believe, especially about me! I refused to
believe the hype...so called experts can be wrong. And they can be wrong
about you.
Therefore fellow GenYer's, don't allow a system to define
you and was designed before you were born. A system which attempts to measure
your potential in this world by scoring what you know now, or ten years ago in
my case. It's such a narrow ideology to predict future ability; it's a
system that cannot score your aptitude, your promise and your
talent. Did I need the Forum to become a good leader? Not
just No, but a resounding, Hell No!
I already believed myself to be a great leader, something I
proved at every level. So peace be to you my young generation.
Live long and demand the most of every moment!
There were two morals to this Story:
- Moral for GenYers: Don't Believe The Hype...nothing can measure your will to achieve and no system can predict your capability. Only you can determine your limits.
- Moral for Admiral Crowe: Don't send letters to young leaders telling them they can't go to your Youth Leadership Forum in D.C. You never know if they'll grow up to commission into the military, fight a war and begin a website in their home town, calling you out by saying, "Hey, Admiral Shmuck! Why'd you have to be such an educated zombie - infected by a narrow system which merely magnified your ignorance and made your judgment to see potential beyond grades comatose? Jerk..."
- Kyd Wilde
| Answer: |
| They are both right. |
Generation Y
Posted: Wednesday, 26 Sept 2007
Ok GenYer's, and I'm talking to those who were born roughly between 1980 and 1992. We're the generation that grew up with electronics in our daily lives, such as video games, cell phones, internet, ipods, etc. We don't know how to hand write a letter, are tech savvy, require a lot of praise, finish tasks a lot quicker than our baby boomer bosses, nor can we truly do one thing at a time. We also grew up with money mongrel advertisers chasing down our dollar and musical dance groups telling us drugs are bad. Right now, the oldest of us, around 27, are spearheading corporate America while the younger GenYer's are entering and finishing college. The Greatest Generation had WWII; their children - The Baby Boomers had Vietnam. Now just like our parents and grandparents, we have war to define our generation, Iraq...many of us have been there, myself included, and a lot of us have not come back. We truly are an unique group like non other.
Well, now that you know who you are, where are you at? According to the U.S. Bureau, Census 2000. SF1, Table P1, we are the largest group (18-29) living in Surfside. That's right, we are the majority...but you're no where to be seen at the political arena. At the town meeting I attended on 25 Sept 2007, I was clearly the youngest person there (27). The next oldest was ahead of me by at least 20 years. Now, if my assumptions are correct, the reason you could not attend the meeting was because it started at the same time you had to be at your third job. Paying the bills is important, and working three jobs is not rare here - I understand that. But I beseech you all to be involved somehow. The only way you will have an impact on your town and your lifestyle, is to hold your leadership accountable and demand change. If things don't change, then you don't vote for them again. That's when you find someone who will champion your generational struggle. It's that simple.
All opinions and expressions are that of a single author and in no way
imply or reflect the concerns of the Residents of Surfside Beach, SC.
If you would like to submit a comment about an issue or suggest a
topic of interest, please e-mail the author at kydwilde@surfsidepolitics.com
with the subject line: Comment/Suggestion.