People ask ‘who is a millennial?’ In plain English, someone born within the 1980s and 1990s. Basically, people born during the dawn of the digital age, the Genearation Y breed ( just thinking about it, gives me a sense of pride), but it doesn’t come without its perks, especially when you live in Nigeria, or you are born to typical Nigerian parents…it’s exhausting.
For those of us still living with our parents, I can say this for sure, there are days you will want to run mad (literally), there are days you imagine yourself leaving, to get a place of your own (but then again, you think of how much you are saving on accommodation.) Sometimes, you just want to talk back, when they start all the ‘plenty talks’, but then again, that is one road you shouldn’t pass, take it from me; a girl with an egba mother. Make sure you burn that idea, in fact destroy that idea, it never ends well.
Truth be told, it is not easy navigating life as a millennial in Nigeria, where there is never light, terrible network coverage, every one expecting you to be perfect and of course, loads and loads of crazy people (Yup! I said it), the entire combination is like a time bomb waiting to explode. You now start getting the whole feeling of ‘what you bargained for Vs what you are getting’.
Whether you agree or not, the truth remains that, as long as you still live with your parents, you become an unpaid driver (funny but true, you drive your dad to the golf club, where he chills with his gang of retirees, then start driving your Mom to all the owambes). As if that is not enough, you to turn an electrical and maintenance technician (automatically, they forget they actually have someone, who they pay to get the job done).
Don’t even get me started with turning into an unpaid cook, after a long work day, all you want to do is relax, then you hear ‘we were waiting for you to prepare dinner’ (Lord knows in my mind, I’ll be like ‘you must be kidding me’, but I don’t want to be homeless.
As Millennials, we have just a sprinkle (more than a sprinkle though) of rebellion, try getting a tattoo under your parents’ roof, or permanently trying to lock your hair, or trying out weird colours (unless you are ready to listen to; a million and one reasons why it’s very unprofessional of you, or how that is the reason you are still single, then with all pleasure, go ahead).
At the end of the day, one thing stands out; as millennials we have a different approach, and hacks to manoveuring this whole adult life thing. Maybe, we should be left to make mistakes, explore and learn. We are in an era of so much more.
Written by The Witty Nigerian
