When Disaster Strikes, Gen-Y Listens

It is news when the Dow drops 311 points because it strikes a deep gong in the hearts of older guys tending their retirement accounts…all over the country, the fiftyish and sixtyish imagine our lives turning into a black-and-white documentary in which nattily-dressed men stand in line at a soup kitchen. I am of a generation that believes in disaster; the younger generation does not.

-Garrison Keillor, Unlike boomers, Gen-Y doesn't believe in disaster

The carefree upbringing of Gen-Y is over. Say goodbye to Nintendo and Ninja Turtles and hello to income tax and credit card debt. Welcome to the real world.

It's not like we didn't see it coming. Our untamed college years could only last so long. Today, we're a generation of young adults optimistically prepared to encounter the woes of our planet – global disasters that can't be measured against the petty ups and downs of Wall Street.

Garrison Keillor, author, columnist and radio personality calls Gen-Y a generation that "doesn't believe in disaster." It doesn't take a genius to realize this just isn't true.

So what is Keillor's definition of "disaster?" After reading his opinion in the Arizona Daily Star, I can only infer that it's limited to our wavering stock market and an overzealous fear of never reaching retirement. If that's the case, I'd like to point out a few other noteworthy disasters: a deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis, the Virginia Tech massacre and oh yeah…September 11.

Disaster is far from alien to Gen-Y. Our short time on this planet has been marked by tragedy, but empowered by ambition to make a difference. According to a Harris Interactive poll, 97 percent of Gen-Y workers seek a job that "allows me to have an impact on the world."

Of course, that worries older generations of workers: "Now you know why we need illegal immigrants to do the inflexible, uncreative stuff that simply needs doing right now," Keillor says.

We're not so naïve to assume that we'll all make a difference. Right now, there's thousands of twentysomethings sitting in the time-honored cubicle, typing reports and drinking lattes – and they're happy. But, we can only hear the voice that screams. So the difference-seeking millennial with an attitude is the ubiquitous persona we see.

Does Gen-Y believe in disaster? Of course! But more importantly, we believe in hope. Our capability to rally in the midst of tragedy is far greater than the anxiety linked to its realization.

We're young. Tormenting ourselves over retirement and lucrative money market accounts can wait. Today, there's bigger fish to fry. I'll worry about the real disasters first.