It seems all members of our generation operate in one of two gears: blind, borderline psychotic ambition or apathetic, recreational slumming.

We are either smoking a cigarette or on a crusade to rid the world of lung cancer.

However, have we considered the cost of such ambition or lack thereof? I do not speak of the financial strain of our socially mandated college educations.

I wonder if we have considered the other costs.

Parents purchase Baby Einstein for their infants – a generation scheduled for greatness from birth.

High school students no longer idle in the hallways that not so long ago helped form the fond memories of our parents. Instead, students rush off to their hand-me-down cars to go gain job experience. We walk the fine line between aspiration and psychosis.

We do not plan to succeed, We WILL! In our tainted eyes there is no other option.

We like to consider ourselves the liberated and independent generation. We write our own résumés and buy our own condoms too.

Never mind that we no longer have the time for sleeping, much less having sex.

We are so determined to succeed that when we finally achieve our goals will we not be too bitter, burned out or stone hearted to care?

Who wants to be 47 years old, a successful leader in the community, everything you ever wanted or dreamed or saw in the movies, alone and miserable?

I’m going to Broadway. I’m going to win a Nobel Prize. I’m going to win a Pulitzer Prize.

The world cannot handle as much glory as we have planned for ourselves.

I once had a friend tell me I would not have to worry about a future career, because when he was president, I would be a member of his cabinet. It would have been funny if he had not been serious.

By no means do I think we should all aspire to the eternal glory of a McDonalds employee, but does it not seem we are setting ourselves up for failure?

We are given the option of reaching for the penthouse, or aiming low and avoiding disappointment.

On the other hand, we have those who plan to revel in anti-materialistic poverty for the cause of principle or social rebellion, a generation of impoverished artists and wealthy political leaders. This is the Utopia we have built to languish in.

We are the generation born at age 26, brought into the world with no souls and endless determination.

Keg parties and football games are replaced by working three jobs so when we enter the “real world” we will be ready.

Some think life starts tomorrow. They believe it will be real when they get to college or get their first “real job.”

It is real now.

We are reaching past it toward the horizon. I encourage you to drop anchor, make a Piña Colada, dive off and enjoy the water.

We are more than mere existence.