Up & Coming Weekly

THIS WEEK WITH MARGARET by MARGARET DICKSON This week I will be shopping for presents for two cousins who are graduating from a local high school in just a few days. These young men both enjoyed stellar high school careers, both academically and athletically, and both are headed for the fi rst public university in our nation. Today, we call that venerable institution the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and it was chartered right here in downtown Fayetteville by the General Assembly in 1789. Our family is obviously proud of both James and Daniel and wishes them great success as they begin their college years. At the same time, though, worry nags at me, not so much for our young cousins as for other young people who are completing or have completed some phase of higher education and who are ready, willing, able and eager to leap into the workplace. The problem is there is no workplace available for far, far too many of them. The cover of a recent edition of The New Yorker magazine describes the situation as only a picture can. The artist, Daniel Clowes, has drawn a young man hanging a newly-minted, newly-framed PhD. Diploma on a wall. The wall is not in his new offi ce, however. It is in the childhood bedroom to which he has returned, a room fi lled with old sports trophies, a model car, Student of the Week certifi cate and a poster of a rock band. The bedroom door says “Tim’s Room” and is posted with a “Keep Out” sign. An older couple, presumably Tim’s parents, stands in the open doorway with worried looks on their faces. We all know families who are experiencing this phenomenon which now has a name, the Boomerang Generation. This refers generally to young people who have done what we asked of them. They have studied and gotten their educations, sometimes landing themselves in considerable debt to do so. They have behaved themselves so that prospective employers could peruse impressive Register T Win $1 egister o Win $ 000 S ore C gister To Win $1,,000 StoreCredit!e Credit resumes. Some have married and started families, and yet they fi nd themselves having to return to their families’ homes, because they are not yet able to support themselves even though many have sent out literally hundreds of resumes and fi lled out hundreds of job applications. If I knew the answer to all this, I would be President Obama and all his fi nancial advisors rolled into one. In the meantime, the Boomerang Generation is creating some interesting living situations for everyone involved — the returning young adults and the parents who thought they were alone at last. Some parents are thrilled that their precious jewels have come home and some of the young folks are relieved to have roofs over their heads, three squares a day and laundry service. Other families struggle to balance needs and desires of young adults with the needs and desires of the people who used to run their lives and might want to do so again. That same edition of The New Yorker carries a piece by Simon Rich which can only be described as coming from the “you gotta laugh to keep from crying” school of journalism. It is entitled, “Your New College Graduate: A Parent’s Guide.” It reminds me of the care and feeding of your baby manuals so dear to fi rst time parents. Here are some of Rich’s tips for parents with new college graduates in their homes. “What do I feed my college graduate? “They … have irregular eating habits. Most prefer to skip family meals, but if you stock the fridge and the cabinets with snacks they will usually be able to fi nd them on their own. “Why is my college graduate so fussy? “It’s normal for college graduates to be fussy. It just means that they feel frightened, vulnerable or confused. You can usually get to the root of the problem by consulting this checklist. “Did someone suggest that he ‘look for work?’ Yes/No “Did the subject of graduate school come up? Yes/No “Did he see a scary LSAT book? Yes/No “Did his rock band ‘not get signed’? Yes/No “Was he asked to ‘help around the house?’ Yes/No “Does she have Internet access? Yes/No “Did you remember to fi ll her wallet with cash? Yes/No “Has she had her daily nap? Yes/No “How should I respond to political temper tantrums? “It is perfectly normal for college graduates to have these kinds of outbursts, particularly if they graduate during an election year. As time goes by, though, the tantrums will lessen in intensity and frequency, and they tend to stop entirely once the graduate begins to pay taxes.” This is, of course, a humorous, if cynical way to look at the Boomerang Generation and the new situations it is creating along with all the associated angst. Somehow, this just was not the plan we thought we had, but it is here nevertheless, and we are dealing with it. I hope that the Jameses and Daniels who are heading to AMERICA’S MATTRESS OF FAYETTEVILLE 3771 Ramsey St., Ste. 1Next to old Walmart 910.884.3113 www.americasmattress.com WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM college this fall will fi nd the Boomerang Generation a historical footnote by the time their next graduations roll around. MARGARET DICKSON, Contributing Writer COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com. MAY 26-JUNE 1, 2010 UCW 5 THIS WEEK WITH MARGARET A Frayed Social Contract Free Delivery & Set Up Free F Professional Staff! onal al Perfect Sleeper Queen Mattress Sets Colony Firm $699 $298 Queen Mattress Sets Queen Mattress Sets Pedic $599 Queen Mattress Sets $388

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