“Trust me, it’s paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven’t tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It’s probably worth it.”

-Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in The Beach, 2000)

The Beach is an exciting movie about youth, making mistakes, lust, adventures, and opening your mind. I highly recommend you see it at some point (it’s an Instant Watch on Netflix). This is one of the opening lines of the movie, and it really stood out to me when I heard Leo speaking it. It stands out because in a sentence the author is defining an entire generation; a culture. We are called generation ‘Y’ by some-because we are after generation X? Yes. But also because some people meant it as criticism, as in ‘whY are you here?’

Our generation has come to be looked down upon by many as lazy; the technology generation. All we do is watch TV (usually on our phones and iPads), Facebook, tweet, and do drugs. We don’t contribute to society, and we no longer know what intelligent conversation is. Unfortunately, I disagree with these descriptions of our generation. This quote, even though it’s from eleven years ago, still helps in defining us. We are a generation that’s hungry for change. Hungry for something new. Right now, that ‘new’ is technology. But it’s more than that. Traveling abroad has never been easier for people who want to do it. Culture is at our fingertips at every second of every day. Communication has become streamlined. Yes, there are people who use to excess… but there are those for any vice. But, for those who are seeking new experiences, who want to open their mind; the possibilities are endless.

I very much like the last part of this quote; ‘if it hurts… it’s probably worth it.’ This just means to not be afraid of the unknown; let experiences happen and reap the rewards of being someone who is culturally affluent. We all need a little bit of pain in our lives sometimes, because without it, you can NEVER enjoy the pleasure. Have a great week readers.