07 April 2009

What Color Is Your Bungee Cord?

I think that it's time we stopped fooling ourselves. It is getting harder and harder for young people to get started in life. They leave home. They come back. They leave home. They come back. They make the leap and come springing back.

It is time to replace What Color is Your Parachute? on the bestsellers' list and replace it with What Color is Your Bungee Cord?

If you don't see much of me at R World, you'll know what's going on. I'm at work on the book that alternates between chapters on boldly setting goals and pursuing your dreams and then inconspicuously changing your plans while you move back in with your folks, working a job in the service sector.

2 comments:

Lifehiker said...

Tell me about it. My 49 year old, who you met, had plans to move back home in March after getting the "heave ho" for no fault of his own. Fortunately, he's got three good jobs in play and I'm not likely to have to fluff his pillow.

In this economy, even very high performers are at risk of saying "Hi, Mom. What's for dinner for a few months?"

Allen said...

Our eldest, Cory, is currently a sophomore at the University of Oregon. He has quite the wealth of job experience already yet can't seem to land a part-time gig right now. And our lovely state of Oregon is considering raising tuition ~30% at the state-supported schools like the one Cory attends. Fortunately, Cory will be able to continue through and graduate @Oregon. But several of his friends are now considering the Community College route to get their degree as the cost is significantly cheaper.

But what happens this year, next and the years after as our Universities continue to expel fresh graduates? Will there be jobs available? Or will our sons have to move back home?