You’re Not A Boomerang, You’re A Frisbee! A New View On Moving Home
When you first heard the term “boomerang kid”, it sounded awesome – like some wacky Australian band. But after a little research, you learned the truth.
A boomerang kid is a young adult who has moved back in with their parents, hence “boomeranging” back to where they started. Boomerang kids are part of the broader boomerang generation, consisting of hoards of young, educated people unable to secure a well-paying job. They are victims of the economy, dupes of the education system, broke. The boomerang kid has failed to launch, is a dependent, is the baby bird back in the nest. The boomerang kid is a freeloader, a slacker, a parental parasite – the boomerang kid is YOU.
Wow, that was way harsh, wasn’t it? The term “boomerang kid” is a real bummer.
Let’s consider the meaning. A boomerang, with its sharp lines and angular shape, is so hard to master. Usually, you just end up running after it in an exhausting game of solo fetch. If you ever do figure out how to throw it just right, you feel overjoyed. The boomerang is coming back to you, and years and years of park visits and crippling elbow pain have finally paid off. Horrifyingly, this is also the moment when you realize that you have no idea how to catch the boomerang, a fact made clear as it smacks you across the face.
This isn’t you! You are not a boomerang, violently returning to your parents after years and years of their efforts to launch you off into the sunset. You are not an unforgiving smack in the face!
You are a circular shape of endless possibilities. You are a well-rounded and graceful. You spin into rather than out of control. With your skills, your talent, and your drive, all you need is that propelling force of direction and a little support from the air lift so that you may gracefully soar through the sky – flying to meet your potential, gliding flawlessly until lovingly caught by the next stage of your life. Plus, dogs love you. You’re not a boomerang, you’re a Frisbee!
See, you have not viciously boomeranged back home, you are just a nimble Frisbee preparing for takeoff. You’re not coping, you’re prepping! And with preparation comes making the most of your leisure time. Consider trying the following:
1) Revisiting your Childhood: If your parents haven’t already turned your old room into an office/gym/mediation center, start digging. Who knows what childhood treasures you might find! Trolls, pogs, legos, pre-teen love letters, Bop It, and perhaps best of all: well-hidden Easter eggs. Unemployment has never tasted so good!
2) Getting Creative: Make the things you pinned on Pinterest, because now you finally have the time to find out how incredibly time consuming these crafts are. So go ahead, make those painted mason jar vases, work on that distressed shutter picture display! Your parents might think you’re wasting your time, but they’ll change their tune when you present them with their new wind chime…made of spoons!
3) Inventing Something: You can continue searching the job boards, or you can create your own opportunity. If you work towards building a simple, yet revolutionary invention that requires both manual and creative labor, you’ve not only made yourself CEO of your own company, but you’ve created jobs for all of your fellow Frisbee kids! Economic and generational crisis solved.
Do not let the term “boomerang” describe your life and get you down, instead let the Frisbee and all it stands for lift you up! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to working on my invention. See you at the water cooler!
Featured image via Shutterstock
