There is a lot of negative press about millennial “snowflake generation” these days and I must confess that I have been guilty of joining in the mockery. It’s hard to take the growing movement for “safe spaces,” “cry rooms,” and “micro-aggressions” seriously. But these trends do more than make for silly political news. They suggest that our future leaders lack the kind of fortitude it takes to keep and protect the liberty, justice, and prosperity we have always taken for granted. We need confident, courageous leaders. And I am convinced the so-called “snowflake generation” has plenty of them. We just need to know: 1) where to look for them, and 2) what we need to do to create more of them.

Seeking To Serve

Last week I served on my congressman’s “Service Academy Selection Board.” This is a board that meets once a year to interview and evaluate candidates who apply for admittance into each of the U. S. Service Academies. Those who aspire to attend one of these schools must compete for a nomination from their Congressman or U. S. Senator in addition to each school’s regular application. This makes the application process for these schools a massive ordeal in itself. It’s a way of weeding out those who aren’t serious. The acceptance rate is extremely low and the competition is fierce. As I reviewed their application packets in the weeks leading up to their interviews, it became obvious that this process attracted a certain kind of person. And I don’t just mean the kind of person who is attracted to the military.

Incredible Stories

We met a young man whose great-grandfather was a victim of the Communist regime in his homeland, China. His grandfather was also an outspoken critic of that regime who lost everything during the revolution. His family escaped the tyranny of Communist China and emigrated to America when he was 10 years old. You can feel the gratitude oozing from him. He lives and breathes hard work, the pursuit of the American dream, and the protection of liberty and justice.

We interviewed a young woman who saw laudable but disconnected groups serving our community and decided to do something about it. She formed an organization at her school to coordinate and amplify their efforts.

We talked with another young lady who took a job at a Mexican restaurant as a way to improve her Spanish. She wanted to be more effective on her church’s next mission trip to the Dominican Republic.

No Snowflakes Here

These young people volunteer their time, captain their sports teams, give speeches to community groups, and take every Advanced Placement class their school has to offer. They are a different breed than those you will find engaging in the nonsense on college campuses across the country. There is no “cookie-cutter” profile. All of them have different leadership, athletic, extracurricular, and academic profiles. They are wired in different ways. But the thing they all have in common is a deadly serious approach to living out their lives. They are motivated to serve and eager to lead.

It would have never occurred to any of them to take on the status of a fragile “snowflake.”

The Culture’s Jaded Picture

This is not about idolizing the call to military service. The fact that I met these incredible young people during their service academy selection interviews is really a side note. My point is that this experience reminded me that what we see in the news is a warped and jaded version of reality. If it doesn’t promise to anger someone, it doesn’t make headlines. The news media conditions us to find the worst in people — especially in those with whom we disagree. But reality offers a different story. It’s easy and popular to lament the fact that “it’s all going down the tubes.” But that is a misguided fear.

These young people inspired me with the realization that every generation has its leaders. They will rise up when we need them in every walk of life. We owe them our optimism and encouragement.

Check The Bathroom Mirror

Snowflakes don’t appear spontaneously. There are laws of nature and circumstances that must converge to form a snowflake. Yes, they are unique. But the ingredients and conditions you need to produce them are pretty standard. Given the right environment, producing snowflakes is quite predictable.

My generation is content to badmouth the current blizzard of snowflakes we see swirling around us. But if we want to place some blame, the first place we need to look is in the bathroom mirror.

We were the ones who handed out the participation trophies or argued with little Sally’s teacher about the score he gave her on that math test. We were the ones who caved to the Hollywood culture about the acceptability of our kids’ sources of entertainment.  We were the ones who thought that giving our kids every material thing was a measure of our success as a parent.

We were so intent on being their buddies that we forgot to be their moms and dads.

How We Made Snowflakes

The world tells us that self-esteem to be the most valuable character trait we can instill in our children. But it’s not.

Yes, we share inestimable worth as human beings made in the image of God. But we are also rebels against that God. We traded an accurate picture of the reality of human nature for an inflated measure of self-worth. In return, we got some snowflakes who are sure to melt when things get warm.

Snowflakes are concerning for the future health of our nation. But let’s remember that there are just as many impressive, capable young men and women as there are snowflakes. It has always been that way. We can’t allow the heat of an unhealthy cynicism to melt away the reason for having confidence in our youth and hope for the future. In fact, it is only millennials and their younger contemporaries who can address the problem. And here are some ways to do it.

Make Them Read

The kids with the highest scores on the ACT/SAT were also the kids who had written the most original, compelling essays in their applications. Their vocabularies reflected a lifetime of learning that can’t be “faked.” Reading broadens your view of the world. It makes you a better writer. Reading accomplished writers helps you articulate who you are and what you believe. It allows you to discuss a wide range of topics. Healthy reading makes you a more interesting person and inspires you to make a difference in the world.

Raise Grown-ups

Parent with the realization that you are not “raising kids.” You’re raising adults. The high-schoolers we interviewed all seemed mature beyond their years. Their handshakes were firm. They looked you in the eye when they spoke to you. Their body language exuded confidence. They weren’t arrogant; they were grown-ups who knew where they were going. If we buy into the “they’re just teenagers” point of view, that is exactly what they will become. Teenagers who live in your basement. Or entitled snowflakes.

Expand Their World

Encourage — no, demand — that they experience the world beyond the self-centered social media whirlpool that threatens to suck them in. The kids we interviewed weren’t athletes, or student government officers, or volunteers in their communities, or artists, or journalists. They were all of the above. Every one of them was deeply involved in the world they aimed to serve. They recognized that they weren’t the center of the universe. And they were happy to reach beyond themselves without getting overextended.

Expect Big Things

Some of the young men and women we met with had difficult pasts. Others had limited resources available to them. There were a few who were, or had been, painfully shy. But none of them accepted those limitations. None of them allowed their circumstances to determine their futures. The adults in their lives set high expectations for them. You could hear it in their interview answers and read it in their essays. They weren’t satisfied to be one of the crowd.

Millennials Hold The Future

Here’s the thing. Millennials are becoming parents. Generation ‘Z’ is not far behind. And from what I witnessed this past week, many of them are more than capable of disconnecting the snowflake-making machine. My generation is responsible for creating the snowflakes we see. But all of us should be optimistic about the young adults who want no part in being a snowflake. They’re out there. Let’s have hope for them and encourage them to succeed.

---

Photo by Til Jentzsch on Unsplash