Millennial Mentality: A Mainstream Misconception

About six months ago, I walked into my first Surfrider Foundation meeting ever. I went there to tell them about Bike to Surf, and I didn’t know what to expect. I thought there’d be a crowd.

There were 4 people there.

4…. hmm I thought… strange.

All executive committee members. All on the older side. All very, very happy that I was there, and I walked out of the meeting as the secretary of our exec committee.

So why am I telling you this today?

Let’s start with Surfrider Foundations mission… To protect the world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network.

Seems pretty important right?

And not just to surfers. For you and me and all of us who have ever had the pleasure of enjoying our local beach, or any beach for that matter. I have a sneaky suspicion that most or all of you reading this agree that protecting our beaches and the ocean is important.

It’s about preservation for future generations.

The reason I originally assumed that the first meeting I attended would be crowded was because I kind of thought… how could it not be? Such an important mission that’s close to the hearts of so many local people. And yet, there I was with barely anyone there.

You see, we have this mentality to feel that because a cause is important, someone else is for sure going to do the work for it. But that’s not reality.

I’m sorry to say, that’s not the way it is.

In the South Bay we have the elder members. We have their guidance and experience. What we need is OUR generation to join in. What we need is our FRESH, youthful perspective and our ENERGY.

So I’m asking you today… How does all this make you feel?

Does it make you want to step up?

Or, do you think, how could I possibly make the time for that? I don’t have it, I just don’t have it.

I’m asking you to toy around with the possibility that maybe, just maybe, if you don’t step up, no one else will. Maybe the good work just won’t get done. Maybe it will, but do you really want to leave that up to chance?

Many of you will read this today and think to yourself… damn, what a great guy Cam is, and then go on with your day, and forget that you ever read these words.

And yet, one or two of you will PM me later to express your appreciation and understanding for these words.

If anyone feels like, you know what, maybe it’s time, maybe it is my time to get involved with something that’s bigger than myself, I urge you to reach out to me with any questions you have.

And it doesn’t have to be Surfrider. It can be any cause.

It’s about doing the good work. It’s not glamorous, it doesn’t pay well (at all), it’s not always easy or fun, but at the end of the day it’s just the right thing to do.

That’s why we do it.

To get involved with Surfrider, get in touch with your local chapter here: http://www.surfrider.org/chapters