I am nineteen years old, about to turn twenty in two months. I am a varsity student athlete in an Ivy League University. I can speak two languages, write essays, participate in in depth conversation about social constructs and philosophical beliefs with my fellow peers.

Yet the extent of my cooking experience is limited by scrambling and microwaving eggs, making pasta, dumplings, cooking white rice, and boiling veggies. While I can technically survive on my own, my quality of life would significantly change if I did not have Cornell’s luxurious dining halls to rely on.

Why is that? Upon reflection my wonderful loving parents have been making my meals since I was born and as I grew older to the age that I could develop cooking skills, my “valuable time” was better spent swimming, practicing violin, doing homework, or hanging out with friends. My mother was a stay at home mother and while I learned the basics if doing laundry and cooking before collage, my only chore around the house is limited to taking out the trash, mowing the lawn, and washing dishes. I had swimming practice six days a week therefore there was no way in which my parents would allow me to cook, and wait for me to do so that late into the night. Most nights I would arrive home with dinner waiting.

As I entered the cooking event last week I realized that this would be the first time in my life actually cooking a legitimate meal that was slightly more sophisticated. As a consequence of my privileged parental support and their recognition on the importance of academics and extracurricular, I have never really cooked. This made me realize what other skills are people in our generations lacking. Granted, this issue is not a widespread one as there are many families that continue to value traditional skills. However, the current environment I believe are increasing the number of young adults who face the similar situation as me.

Can we fix tires, fix basic electric and household appliances, cook, paint houses? Will we be forced to be increasingly reliant on outside services? Or will must of us face the fact that we have many “firsts” to do in our twenties. While it may be harder to do so without the guidance of parents, it may be an exciting thing. That’s why we have YouTube anyway right?