Millennial Mantra Cuffs from Colombia

Several months ago, I stumbled across an online article translating insanely popular millennial idioms into the kind of English that I typically, boringly speak. From Refinery 29 I learned that lit had moved on since my college days from the good time I had the night before to something bigger - the whole stinking party is on fire!    

When Harry Potter and friends gear up to defeat the Dark Lord, it's squad goals - that's what I learned - and I'm thinking it wouldn't be so bad to be in that kind of squad and, with them, if I may be allowed, slay. 

Opening onto this whole landscape of a language I'm missing, I'm shook. All of those Girl Bosses out there putting out Fire music and what am I doing? I need to get Woke.  

Woke is big. The New York Times Magazine explains, "The more woke one is, the more sympathetic and knowledgeable one is about a topic or type of person." It is most often used to describe a man who adamantly supports women's issues - but it could be any of us seeing through another person's eyes and experience. Like me looking at life through a millennial vocab. Staying woke.

So, I went to the Ibu team with my new lexicon and next thing you know, we have a new edition of our Most Popular Item, The Mantra Cuff, and it's called The Woke Cuff. Totally trill. (Ok ok . . . true + real, if you must know. Or insert Totally dope, hype, killer). And since we're always expecting millennial gals to be adulting, maybe it’s time we meet young women on their own terms and admire the way they finesse and spin their own storied lines.    

Most impressive? The high bar these words build. Everything's about being real, authentic, empathetic - or calling out the opposite. My favorite? Keep it 100. True to yourself, aligned with your values, respectful of others. What I used to call 'the high road.' Ha! No longer. I'm keeping it 100, Ibu.

 

Ok, so I sound a little cray, I know, and it’s definitely a bit sus. (Suspicious, indeed, if you hear me spouting these words like I own them. I don't. Promise I won't try to.). But I want to throw some respeckall over this generation, who care about the world, each other, keeping it simple, real, true, 100. I am proud to wear these words on my arm and give them to my friends who actually know how to use them properly in a sentence. (Full disclosure: this feature has been heavily edited by 20 year old Ibu intern, Elizabeth Harrell, aka Nug).  

Maybe you need to do the same? Surprise someone. Give them a Squad band or two and invite them to join the Ibu Squad. Believe me, they are already there, ahead of you, cleaning up this world. Let them know you think they're fire. 

Keeping it 100 ~

Susan Hull Walker