As I wander around this campus, I realize that a whole lot of effort in human socialization involves imparting advice to yung-uns. The teen to early twenties generation. I think we all do it, if only in our head. We’ll be wandering down a street and see a 16,17 yr old or maybe someone in their early 20s and think, “Ya know, they shouldn’t be slouching like that.” or “I wonder why they look so sad, they should relax and realize that history final is not the be-all of existence.” “If they buy Apple stock now, instead of that suitcase of PBR, why they could…” And I think this is because of life experience. We’ve lived past that time in life and stumbled and have a real chunk of thought to give to someone just coming on. And we all view yung-uns with affection and nostalgia.
So where am I going with this?
I just feel like I could appreciate some unsolicited advice on middle age from some oldsters who have been thru it. Like why does Gen Next get all the attention? It’d be great to once have some 80 year say, “Ya know, back when I was 45 I sure wish I had…”
I think this has GPQ written all over it. A website for 70, 80, 90 year olds to impart wisdom to that middle bracket. To heck with the teenagers.
What am I not getting now that I will so get when I am 65?
/cue Keith on vocals: … will you still need me when I’m sixty five?
I can’t immediately call up the song on my iTunes, since I’m recovering from a seriously catastrophic computer crash and I still need to recover my data files. However, I’m pretty sure the song goes, “… when I’m sixty-four.”
Interesting thought, Jesse. I imagine that there’s a lot we don’t know, but I wonder if by its nature it’s something you have to experience to understand. As a thought experiment, what would you tell kids these days? Assuming they listened (since you premise is that you’re willing to listen now), is there stuff that you could say that would make them say, “man I’m sure glad I heard that in time!”
The one thing I have heard from the generation ahead of us is “Boy I’m glad I caught that early” or the flipside “Sure wish I’d gone in to the doctor before it was too late.” That and “we’re spending your inheritance,” which I have to admit is only fair.
[author’s confession: repaired an it’s after the fact.]
Yes, I think your first sentence is pretty much a law of the universe. And I agree, that we’ve reached that age where we should start getting those medical “test.” I wouldn’t be surprised if health issues were the number one piece of advice seniors would give ‘middlers’.
/begin off-topic (sorry)
Teenager schmeenager…
As I wander around this campus, I realize that a whole lot of effort in human socialization involves imparting advice to yung-uns. The teen to early twenties generation. I think we all do it, if only in our head. We’ll be wandering down a street and see a 16,17 yr old or maybe someone in their early 20s and think, “Ya know, they shouldn’t be slouching like that.” or “I wonder why they look so sad, they should relax and realize that history final is not the be-all of existence.” “If they buy Apple stock now, instead of that suitcase of PBR, why they could…” And I think this is because of life experience. We’ve lived past that time in life and stumbled and have a real chunk of thought to give to someone just coming on. And we all view yung-uns with affection and nostalgia.
So where am I going with this?
I just feel like I could appreciate some unsolicited advice on middle age from some oldsters who have been thru it. Like why does Gen Next get all the attention? It’d be great to once have some 80 year say, “Ya know, back when I was 45 I sure wish I had…”
I think this has GPQ written all over it. A website for 70, 80, 90 year olds to impart wisdom to that middle bracket. To heck with the teenagers.
What am I not getting now that I will so get when I am 65?
/cue Keith on vocals: … will you still need me when I’m sixty five?
/end off topic
I can’t immediately call up the song on my iTunes, since I’m recovering from a seriously catastrophic computer crash and I still need to recover my data files. However, I’m pretty sure the song goes, “… when I’m sixty-four.”
Interesting thought, Jesse. I imagine that there’s a lot we don’t know, but I wonder if by its nature it’s something you have to experience to understand. As a thought experiment, what would you tell kids these days? Assuming they listened (since you premise is that you’re willing to listen now), is there stuff that you could say that would make them say, “man I’m sure glad I heard that in time!”
The one thing I have heard from the generation ahead of us is “Boy I’m glad I caught that early” or the flipside “Sure wish I’d gone in to the doctor before it was too late.” That and “we’re spending your inheritance,” which I have to admit is only fair.
[author’s confession: repaired an it’s after the fact.]
Yes, I think your first sentence is pretty much a law of the universe. And I agree, that we’ve reached that age where we should start getting those medical “test.” I wouldn’t be surprised if health issues were the number one piece of advice seniors would give ‘middlers’.