Talk To Your Young Friends

I was visiting with some folks this week and a couple of them were young teenagers. It was fun to hear them recite some dialogue they had seen online from one of those ubiquitous silly videos.

One of the perks of my job at a health clinic is some of my coworkers are a half century younger than I am. I hear them talk about movies they like, TV shows they watch, stores they frequent, etc. On occasion I’m moved to check out their recommendations.

Some of them have come here from far away places. Some of these are locales one wouldn't describe as hospitable. It’s sobering to hear tales of time spent in a refugee camp from someone who was a child at the time. Their experiences are unlike the early years of most kids born in this country.

Not to stereotype, but my a few of my contemporaries are not so inclined to explore new offerings. As I get ready to approach my 70s (which will begin next month,)sometimes I have to push myself to look out at some developments that can feel overwhelming. (AI would be one big example.)

I think one simple way to maintain a degree of cognitive flexibility is to engage conversationally with young people. I’ll never darken the door of a tattoo parlor. (Many of my younger friends have.) But I can learn some interesting previously undiscovered things along the way.

Hope your week is off to a good start.