Keeping Up With Youth

So by now if you have been reading me you know I’m nearly 74 years old. My body is showing signs of heavy wear but the brain keeps ticking along as it most often has in the past. In fact I feel young until I move my body; then unmistakable cues remind me of my chronological age!

But, I am involved with these groups on a regular basis: Alcoholics Anonymous – variety of ages; teen addicts group in rehab – 13 to 18 years of age; SCORE mentoring clients for start-up businesses or repairing small businesses already in trouble – variety of age groups, but mostly much younger than I.

All of the interactions with the groups identified deal with ideas, thinking, and emotions. These are the heavier aspects of life. Dreams dreamed, dreams dashed, dreams frustrated, self images that are spot on and those that are way off the beam. Hurting people and healthy people are all in the mix. Using the brain to analyze problems, people and misplaced emotions, are also all in the mix.

Although the older folks (anyone above the age of 45) have the experiences of life from which to pull lessons, they do not always balance their viewpoint with accuracy. They ‘read’ the living environments wrong because they have some filters in place that keep them from seeing everything clearly.

The younger people are much more open to new concepts and technologies. They are all about experiencing life and don’t have the filters that caution them on dangers lurking in unknown places! So they make mistakes. But the best among them learn a lot from the mistakes and go on to discover much that is good and new and usable.

All things considered it is better to listen to the young and blend their insights with the elder’s experience in order to gain insight to the future. That future will happen one way or another. We just don’t know what it will be in all of its details. Much of it’s presence will be hidden from our present view. In time all will be revealed as we experience it and learn to adapt to it.

Adaptability lessons are for the elders to learn from the youngers. They are so much better at this than we are (speaking as an elder). If we are not too opinionated, the youngers will listen and learn from us; otherwise they will tune us out.

What all of us have trouble with – regardless of age – is allowing the brain to think freely and connect the dots between disparate ideas. That’s where discovery lurks. That is where adding two and two gets us fives and sixes. There is a magnifying factor in this exercise of the intellect. The process adds excitement to our life as well. For entrepreneurs this is the energy food for starting new businesses!

Elders: listen to youth and work at understanding what they have to say. It is often very valuable but hard to discern the message.

Youth: listen to elders for their accumulated wisdom and experience. Often such data is important and will benefit your thinking and invention. Discern what works and what doesn’t. Discard the worthless, just don’t tell the elders this!

Now, both groups take a step back, pull in a deep breath of fresh air, and restart the conversation. This time, listen to each other. You’ll be glad you did. Each day I am stunned by the inventiveness of the human mind. Give it a chance and you will be stunned as well.

May 4, 2017