The attenuating effects of age, and the balance of experience that comes with it

The title makes me hopeful for the future. Here’s why.

Most young people are sincere, and dedicated, and willing to try change the world. Even my father, born in 1917 in Tennessee was such in his youth. While he shared little about his past (he was a Vanderbilt and Naval Academy grad and a 30 year Marine) he opened up once by sharing that he was a proponent for Negro rights in the 1930’s in Tennessee. Later in the 1980’s he shared that while he was against abortion, he could live with it if more dependents were aborted than tax payers were born. This was not a racial message. Rather, in my opinion, he had changed over time. The world and the school of hard knocks had changed his point of view.

Much the same, many of us have changed. My Bob Dylan days are over. And much the same I expect the many highly motivated young people to change to something else than they are today. Whatever they change to, is to be determined. What seems different is so many more care, men and women. Between going on in life as in jobs and marriage and kids, they will be worn down like most before. But also in shear numbers, they will guide our Country to some future I can only imagine. Lord, I only hope they don’t blow it.

PS In the same vein I have an older daughter ready earlier to run off with Jon Bon Jovi. Later, the youngest daughter asked me who was Jon Bon Jovi?