GENERATION GO: HOW ONE KID MOVED ON THE PANDEMIC

Generation Go is on the move, but you’ve got to look carefully.

For all the hand wringing from old people about the youths, take a break.

Chances are good they’ve got something to complain about, problems to solve for other people, but not themselves.

It’s a common thing with valid history for baby boomers since we see the world through different glasses.

It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ sort of vision.

My front door was open and I heard the sound of something cutting the air, like a weed-whacker spinning above the weeds.

A car pulled up and the driver spoke to someone in the street. It wasn’t a busy street. It’s never been busy, except for the time the meth-house down the road got raided by a flash-bang door breaking police squad.

Someone outside had a drone, the source of the wind chopping sound. Neighborhood kids looking for flat ground to fly their drone?

It was good until the birds started diving on it, which sounded like a show I’d like. So I went out to watch.

I was the gray/white haired old guy standing in the road looking up while listening to the pilot explain what they were doing.

White Haired Old Guy?

I knew white haired old guys when I was a kid. The one on the corner yelled at us to stay off his property when we took the short cut.

The old man across the street never said much, but the one two doors down was fond of giving advice. He wore a janitor uniform for his daily garb.

Old retired men more interested in themselves than the life around them? Sure, just don’t cross their borders. Do that and they had plenty to say.

I’ve carried their memory all my life as a reminder to do better than them. I’m as old now as they were then. I know why old men stay silent, why they look like sour lemon suckers.

When I look in the mirror I can see hints of bitter old men. Then I snap the hell out of it.

I wore my outside face while I stood in the street listening to neighbor kids explain their drone.

It was a four motor rig good for fifteen minutes on a full charge. The first time they flew it they broke it. With a project in mind, they fixed it, found a video app that connected the onboard camera to their phone, and away they went.

“We’re making a movie in the woods and the drone is going to follow people.”

“Like Star Wars?”

“Yes, I think so.”

What’s New With New Kids

I’m the neighbor who rises to the occasion when needed. I’m also that husband, that father, that guy. I may need help in other relationships, but not those.

The old man who has important things to share? That guy dyes his hair to stay current, watches Fox News for insights, and talks to kids with a finger in their face.

Don’t be that guy. Instead of forcing a conversation so you can unload the wisdom of the ages, remember this: Kids don’t want to hear your self-important bullshit. Put that finger away, sir.

The drone kids were planning on making a movie, getting their gear set, and even had a script.

A script? Now I knew I was talking to next level kids. They had a script.

There was more to their next level life.

I’ve seen these kids over the years, playing and running and hiding. Doing kid stuff and having fun and looking like genuine kids, not media reps.

Like a responsible adult I waved, said hello, and avoided the role the other old guy played with his wisdom. Too often kids grow up and learn who is more full of crap. So far so good.

The drone pilot had the most to say, and it was amazing.

Generation Go Poster Child

Instead of a self-conscious teenager, the pilot had a strong, stand my ground, attitude.

And for good reason.

She was a high school senior during the pandemic year and used the time better than anyone I’ve heard.

Instead of talking about the loneliness, the isolation, the mental health part, Generation Go had a plan.

It was a good plan for a fifteen year old. I was only three years off. Like I said, I don’t keep tabs in the neighborhood.

The eighteen year old senior graduated from high school. I asked the usually follow-up with, “What’s next?”

She gave the best Generation Go answer I’ve ever heard. She reminded me of a niece in the family.

This young woman laid it out.

Besides graduating from high school, she was an early admission to one of the best colleges in the land.

There’s a reason why Seven Sisters colleges are viewed as Ivy League sister schools. Like their Ivy League counterparts, they generally have excellent academic reputations paired with low acceptance rates. Barnard, Vassar, and Wellesley colleges are the hardest to get into, each with less than 30% acceptance rates.

She’s all set? Not quite. Besides graduating from high school and gaining early admission to one of the hardest colleges to get into, she also completed the requirements for Eagle Scout in her local troop of Boy Scouts.

So she’s set to pack up and start freshman year? No, because she finished freshman year online, saved $51K, and starts as a sophomore.

A Brighter Future

Motivated people of any age are a treat to be around. They make plans, get things done, and drag the rest of us in their wake.

The young ones planning their success lock into their future with a level assurance like I got on the street. She’s going places not because she’s bright and confident, but because she’s laid out the path.

Some kids give plans like something they’ve seen in a movie. Responsible adults must nod in agreement, or bear the responsibility of their failure.

No one wants to hear, “I coulda been a contender instead of a bum, because that’s what I am now. A bum.”

An older man once came to a gathering of college kids. One of the them was studying at Berkeley for an education degree. The older man said Berkeley was a science school, not an education school, and wondered how the kid didn’t know that.

Turns out the kid knew what he was doing. After the Berkeley seal of approval the kid went into a federal teaching program for underserved schools, taught in the inner-city. A few years later he got into educational administration, went to Yale for his masters degree, and does educational policy work with a world leading company.

As a white haired older man I could challenge the goals of Generation Go, but instead listen and offer encouragement.

Higher education at any level is a good goal. From trade school, to JC, to public college, private college, to grad school, it takes a particular effort.

We eventually learn the grind of life, of getting up every day with the idea of making life better, of meeting new people with their own secrets, of finding peace with someone to care about.

The Work Life With Generation Go

Whether it’s work in factories or mills, hospitals or offices, or the ivory towers of academia, get up and be the person you’re meant to be.

Treat friends and strangers with the sort of respect you’ve learned along the way.

If a friend gets strange, or a stranger gets friendly, show your kind side.

And yes, I hear your question: “But Davy, how do I deal with stress and anxiety in my high-wire life?”

One part is remembering others who came before you. Start here.

The other part is lifting weights. But that sounds too simple, you say?

No, it’s not. When you face your limitations in the weight room the result is honesty.

Between you and the bar the relationship is simple. You try and succeed, or try and fail.

Either one sets the stage for the next workout, just like every day sets the stage for a better one.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure this stuff out, but a kid with a drone helps.

What’s your excuse? Generation Go wants to know.