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Connecting with younger people is like a rejuvenating fountain of life for me. Since many of us are fortunate to have children and grandchildren nearby, we can enjoy being a part of their everyday life, allowing us to share a special bond with them.
But some of us are restricted by the confines of chronology, and cut off from interaction with younger people. Small wonder that so many seniors retire to college towns. Being around younger people reminds me how thrilling it was when I was young—when the future was bright, and so many adventures were possible.
While age does have its benefits, I cherish the memories of that time in my life that was vibrant and dynamic. Like a spring breeze, everything was fresh and exhilarating. There was a feeling of having endless time ahead of us, and boundless energy to enjoy it.
The enthusiasm which youth projects is to be nurtured. As mentors, we can temper it with wisdom and responsibility. For all of you who are young at heart, here are two questions for you to ponder:
1. In what ways has social interaction with younger people enhanced your life?
2. In your nostalgic moments, what do you miss about the sheer excitement of being young?
When our 2 children entered middle school and high school, I encouraged both to compete in speech and debate (aka forensics) as an extracurricular activity. My hope was that by doing so, they would develop strong communication and critical thinking skills. My own HS years spent engaged in this activity have contributed significantly to whatever modest professional success I’ve been able to enjoy as an adult.
I initially volunteered as an assistant coach and event judge at tournaments when our kids competed in the early 2010s. Spending 15-20 Saturdays a year engaging with hundreds of earnest kids, each working diligently to get just a little better at their craft each week – it was just a wonderful thing to be a part of.
After our kids moved on to college, I opted to continue coaching at 2 other high schools, eventually assuming a head coach / moderator role at my alma mater for 2 years. It’s like I have 25 kids of my own that are all now moving into young adulthood. The regular interactions I still have with students I’ve coached over the last decade has been like drinking from the fountain of youth for this old timer!
After retirement, my plan is to seek out an inner-city HS that wants to start up a speech and debate team and work part-time in helping them build and develop a sustainable program. I seem to have a thing for seeking out start-up opportunities in my work-life, so helping another generation of kids discover this wonderful activity in schools where it doesn’t currently exist seems like a perfect fit to keep me busy and happy.
What better way to instill confidence in a young person, than through the art of expressing themselves. I would have so enjoyed your coaching.
When I was a child, there were still many people who were strong proponents of the old proverb that admonished children not to speak until spoken to. Although it sounds medieval, it was often thought of as a way to show good breeding, especially for young ladies.
You have chosen a worthy avocation. I hope you have many opportunities to continue sharing your unique coaching abilities.
Marjorie, thanks for a fun and thought-provoking post. Interaction with younger people enhances my life every day. Watching our children become fine adults and great parents has been a constant source of joy. Grandchildren make me happy everyday.
Last Sunday we had a chance to experience a nice right of passage for our 18 year old great nephew. We were invited to attend Patrick John’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor. It was a 2 hour drive, but both our sons and their families happily made the trek to celebrate with their family. The ceremony was run by his fellow scouts and was quite impressive. Patrick John’s father – Patrick – performed the Eagle Scout charge 30 years after he received his Eagle Scout charge. The reception afterwards was good old-fashioned family and neighborly fun. The best part was watching the cousins – 18, 16, 14, 11, 9, 5, and 2 – play joyfully. It made feel young, proud, and blessed.
Rick, Thanks for sharing your proud and happy family moments. Reading about the joy you experience is uplifting.
Rick – That sounds like a great time. Both my sons and two nephews are Eagle Scouts. As Scoutmaster I ran or supervised a number of Eagle ceremonies.
Nice post, Marjorie. I’m still young in this setting, but definitely older most of the time. Here in the South, I’m referred to as “Mr.” or “Sir”, though I encourage my first name. Many of the people I work with are half my age or younger. They keep me up on the things that young adults think about.
Away from work, my wife and I interact with young adults and kids at church. One family we’re especially close to has two brothers who have remained in the area. One is married with two girls aged two and four. The other is still single, but he’s a young engineer who’s caught the eye of several of the young ladies. They are among my closest friends.
As a youngster, I visited two older ladies who lived a couple of houses away on either side of my family’s home. One gave pre-school me coffee loaded with milk and sugar. Her granddaughter gave me chicken pox.
As a kid, my best times were hunting and fishing with my father. He was an expert turkey hunter, and kept good quail dogs when I was very young and again as I was moving into my early working years. I realize now that even though I enjoyed the activity, I relished my time with him even more. I don’t hunt anymore, and seldom fish, even though I have a pond within walking distance of my house.
Ed, Really enjoyed reading about your connection to your community and the special relationship you shared with your father.
In your first paragraph you referred to the way people address you. In the South they have a. Nice way of addressing older people that is not too formal, yet respectful My young Southern relative calls me Miss Marjorie.
Marjorie – I prefer being known as Mr. Jeff by kids in my neighborhood, rather than Mr. Bond. I was Mr. Bond for many years as a Scoutmaster in a Boy Scout Troop. I occasionally meet up with former Scouts and enjoy hearing them have the confidence to speak to me as an adult and use my first name.
Of course, the most welcome name is “Grandpa”. We now have four grandkids (only 3 are old enough to speak), and while they don’t necessarily know or understand the familial connection – they know I’m family (Huh? You’re my Dad’s dad?).
Jeff,
Did you ever accidentally call one of your grandchildren by your child’s (their parent’s) name?
Something one of my grandkids did sufficiently reminded me of their parent’s behavior when he was growing up.
My grandson looked at me quite seriously and said “——— is MY daddy!”.
Personally, I feel energized by children.
If I see a young child in a shopping cart at a store I love to smile and wave at them.
When we take a grandkid to a park, watching their interactions with the other kids brings back pleasant childhood memories.
Winston – the second part of your reply could have been written by me. I always try to interact with kids with a smile, wave, or greeting. My bike rides often take me through a park or on greenways where I see toddlers or kids in strollers. I always do what I can to acknowledge they and I are sharing space.
Yes, there have been lots of older “Misses” in my life.
What a fun topic, Marjorie!
My children are in their 30’s and their children are 4 months and 2 years old. I’m very lucky to have really strong and fun relationships with both families. A recent example where they “enhanced” or perhaps enlightened me was in preparation for the half time show for the Super Bowl. They were pretty excited for Kendrick Lamar’s performance and made sure that I knew his background story, read his lyrics and understood the message behind them (he was standing up to some bad actors in the hip hop scene.) Though I still struggled with understanding a lot of it, I felt younger and “cool” just having that information, especially in conversations the next day around our 55+ community!
And I recently ordered myself a matching tutu to the one my 2 year old granddaughter loves to wear. We danced around the kitchen in them together and the joy and laughter was exhilarating! I felt younger than my 64 years!
I definitely feel more of that “sheer excitement” you ask about in your second question now when I’m with them than I did in my youth, which was fraught with challenges. I’m making up for it now!
You really are a good sport, Jan. I hope someone took photos of you and your granddaughter in matching tutus.
Thanks for sharing your joyful experience and your youthful outlook.
Marjorie, this post hits home.
I love hanging out with my fellow retirees. Reminiscing is frequent, as are discussions regarding health issues; typical topics for us old farts.
Last week I met a friend who happens to be the same age as my kids. Also joining us were three friends that he grew up with. Good kids all. You can imagine the conversations were wildly different from the first group. While I enjoy both, I left the latter feeling different, more like the way I used to feel when I and my old friends weren’t so darned old.
As for question number two. First thing that pops into my head is being there to watch my daughters grow and discover life. Roughhousing in the pool, teaching them to ride a bike, seeing them on stage, (my baby toured with Les Miz as young Cosette for a year), and etc.
Going further back in time, there’s my teenage years; fast cars and new loves. Luckily I survived both and am still here to write about it.
Dan, enjoyed hearing about your continued contact with old friends but you are right, the conversations do seem to follow a certain pattern. Conversations with young people are more positive. They’re not always talking about their latest ailments or how long they have to wait for medical appointments.
About your early youth, it isn’t wrong to be young and foolish. Soon enough the golden days are gone.
Marjorie, this is great. We are very involved with our grandchildren and keep them several times a week. It has had a big bonus in that they play with all the little kids on our street. This really took off during the pandemic when everyone was outside. It is like Mayberry and we have become the Grandma and Grandpa in our little word. We are friends with the young moms and dads on our street and all have an easygoing relationship. It is very much like the neighborhood we lived in when our kids were young. Chris
Chris, thanks for posting such a positive message. We too occasionally enjoy having grandchildren over for a visit, and they often play with children who live nearby. We have become friends with many people, some our age and many much younger, living nearby as a result.
Chris, thanks for your descriptive comments, of living in a community like Mayberry—neighborhoods that are more a state of mind, than size of population—reminding you of a nostalgic time in your youth.
Chris, Your neighborhood sounds great, and very similar to ours. Being around younger people of multiple generations is a joy to us, whether it’s family, friends, or neighbors.