Day 5 – Coming Of Age At 62 | Multi-Generational Perspectives

photo of Corrie's painting for me

Kate and Corrie.

Two women I’ve grown older with over the past decade, who I had a visit from yesterday.

I can hardly believe in less than a year they’ll turn 30 years old.

Kate and Corrie were friends of my older son Seth. Kate lived with our family for a year when she was 20. I love both of these women and am blessed to have them in my life.  I wish I saw them more.

Generational Differences

They reminded me of the value each generation has to offer. As usual, they showed me a fresh perspective, told me about things that I typically wouldn’t encounter.

I’ve heard people say negative things about how many in their generation lack focus:

• They take more than 4 years to finish their college education.
• They change majors without thought or clear goals.
• They change jobs without considering the consequences.
• They take positions upon graduation that have nothing to do with their college majors.

Kate and/or Corrie have taken more than 4 years to obtain an undergraduate degree; majors have been switched; jobs have varied and changed. If you only looked at those aspects of their lives and put it in the context of previous generations’ thinking that college/learning is only about a career and that when you take a job or pick a career you stick with it, you might say they’re failures.

You’d be wrong. Completely wrong.

The Future In The Hands Of Gen Y

I feel good about the future when I listen to the compassion, knowledge, dedication, sense of humor and problem solving skills of these young women.

Kate will get her teaching certificate in 2012 after graduating a couple years ago with a dual major of economics and political science. She put her self through college. It took a while. She’s worked with immigrant families. Frankly, the list of her, what some might call disparate, accomplishments are many and too long to list. It’s part of what makes me thrilled to think that she will be teaching up-coming generations and bringing with her a breadth of life experience, an understanding of challenges and the struggle of being challenged for the choices you make.

Did I say she’s very bright and creative too?

Corrie graduated with a degree from Tyler School of Art where she studied painting and drawing. She’s an amazingly talented artist who was a featured artist at Monsoon Gallery at the age of 21. She’s also a DIY crafter that can make something out anything, but focused on customized pieces of art that you can wear on your feet – hand painted shoes.  She’s sold her things on Etsy.com, at Philly Swap and more. She worked at Penn to pay the bills. Corrie’s funny, sweet, kind, compassionate, has several tattoos and multi-colored hair. The elderly that she works with now, as part of her internship (and changing careers) for her MSW from Bryn Mawr, love her. If I end up in an assisted living or nursing facility I want Corrie helping me and generously listening to my stories.

Did I say she’s very bright and silly too?

I’m glad to see that they’re coming into their own, as I re-come into my own.

Each generation is wonderful in its own way.  Each generation has something to offer.

No generation or person should be invisible.