From The Storyteller
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April 30, 2018, Mickey Mouse Club
“Who’s the leader of the club…” If you can finish this sentence, you grew up with black and white TV. If your first memory of television was color, you probably grew up with Abbey Road and Yellow Submarine. Maybe your youthful memories started with Xbox. Life, family, and work kept me busy so my active participation in the later parts of this cultural evolution have been really limited. Just how limited came as a surprise. I am sitting in the coffee shop with my large, dark roast and book. Suddenly I’m aware of two “young” women talking nearby, “OMG, I am so old.” – “No you’re not! I am 28 and you are not much older than me.” – “I am in my mid-thirties.” – “Really, wow I couldn’t tell.” I smile thinking, “To be so young again”. Their conversation soon became a discussion of several very popular video games – all of which were unknown to me. Their topic shifted to music with raves about groups – again literally all unknown to me. Realizing my clueless condition, my “old guy” smile fades. If my life can go from black and white TV to reusable space rockets, I can’t even imagine the breathtaking future these two young women will experience. Since I desire that all the years of my life have purpose, I am faced with a question. What can my generation do today that will help make the lives of these young woman and their peers better - 40 years from now? Out of nowhere the 50 year old Mickey Mouse Club theme fills my head. I smile, and know the answer. My generation needs to be about helping to create the good memories that will bring smiles to their faces years later. Moral: Things change, but smiles never go out of style. |