Being Down with the Kids

Well it’s been a busy couple of weeks so I apologise now for ignoring you all. So, what have I been up to. Well I have completed a short-term teaching contract and that believe it or not was a very pleasant experience.

I know some grumpy old geezers who don’t talk to young people but I on the other hand love it. Getting down with the kids as it’s known in our house is one of the most entertaining things you can do.

It’s their understanding of how they think about the world and they have priorities that are not bound by our life experience.

For example, one young man told me last week  that he wasn’t late because he had phoned up to let me know he was going to be late.

There is a logic in that premise, but it’s still flawed.

Another student once asked me “what was it like when the world was in black and white”. I answered, “I can only remember it being in colour”. To which they replied “so why do we have black and white films then”.

Don’t get me going about mobile phones. They seem to walk around looking at the screen with earphones in. If they lose Wi-Fi it’s as though the world has ended.

The main thing though I have noticed about the young people is that they have a different outlook on life and different priorities than us baby boomers.

Firstly, they don’t live to work, they work to live, and that is no bad thing. They are also brutally honest to the point of being rude and above all they need to feel respected, but don’t we all.

So, to all the grumpy old geezers out there here is my advice. Look past the hoodies, the trainers and the dodgy haircuts because think back to when you were a teenager, just how cool did you look in a pair of flared velvet trousers and a Kaftan.

I think the answer is not very cool at all.