(Last week, we asked readers this question: What do you see when you look at the young people of 21st-century America? We received just one response, and here it is.)
A friend recently sent me a birthday card that defines geezer: Not young, not dead. It is an apt appellation for me. Age, plus the fact that my husband and I do not have children, has inspired us to cultivate friendships with people who are, well, younger than we are.
They include our nieces and nephews and their children, neighbors with youngsters, and the teens who are members of the Kearsarge Regional High School track and cross-country teams (and their coaches) and others.
We are impressed with and by the tots, teens and millennials who have embraced us as friends. They are poised, curious, optimistic, generous, creative, hard-working, helpful, caring. The list of their impressive attributes goes on and on. Of course it’s a two-way street. We are excellent friends in return.
Yes, I realize our young friends represent a minute proportion of the total number of young people – millennials. It’s a small pool. But what’s the matter with them? Not much that I can see. I am encouraged and optimistic about the future because I know our young friends will be part of it.
ANN DAVIS
Wilmot