Old Man, I’m a Lot Like You Were
“Old man take a look at my life, I’m a lot like you were.” -Neil Young
At age 24, singer-songwriter Neil Young was inspired to write a song after he bought a ranch in California, the year was 1971. He was impressed when he met an old caretaker who was living on the ranch. Young saw across the generations, noting how much the two of them had in common, even though each was living near different ends of their lives. He saw himself as a reflection of the old man. https://youtu.be/An2a1_Do_fc
Neil Young made this discovery in spite of an environment that strongly encouraged a rift and distrust between older and younger generations. This attitude was played up in media and entertainment throughout the sixties and seventies. This was portrayed in the comedy TV show, “All in the Family.” The lead character, Archie Bunker, and his son-in-law, Mike were always at odds with each other, no matter the topic. This attitude was an exaggeration, but a pretty good demonstration of attitudes that were commonly expected. We still live with an image of a serious generational divide.
I actually saw this attitude reflected in my own family in the seventies. My stepfather often complained that on a regular basis he was treated disrespectfully and unfairly by younger people just because of his age. I will leave it open as to whether this was his perception or if he was actually treated badly because he was old. Or perhaps he was treated badly because of his environment which conditioned him to expect it. He often warned me that as I got older I would also be treated badly by younger people.
The environments that I have chosen in my life have given me with a different perspective than I was taught. I’ve lived among and worked with people in their twenties ever since I was sixteen. I know the environment. It’s a good place to be. I have experienced more similarities between the generations rather than differences. Now in my sixties, I clearly see that my stepfather’s prediction of my relationship to younger generations doesn’t hold water, at least not for me.
Spanning the Generations
Certainly generational barriers are still encouraged in rhetoric and spread by the media and in day to day casual talk. As for me, I have selected environments in my life where generational differences are assets rather than liabilities. I hear of generation this and generation that. When I need technical assistance people tell me to go find a millennial. That’s not bad advice. It may seem like a long reach from a baby boomer like me to a millennial, but not so far when you stand close enough together. Incidentally Neil Young is a baby-boomer, now in his early seventies. Depending on when you were born, you may be a lot like he was.
My grandmother Aline stayed connected to the enthusiasm of a younger perspective by living her dream to be a writer. After a tedious daily bus ride home from work then tending to her six kids, late at night she would take her place at the typewriter.
Is it too Late to Follow a Dream?
Grandma had another lifelong dream. This would require her to connect to a younger generation, people in their twenties. She aspired to become a nurse. In her early fifties she entered this young environment. A deep purpose for her inspiration to become a nurse was later manifested when my grandfather, Boudewyn, was stricken by alzheimer’s disease. She nursed and tended to him for seven years before he passed away. Her education among twenty-somethings and her experience prepared her to develop new strategies and techniques for alzheimer’s care. She was of a twenty-five mindset, serving her husband at the end of his years.
Generations of the Past
Where would I be without my grandfather’s dream to cross the ocean and become an American, or my grandmother’s example to follow her dreams, then to take care of her husband. Where would any of us be without the inspiration of William Shakespeare, Anne Frank or Thomas Edison?
Each of us is an integral part of the same vast universe. We are forever connected through time and space.
