A Swift Kick To 2016

            (Or Looking To A New Year)

So, here’s what’s up. 2016 hasn’t been the jolliest year for me. I’d line it right up next to 2013, the year my son, Alex, died from brain cancer. It would be easy to fall into a deep depression and wonder, “Why bother?” I’m not that kind of person though. I WANT to “bother”, and by that I mean make an effort to move forward. So, I’ve been making “dates”, going places, seeing a few friends, planning to see family, and trying to put 2016 in perspective.

A few days ago I had wine and hors d’oeuvres at a local wine bar with two of my women friends. They have been fighting as hard as I have to keep their heads above the fray that has hold of our country, to maintain their senses of humor, and to preserve their integrity and level-headedness, especially when confronted with someone behaving badly. We all know right from wrong. We’re educated, liberal, and, as educators, have spent our entire lives devoted to careers that have contributed positively to the lives of others. (At least we believe that.) That being said, we feel there’s a chance that we, and a few others, may be thrown under the proverbial train and we’re worried. For many years we have watched freedom, independence, and human rights for women, minorities, and the LBGTQ community expand. We’ve seen folks begin to take better care of our environment. Health care and society’s support systems have improved. Now however, friends of my generation fear all that’s about to implode.

Not everyone agrees, however.

I met last night with a small group of former students, a generation X group, a bit older than the younger millennials who have grabbed the media’s attention and are making their voices heard these days. It was actually inspiring to be with this 40-something bunch and realize that they’ve made it. They are doing well financially, are talented, creative, smart, and are diehard wine lovers, and what could be wrong with that?

The gathering was bittersweet, of course, because absent from those around the table was Alex, who was a classmate of those there. It stung a bit. Nonetheless, I enjoyed being in the company of this “much younger than I am” set. We conversed openly and easily. I realized, however, from listening to them, that in some ways, we think differently. While we agreed pretty much across the board politically, I honed in on their one, particular, collective outlook: They aren’t worried.

“This is only temporary,” they said. “What really can happen in four years?” “Our democracy has checks and balances, doesn’t it?” “Besides, “he” is only one person.”

Theirs was a laissez-faire approach that actually surprised me given the uncertainty of our times. I know these individuals read, they’ve traveled the globe, they are thinkers, doers, and yes, they too contribute to society. At the same time, though, they appeared ready to let life run its course, to wait and see what happens . . . at least for now. These adults, my former “kids”, want politely to debate the issues with people of all ages, hear the “other” side, and be “reasonable”. And that’s certainly not bad, just different from quite a few baby boomers of my generation who are more than a bit nervous these days and quite likely, mad as hell, not that we don’t want to have a healthy exchange of ideas as well.

 Age, obviously, experience perhaps, even expectations set each of our generations apart; they contribute to our individualism and clearly to our outlooks. While I cannot adopt the stance of my generation X students, I have to appreciate their willingness to look forward with hope and with the belief that we will get through these trying times.

“Our country’s gotten through things like this before,” they said.

Not without fallout,” I wanted to add, but did not.

Nevertheless, I must say I found these grown-up, former students admirable, worthy citizens and good, solid people. I felt honored to be a part of their gathering and it was great to catch up after many years.

I suppose, at the end of the day, no matter how one feels about where we are headed, either individually or collectively, or whether one frets about the future or not, things will turn out. They simply just do, but let’s hope, in 2017, it’s for the best.