Growing Older on the Way to Making a New World
by Brian Hioe
Activism is something you age out of, I’ve long heard. Well, I turn 34 this month, and I’m still an activist. And as I inevitably find myself dealing with younger colleagues—Gen Z activists, for example—I’ve noticed that they’ve started treating me as an unimaginably ancient creature from another age.
This is amusing, but I’m not an elder—not yet! There are a lot of real elders around, after all. A millennial like me is in a middle generation, and to Gen Z I’m both a peer and a senior. It’s often people around my age who are taking leadership roles, mentoring younger activists.
Some of my fellow millennials are good at fitting in with younger activists, I’ve noticed. One person described this facility as a technique, setting their mental age to a younger age. Others struggle with it a bit more. I can’t say I’m very good at bridging the gap myself. Sometimes I find it challenging to make conversation or find common cultural touchpoints; sometimes I’m surprised at how much time they spend on the phone.
Though there is some common ground, I understand.
Keep us breathing fire!
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