My Generation

 

People try to put us d-down (talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we g-g-get around (talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (talkin' 'bout my generation) 

-       The Who 

-        

I’m sure I thought this song was cool when I was in college, but I, for one, am quite glad I didn’t die before I got old. Not only am I enjoying my life more than ever, but I’m so inspired by my generation who made it through all these long years. And when I say “my generation,” I’m talking about those rebels from the 60’s who envisioned a new world. In numbers, we were probably a numerical minority, but we got a lot of press and deservedly so. Of course, we were naïve and self-obsessed and indulgent in our instant pleasures, but hey, considering our frontal lobes were still developing, we did pretty well in dreaming a world of more care and kindness and fairness and fun. 

 

And here we still are. In fact, almost everywhere I go. At the SF Jazz Center, at the City Arts and Lectures Series, at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute classes, at the No Kings Rallies. We pass each other in the park walking or biking or skating, meet at the pickleball court, gather in book groups or sketching classes or community choirs or line-dancing classes. We’re still getting around, maybe a bit slower than when we listened to the Who, but with more attention and hard-won elegance. We’re great cooks and gardeners, intrepid travelers and hiking companions (perhaps without the backpack these days), avid readers and if we’re women (based on my observation), chances are high that we’re drawing, sketching, painting, knitting, quilting, weaving or engaged in some form of visual art. And whereas once we simply shouted our outrage at “the Establishment,” now we’re doing the detailed work of working at the food bank, writing postcards, volunteering at the senior center or the school. 

 

Today I went to a marvelous day of Singing Workshops sponsored by the SF Bach Choir and got to choose between singing Old Time Music, Gospel, Bulgarian songs, Medieval Music, Circle Singing, Broadway, Jazz and more. Hard to choose! At the end, we all gathered in the sanctuary of the church that sponsored it and sang some new protest songs that came from Minnesota. 

 

I was happy and proud to note that most of the folks were grey-haired, my peeps still showing up, and at the same time, wished there were more young people. The other week, I saw many youth out on the street protesting some unfairness in the SF Unified School System and how I loved seeing them there! How I would love to see more at the SF Jazz Center and the Lectures and most definitely, the No Kings Rallies. And dare I hope, I think they’re beginning to look up from their phones and show up. 

 

May it be so! Meanwhile, my update of the Who song:

People tried to put us d-down (talkin' 'bout my generation)
But here we are, still gettin’ ‘round (talkin' 'bout my generation)
We warm things up when they feel c-c-cold (talkin' 'bout my generation)
Glad we didn’t die before we got old (talkin' 'bout my generation)