I'm going to admit something right up front. I am, in a lot of ways, a kid at heart. In fact, I think there is a decent chance that my three year old daughter is actually more mature than I am (you could ask my wife and probably get a pretty honest answer!). I love kids, and I love playing with kids, working with kids, and simply being around kids. Kids are great.
I've also discovered, over the years, that I also enjoy working with older people. They have a view on life that you can just sit back and revel in. Sure, they may have their moments where they talk about the aches and pains of life, but is that any different than hearing about the skinned knees and other boo-boos that little ones get? Plus, I have come to the conclusion that both young and old simply love a good story, or to tell a good story.
While I love connecting with both old and young, I've also learned that it takes some effort to create such connections. Being a fairly tall male, there are times when I can tell that kids are a little frightened of me. In a way, that's good, as it shows that they have a respectful fear of strangers. So it takes work and effort on my part to show them that I am someone they can trust, and that I want to be their friend.
That same dynamic can also be found working with older adults. I don't know if I personally frighten them, but I do know that there are things that I regularly make use of (such as technology and vocabulary) that they seem to be a little frightened of. They have a respectful fear of such things, especially if they aren't regularly connected with it. So it takes work and effort on my part to show them that I can be trusted, even as I regularly make use of these new gizmos and gadgets.
It takes work to connect with different generations. Sometimes it means that we set aside the fears that we may have about them (I don't know what to talk about with them, I don't know what they like, I don't even know how to talk to them, etc.). Sometimes it means that we simply show them that we want to care about them, even if we have a difficult time understanding where they are coming from, or what they are involved in.
What can you do in the next week or so to make a connection with someone who falls either 10 years younger or older than you? What fears do you have of attempting such a connection? What would you like to see happen from such a connection? Oh, and one final question. Who is that person that you will connect with, and when will you do that?
I've also discovered, over the years, that I also enjoy working with older people. They have a view on life that you can just sit back and revel in. Sure, they may have their moments where they talk about the aches and pains of life, but is that any different than hearing about the skinned knees and other boo-boos that little ones get? Plus, I have come to the conclusion that both young and old simply love a good story, or to tell a good story.
While I love connecting with both old and young, I've also learned that it takes some effort to create such connections. Being a fairly tall male, there are times when I can tell that kids are a little frightened of me. In a way, that's good, as it shows that they have a respectful fear of strangers. So it takes work and effort on my part to show them that I am someone they can trust, and that I want to be their friend.
That same dynamic can also be found working with older adults. I don't know if I personally frighten them, but I do know that there are things that I regularly make use of (such as technology and vocabulary) that they seem to be a little frightened of. They have a respectful fear of such things, especially if they aren't regularly connected with it. So it takes work and effort on my part to show them that I can be trusted, even as I regularly make use of these new gizmos and gadgets.
It takes work to connect with different generations. Sometimes it means that we set aside the fears that we may have about them (I don't know what to talk about with them, I don't know what they like, I don't even know how to talk to them, etc.). Sometimes it means that we simply show them that we want to care about them, even if we have a difficult time understanding where they are coming from, or what they are involved in.
What can you do in the next week or so to make a connection with someone who falls either 10 years younger or older than you? What fears do you have of attempting such a connection? What would you like to see happen from such a connection? Oh, and one final question. Who is that person that you will connect with, and when will you do that?
I am a 70 year old Christian man. Thinking back to when I was young, there was always a "generation gap" between young and old, as the young person usually thinks the old are outdated and not up to the current trends, ideas, innovations, and values of the day. Even as a young Marine Sgt, we would hear the older NCO's, Gunnery Sgts and above, speak about the "old corps" and how things were before. I knew a lot of these sharp and tough men who fought in many major infantry battles in World War II, Korea, and worked side by side with them in Vietnam 1967-68. These guys were the best and in combat were cool and experienced. The way I see it today....technology has made the gap between generations more pronounced. My adult children can keep up, but my wife and I struggled with mastering the television remote. I can just squeak by with computers and my IPAD. With respect to values, my adult children share our Christian values, but many younger people are less moral and more promiscuous today, more apt to live together with someone outside of marriage, and many approve of gay marriage, having been taught wrong values by their schools, by the media, and by their peers and youthful role models and celebrities. We can still connect on a friendly basis with young people, but in so many important ways, the spiritual area is not there. It is a pleasure to meet devoted Christian youth, because it restores my faith and I know it is God who calls people of all ages out of unbelief.
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