THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

“Sometimes, I feel I gotta get away
Bells chime, I know I gotta get away
And I know if I don't, I'll go out of my mind
Better leave her behind with the kids, they're alright
The kids are alright”  THE WHO

We recently attended a wedding in Pittsburgh, organized by and populated with millennials. Nothing about the ceremony or reception was traditional.  The few baby boomers in attendance could not help scratching their heads at the audacity of young people changing the rules of getting married.  By the end of the evening, I grudgingly had to admit, the future of America is secure.  The kids are alright.

To describe the wedding, is to enter an alternative reality of a communal gathering to honor an exchange of vows. Rather than a house of worship, the location was an old warehouse where nymph like twenty somethings practice the art form made famous by Cirque du Soleil. During the pre-dinner reception, guests were in awe of acrobatic performances above their heads.

The bride and groom met while swing dancing and both have a special affinity for tacos.  The former provided the post dinner entertainment and the latter the theme for the wedding appetizers and buffet.  There was no wedding cake.  A well-stocked cookie table and bar provided the sweets and lubrication for the occasion. 

The parents of the groom are close friends, so we were observers to the lead up of the wedding. The newly married couple have secure employment and utilized a parental loan to purchase a home in the heart of Pittsburgh. Senior wedding guidance was brushed aside and many of the well-appointed but frugal arrangements made by or paid for by the couple.  Nothing would deter them from their vision.

The young guests in attendance were emotional clones in their insular worlds, but diverse in their ethnic backgrounds and sexual preferences.  If the coupling in attendance holds firm, mixed marriages of every description will be the new norm.  Misogynist, homophobic, and anti-immigration views will have no place in mid-21^st century millennial America.

The few married couples with children seemed to hold an elevated position among the throng and one could detect the ticking of biological clocks among the single women.  But the women were emancipated and assertive.  The men were deferential and supportive. Adopting the bride’s maiden name was a popular idea.  Gender equality seemed the order of the day.

This was a professional and geeky crowd trained to practice medicine, law and cutting their teeth at Goggle.  Not many tattoos, at least in places that were observable.  In other words, our future leaders.

A few observations have lead me to conclude that America is in good hands. First, these young adults were aloof but confident in their life choices and career paths.  The groom loves working with his hands and nixed his earlier plans to earn a PhD in history to become a plumber.  Unlike my generation, they are not about attacking the choices made by their parents. They are simply ignoring what came before and busy taking action to create new social norms and business infrastructure.

Second, these young people care about the environment.  They make choices big and small with sustainability and carbon usage in mind.   I sense the environment will grow into a political and economic juggernaut as they age and seize the reigns of power.  Within my lifetime, Americans will be asked to sacrifice material wealth in order to address climate change and other fallout from industrialization.

Third, millennial America is well positioned to transition America into the information age. Their problem solving skills in medicine, law, accounting, finance and above all technology are digitally enhanced. No traditional method of doing business will be safe from their vision. The solutions to chronic problems they will develop are science fiction today.

In politics, the 2020 national election will see millennials as the largest demographic group in deciding our future.  They are not committed to partisan party politics but are intent on electing a President who values what they value.  There is a growing awareness that their parent’s generation has asked them to sacrifice a great deal in terms of high debt loads and lower economic outlooks, all to support the boomer’s crash into retirement.  Many millennials want to change this reality.

Lastly, I do not see this generation selling out their views for individual wealth.  One gets the sense that democratic socialism would match their worldview well.  A willingness to pay higher taxes in return for cradle to grave social benefits; job satisfaction and more free time. Less material wealth replaced by a healthier and happier life for them and their children.

I feel confident in leaving mother earth and American democracy behind with the kids.  The kids are alright.