I am a 50-something. Not sure that I like the tag "something" and not sure if the twenty year olds like it either. Anyway, sociologists have a way of labeling people with something that will stick with a group. Yeah, so I am fifty-two, headed to fifty-three this fall. While I have a world of experience in relationships, corporate marketplace experience and more importantly, ministry experience, I believe that as a 50-something, I can learn several things from the 20-somethings. While many in-depth research studies have been done about this group also known as millennials, my words are from my observation from being around many in this age group and especially having two daughters and a son-in-law who are 20-somethings. I will say that the 20-somethings need to be very cautious in thinking they are something special or that they are owed something. Just because you fall into this category does not make you special. As a matter of fact, there are seven billion others on this planet just like you who are special in their own way. No one owes you anything.
1. They Are Confident
Not that cocky, arrogant type of confident that I see in many people older than the 20-somthings, but they know who they are and they know where their capabilities lie. To those of us who are 50-somethings, we sometimes mistake their confidence for arrogance and we totally miss that they are achievers. I am learning from them to be someone who wants to finish well.
2. They Are Resilient
In a job market that basically stinks to be nice about it, they find ways to survive. That might be sharing an apartment with one or several others to make ends meet. It also can mean they head back home to the empty nest until something else comes along. The great thing I can learn from them - do not give up!
3. The Believe In Education
This group of adults may the best educated group of adults to ever walk the face of the earth. While 50-somethings may think they are lazy, they across the board are not. What has happened is that technological advances have streamlined processes across all domains to make work more efficient. I do believe that more young people are not navigating toward manual labor as others in the past and that may drive that thought among my generation. Learning point for me is education really is important.
4. They Respect Their Elders
While there are some baggy pants 20-somethings who think showing their underwear is cool, this generation respects those of us who are older. Countless times I have had 20-somethings ask me for advice, tell me they appreciate me and thank me for sharing my life with them. I am learning to rethink how I invest my life into younger people. [callout]There are things I believe 20-somethings can learn from 50-somethings. Tomorrow I will address things 20-somethings can learn from a middle age guy like me. Things like work ethic, faith, morals, relationships, and I am sure I will think of some more while watching an episode of Big Bang Theory.[/callout]
