Two Days Into This—January 2025
I turned 40 this past October, and it’s hard to believe I’ve been around for four decades. I often joke that I’m still 17 in my head, and too often keep waiting for the real adults to show up—only to realize I’m part of that group now.
I have a hunch that we think “just ten years ago” was the end of the 20th century if not “the ‘90s,” while in reality we are officially a quarter of our way into the current century.
Take this news with a few grains of salt: the newest generation, Generation Beta, is said to start with those being born this year. Part of their characteristics has them stretching it into the next century. That’s just wild.
My grandmother, Nell, was born in 1921. If she were alive today, she’d be 103 years old, so putting her life experiences into perspective could help us put our own life experiences in perspective.
My grandmother would’ve been just shy of 15-years-old during the 1936 Olympics and would’ve had the chance to see it broadcast from the other side of the globe. Fifteen years in reference—that’s about the same timeline that cable speed internet came about in my world. In fact, my wife’s family were the first people I knew who had Roadrunner Internet.
Nell was 40 in 1961, so she’d survived the Great Depression and was alive during The Red Scare, World War II, the Korean conflict, the start of Vietnam and the election of John F Kennedy.
At 40, she lived in a world that seemingly was falling apart and had no hope. Yet her generation was the one we today call “The Greatest.”
Here I am at 40 in the early days of the 25th year in the 21st century wondering what the future holds for me, for my family, for my kids when they aren’t kids, for my community, my state and the nation.
I’ve seen September 11 as a 16 year old, friends fight in the Iraq war, political unrest from both sides, a global pandemic, and local terrorist attacks.
Movies and television shows are available instantly (as long as you have a reliable internet connection) and we have more computing power in our pockets than the first computer could dream of.
But here’s a truth we have trouble embodying (even though we know it, we don’t “know” it): Twenty years ago is no longer the ‘80s. I don’t think we truly realize that, but we need to collectively reset the motherboards in our minds to realize it’s beyond time to not be afraid of the future.
It’s here. We are closer to 2050 than we are 1990.
I know it sounds childish but hear me out—I think society today cares more about the opinions of others than they do enacting what they know to be right. I’m not talking about the MAGA movement or the Liberal Left Backlash. Instead, I’m talking about self control and accountabilty.
If the END justifies the MEANS, then what does that say about social norms and mores? We’ve taken pranks from within the confines of friendship and have moved now to blatant disrespect of complete strangers.
It’s a lack of prudence and an active disregard of wisdom.
What does this have to do with the New Year and generations? I’m glad you asked.
Too often the “older” generation belittles the “younger” generation when in reality there’s little difference present. There was a book about a bunch of teenage hoodlums who picked fights with the rich boys across town which lead to a murder and social unrest. That book, The Outsiders, is taught to middle school children.
There was an entire generation who ran away from home to show the square generation that substance abuse was cool and consequences were a joke. That generation happened to have everything handed to them on a silver platter by well-meaning parents who wanted to provide opportunties they weren’t privy to.
Ironically, I had that same conversation with my Gen-Z daughter, but this time I was the square and she was the flower-child.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. That’s not a reference to Bon Jovi, but rather French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr back in 1849.
Social media is the devil, I know. But it’s just as established today as the television was when my grandmother was my age. Some amazing things can come of it, but there’s danger too. The Prophets taught about that thousands of years ago.
Here’s my suggestion to us “middle-agers” as well as to those newly minted “seniors” and those know-it-all kids between the ages of 12 and 30—IT’S TIME TO UPDATE OUR SOFTWARE.
We need to update the expectations of ourselves from where we established them ten or twenty years ago. I’m not 20 anymore. I’m not 30. As a dad, I’m not missional about potty-training or baby-proofing the house.
I’m faced with the joys of dealing with the teenage decade for a highly intelligent and creative daughter and a charming and convincing son. How I approach this challenge takes different strategy than dealing with a 5 and a 2 year old.
The same goes for our personal standards and expectations.
We need to update our self-expectations when it comes to manners and politeness and when it comes to giving others a break. We need to work on patience and community, on empathy a benefit-of-the-doubt.
The Good Book tells us that people will know us by our works. Talk is cheap. It’s not what we say; it’s about what we do.
Titled Things: “New Year, New Me,” right? I’ve gotten extremely spoiled with Audiobooks. I don’t plan on stopping them, but I am going to make it a point to READ more. The start of the year calls for Hunger in Paradise: How to Save Success from Failure. Complacency is more deadly than external competition. It happens long before it’s recognized. It was out of print for a while, and it may still be for all I know. But I did find a copy on eBay for $5. (I’ve heard some have had to hunt it down and pay close to $50, but that’s just hearsay).
On Audible, I’m going through Cormac McCarthy’s Border Trilogy. It’s deeper than you really bargained for, so join along.
Up for the Challenge: Little wins lead to large wins. I’m attacking my calendar. I’ve been stretched so thin for so long that I let things fall through the cracks sometimes. Not this year. I figure if I can shrink that massive “Calendar Goal” from an entire year to focus on it weekly, I should produce a big win at the end.
I hope you have a great 2025. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to or watch the newest installment of the Chapman Brothers Podcast, I unashamedly urge you to do both!
Happy 2025. CHEERS!
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