Jason, Josh, and Jimmy

Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller Aug 24/15

This morning I saw Jason arrested on St. Jacques Street.  He’s a large man, blond hair, bushy beard, wearing a white loose cotton tunic style top that was falling off the shoulder.  He looked like Jesus’ older brother.  A group of the homeless men regularly panhandle from cars at the stoplight coming off the highway into this part of the city. A new-ish fancy condo is also at that corner, and the tenants regularly call the police to remove the beggars from that corner.  Sometimes Jason can be loud, but he is very articulate and obviously educated.  Some people see his size and booming voice and body language and find him frightening.

Those kids today! (aka I’m old)

There have been several millennials making impressions upon me lately, and not good impressions.  I wonder what kind of parenting my generation chose in order to produce such dependent unquestioning progeny.

The young people in question have no problem describing their fears of daily events.  Not a fear of rape – but a fear of being catcalled.  Fears of independence, fears of public transit, fears of lone travel… My generation was looking forward to these marks of adulthood, and longed to conquer fear (and were embarassed by small fears).  Yet somehow, they have discouraged their own children from embracing these same milestones.