A Moment in Time

When I was in college a regular theme in the press was "the generation gap."  We young'uns felt like our parents did not get us. And our parents listened to our rhetoric and our music and could not relate. The Jefferson Airplane boomed "We are all outlaws in the eyes of America" and "feed your head."

A few hours ago I was having a conversation with the 20 year old woman who is a work study student in our office and a thirty something fellow who works in our Center for the Arts.  How it got there I am not sure, but I referred to some lyrics from the Jefferson Airplane.  They both looked at me  unknowingly.  I thought they were kidding me. I really did.  I said, "Cmon you must have heard of the Jefferson Airplane?"

They both squinted as if they were trying to help me out, but neither could honestly say they had.  I was incredulous, and said, "White Rabbit? You never heard of 'White Rabbit'"  The fellow took his hand and ran it over his scalp as if to say, "this is going right over my head."

"You never heard of White Rabbit?!" I exclaimed now older than the age of my parents when I said to them when I was a college student, "have you ever heard "White Rabbit?"  Neither this young hip man or the younger hip woman had ever heard of it.

I went to the computer, pulled up Youtube, and played "White Rabbit" with its very distinctive opening.

Neither one of them ever had heard it before.

Then the woman said, "I think my parents have listened to that."

Maybe I should have gone home right then.

Tomorrow morning I leave for my annual February jaunt to Albany to cavort with some college buddies at something called The Big Purple Growl.  (Our university colors were purple and gold. That is the purple part. We were the Great Danes, so I'm figuring that is where the Growl comes in).  I wonder if my buds will be surprised to learn that Grace Slick's tunes are no longer the anthems of youth., but of their parents' generation.  You can't trust anyone under 30.