I enjoyed Kelly's pre-Melrose Place post, and can add some anecdotal
evidence to the generational shift discussion.
Although I'm a boomer, my lineage sort of skipped a generation. My
father was 62, my mother 44 when I was born. So they were sometimes even
older than my classmates' grandparents. And they were civically-minded
and involved, serving regularly on boards and in organizations in our
small midwestern city. It's emblematic for me that my father had perfect
weekly attendance at Kiwanis for something like 32 years.
Although I've been an activist from college on (and off), I haven't been
a member of any single organization for more than a few years. And
perfect weekly attendence? You've got to be kidding. Seems sort of
unimaginative (even anal), right? But maybe that's what community is
made of. Or was.
If nobody stays in one place anymore, what's community going to be made of?
I'd kill my television, except I've never owned one.
I think I'm saying, let's take down our attenaes and put down some roots.
Here's a test I'd probably fail: Do you spend more time in conversation
with virtual or with actual neighbors?
Roger Bergman, Director, Justice & Peace Studies
Program Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178
(402) 280-1492, FAX 280-4731; rbjps@creighton.edu