Another article from last week's Newsweek, the Real Generation Gap. Several things struck me. A larger number of kids get tattoos. Where and when I grew up, men had tattoos if they had been in the military or were criminals, women if they were hookers. If you had tattoos at a workplace you kept them hidden. Some tattoos are great and quite stylish. I would not get one. Nothing I want badly enough.
Race. Only five percent of what is called the "Millenial Generation" opposes interracial dating. Growing up for me, most people opposed it. With now what we know about DNA, I guess does it REALLY matter? When I discuss race with my nieces, they wonder why we are talking about it.
At the end of last year, I was staying with my sister on Long Island. My favorite niece, Jilly is a very bright twelve year old. She would stay up and ask my sister and I questions about our growing up and about social issues. We told her about attitudes toward gays and African-Americans and interracial dating and how things are changing. Jilly and another young lady told me normally if you bring race up among their friends, they see you as racist to bring it up.
Times change. The article made me think about my niece and her questions.