Next Generation

D2 had 2 friends over tonight: a high school senior she's been going out with, and his good friend. Both are headed for UF after graduation.

They're extremely well mannered and bright young men. They play in a band together. They're articulate. I made a comment about D!, who the young man didn't know, and I explained she was D2's sister. "Yes, sir," he said, "I inferred that."

Inferred! I don't know the last time I heard a high schooler get that right! I was impressed. I don't need to imply that.

We hear so much about what's wrong with the next generation, but based on my girls' friends, I just don't see it. These kids all work much harder at school than I did, and they seem to want the right things out of college: to learn, someday get a good job, and have fun.

Few of them seemed destined for medical or law school, as my college friends almost all were. I guess it's a generational thing. Most of us, late baby boomers, were the chidren of parents who never went to college, or, if they did, weren't "professionals." I guess that's a function of my peer group, too.

We third generation kids were EXPECTED to get advanced degrees. It was a cliche, but there was truth to wanting to let our parents be able to say "my son the doctor," or, if the grades weren't high enough, "my son the lawyer."

Among my friends who went that route, few of us feel compelled to see our kids head to medical or law school. In my family, preventing my girls from following in my footsteps is a running joke. (D2 is already making noises about ending up in law school. I have 5 years left to dissuade her).

So, college is shaping up for these kids to be a better rounded experience than it was for the "grinding out" pre meds.

All I know is, I look forward to seeing how these great kids turn out. I infer that these kids will be, to paraphrase The Who, allright.