Old for My Age

I had an interesting evening tonight. In the end, I have re-affirmed that I am too old for my age. Not even 25, but feel utterly out of place amongst people my own age. Tonight we did our nightly patrol around the complex, and noticed people hanging out at the gazebo. Which is actually fairly unusual. So we decided to load up a hookah and head out. We set up on the deck near the gazebo and let the small cluster of young people engage us as they wanted to, not intruding. As a side note, we've got confirmed orders for at least three hookahs. Yay business! The average age of the group was probably 21 or 22. As is wont to happen when a little alcohol and the hookah is involved, conversation on a wide variety of topics ensued. Which, as would be expected, lead to politics and religion. Which lead to a mostly silent and irritated me. Young people full of "new" and "radical" ideas, severe distrust of the government, liberal though, dislike of an unpopular war, etc. Not unusual for the age group. And they were all well read and articulate. Likeable enough people, really. But frustrating for me. More and more I find I just don't understand or identify with people my own age. Got called a racist by a white person (dwa?) until I repeatedly explained that my dislike of urban culture has nothing to do with race, but the culture itself. The style of dress, the general attitude of zero personal responibility, the glorification of the objectification of women (that was a mouthful), the "music" and all that. I don't care if they have something intelligent to say. I can appreciate their wordsmithing, and do. But unlike one of the guys we talked with, I do care about what they say, not just how they say it. I also believe in not dressing like a clown. But. As I said, they were agreeable enough. Well-spoken, well-read. Cultured and intelligent. Just...well...kids.

When did I get this old?!

today's music ain't got the same soul