Last night I was lucky enough to be asked to speak on a Meet the Blogger panel at a Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) event at Murdoch University.
To say I was a little nervous would be an understatement, and I was called as the first blogger to get up and talk which had my tummy doing bellyflops.
What was even more scary was that the room was predominantly filled with young guns who were vibrant, energetic, inquiring and so ‘up with’ all that’s happening in the world of internetdom and on social media that I felt like some hulking museum piece from the Jurassic age.
We discussed all things blogging and PR and social media – all in all though it was such fun and so informative all round. To tell you the truth I love talking about blogging given half a chance, and I love hearing what my peers and colleagues have to say too.
For the event I wore a new outfit by Millers (sponsored) and the jewel colours certainly helped boost my confidence. (Lifestylers, why not check out the new styles and vibrant colours that have just come in 🙂
This isn’t the first time I’ve felt like a dinosaur though. No ways. And it won’t be the last, so rather than feel defeated I choose to celebrate the verve and knowledge of young people and I have to say that I absolutely love being with them, around them and learning from them. Not only do my own children teach me so much about myself, the world and this new technological age we live in, but so too do the young adults I meet through blogging.
Last year I was lucky to be invited on a press trip to tropical north Queensland with Tourism Queensland after the Problogger Conference on the Gold Coast. The tourism related personnel and the bloggers were much younger than me and I loved being with them, but at first I felt a little shaky verging on ‘oh-this-is-going-to-be-difficult’ to thinking that I wouldn’t keep up with the partying and wondering if they would treat me like a granny or dismiss any opinions I might have as old and doddery. I was gratified that they accepted me not as an old snoozer but as a fellow colleague and I learnt so much from them.
So here’s my take on …
Why hanging out with younger people is good for you
- You begin to do things faster. Young adults today lead a super charged life and have to multitask more, so you learn methods about how to get to grips with technological things in an instant. No more fiddling around wondering if this or that button or command will work, you just have to go for it and work it out from there.
- They have less life commitments – think kids, houses, mortgages or husbands so they teach you how to live more in the moment and how to be up for anything.
- They have a different outlook on life that’s refreshing.
- They teach you that some things are not better in the 21st century.
- They are tech savvy and can teach you so much about the internet.
- They can teach you many things about being on the ball and thinking quickly, which is good as we age, as we do get set in our ways of doing things.
- They teach us to think differently … they have different concerns and outlooks – so they introduce us to a different worldview.
- They can make us feel young again … nobody is talking or moaning about this ache or that ache!
- None of them talk about the needs or worries of elderly parents, or concerns about their children – so it reminds us of what it was once like to be (mostly) free of worry about other people.
- Their biggest concern might be their dog or cat and we can smile and remember back when our puppies were like our babies!
- They can teach us not to take ourselves so seriously. Getting older might make us wiser in some respects but it doesn’t confer Oracle status.
- They can teach us to hurry up.
- They can take us out of our comfort zone.
- They can remind us of what it was like to be 20 or 30 again.
- They can make us thankful for all our experiences in life.
- They can make us laugh.
- They can introduce us to some incredible new music.
- They teach you how to be more accepting – I think young people today are less likely to stereotype people.
- They give us lots of great ideas about what to wear and what not to wear 😉
Do you enjoy hanging out with young people? What would you add to this list?
A perfect fit trench coat to make all your worries disappear.
I love hanging out with younger people. My daughter who lives a few hours away very often brings friends home with her for a visit and she always includes me on outings like movies, coffee and shopping. It is so refreshing and sometimes they are much cheerier company than some of my friends! Young people do keep us young for sure.
I totally agree Kathy 🙂
When I retired, I realized that I missed my students. I missed their energy, quirkiness, curiosity. So I did 2 things, I opened my website to the world and I signed up to teach an online class to stay connected. I continued in this mode by scheduling a tour at the Dolphin Discovery Center in Bunbury to swim with the Dolphins offshore. I was by far the oldest of the 13 participants and the marine biologist guide was a bit worried about me, so he assigned a graduate student to shadow me for the first time. But when they discovered that I was the second in front up close to the dolphins and that I was swimming without fins and that I beat half the group back to the boat, I had all kinds of new young friends. So don’t be afraid. Jump in the water.
I love the way you described missing your students Lucy. I so get that. But good on you for opening up your website and teaching online. I smiled thinking of you beating those young guns back to the boat on the discovery tour, and yes, you are so right – jump in the water – both feet!
Love your list Jo you are a star and never too old for anything xxx
Awww you are too lovely Rae xx
I was really hoping to make it to hear you speak but would have arrived rather late. I always feel like I’m 20 years too old for most of the blogging/social media events but it certainly doesn’t stop me.
Are you heading to ProBlogger this year?
Ahh sad you couldn’t be there 🙁 ButGood on you Raych for always being so ‘out there’ 🙂 No Problogger for me this year 🙁
Hi Jo, I was in the audience last night and you were amazing! I love your passion for blogging. Great post and wholeheartedly agree 🙂
Thank you so much Lorelei! That’s so kind of you to say! Yes I do love blogging soo much and jump at the chance to chat about it.
I couldn’t agree more with all your points Jo. Mind you it’s not hard to find young people to hang out with these days. I always seem to be the oldest person in the room! A lot of my girlfriends are in their thirties and they have such a fresh outlook on life compared to my whingy whiny self 🙂
I know what you mean Pinky!
After reading this list I think I need to hang out with young people more often. I certainly need some help with dress sense….. Sons aren’t much help in that direction….. Thanks Jo. You are certainly someone to look up to with the get out and do it attitude. Well done you!
Hi Jill, haha sons wouldn’t help so much in that sphere except maybe to let you know if you are embarassing them 😉 But you always look great. Thanks for your kind words 🙂
Oh Jo!
You are not old by any means!!! It was wonderful to spend some time with you in QLD and get to know you.
You were whooooping my ass with social media posts!!!
Hi Sam, oh you are too gorgeous! Haha, you made me laugh … was I really?!! Here’s hoping we meet up again in 2015. Are you going to Problogger this year?
Hey Jo,
I’m thinking about it although, thinking about going to Tbex Thailand… not sure i can get time off for both this year.