BLOGS

The bubbling cauldron that is Michigan’s Republican gubernatorial primary race will be fueled by yet another log on the fire beneath it as five candidates prepare to debate at press time.

Baseball needs to attract younger fans. The game is too slow. Contests are way too long. How many times have we heard these criticisms about the most ancient of American spectator sports?

In August I had a stroke. The southwest zone of my brain exploded and left a bright white relief map of the Great Lakes on a CT scan. Blood pressure of 220 over 110—twice the normal measure—powered what is politely called a “cerebrovascular accident.”

The myriad mass of identity labels and the puzzling potpourri of personal pronouns. Both noble in origin and all overwhelmingly obfuscating when used as self-righteous political and social weapons rather than as clearly focused agents of social change to help give shape and voice to marginalized populations.

If patience and perspective are stirred into these movements, their effectiveness will be magnified. As has long been the case, prior generations are courser, less refined and more exclusionary than the latest rendition of humanity.

People in their 50s and 60s are arguably more vital and capable than they have ever been. Advances in medicine, the popularity of health conscious lifestyles and modern vibrant images of people playing life’s back nine have endowed this group with new possibilities.

But these same people often date themselves with aged perspectives, archaic references and ancient anecdotes. Despite their continued energy, industry knowledge and people skills developed outside of the digital veil, older professionals have a tendency to talk about old, better ways of doing things and drop cultural references lost on 30-year-olds.

A few months ago I pushed back in my desk chair and had a long think about how much things had changed since I began my work life. The dawn of the digital age marked my emergence into the work world. Newspapers and magazines were the main conduits of information. Letter writing was still en vogue. Articles and op ed pieces were strong and authoritative sources of fact and seeds of influence. The written word had a heavy footprint and direct, in person communication skills were highly valued.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of watching my 14-year-old daughter compete in a soccer exhibition before college coaches and scores of weary, but supportive parents. New teams and new parents crowded the hallways and sidelines of the indoor venue waiting for their turns. There was not one masked face in the place.

The next day, I enjoyed the sublime tones of my 18-year-old oboist daughter performing on the tightly packed stage at Orchestra Hall in Midtown Detroit with close to 100 fellow musicians and the customary crowd of assembled parents, some with grandparents in tow. Admission required a current vaccine card and a mask.