Dear Prudence,
My social circles are a mix of folks from different backgrounds, cultures, and generations. That is, until the past few years. Suddenly, making friends with people younger than me has become hard. COVID made life weird for everybody. It made me a work-from-home employee, with colleagues spread across the globe. It’s hard to make new work friends via Slack and Zoom. On the upside, I got to move to a more affordable city, where I’ve volunteered at events and connected with people my age or older.
However, I just turned 60, and 30-year-olds now talk to me like I don’t know about polyamory, permaculture, or how to work my iPhone. What? I want my social life to include people who turn me on to new tunes, or talk career pivots, or who need a sympathetic ear as they parent teenagers. I am a good listener, can organize anything, and am an enthusiastic, if untalented, dancer. Homophobia and religious intolerance have robbed me of family intergenerational relationships. How else can I invite younger adults into my life?
—Cool Auntie Vibes