Skip to main content

Skipped Over

This week I attended a Columbia Association event at the beautifully appointed Claret Hall in River Hill.  We were there to be "ignited", or inspired, I suppose, about what is going on as CA looks at re-branding itself and becoming more relevant to younger residents.

A panel discussion, moderated by Brian Dunn, focused on engaging Columbia's younger generation and involving them in community affairs.  The participants each had a valuable perspective to bring to the conversation.  But there was just one problem--why wasn't I on the panel?  I'm a parent of a young(ish) child, I live in a starter home, I serve on a village board, I blog about community events.  What's not to like?

Oh, yeah, Duh.  I'm not young.

This second marriage, second child, second career, second chance at a happy life thing means I am always coming late to this party. Darn.  I am forced to click "Boomer" in the live polling, which galls me. Not because I dislike Boomers, but because it's an inaccurate representation of who I am.


I am the youngest in my family--with birth years of 1950, 1953, and 1959.  My oldest sister took great delight in lecturing me when I was a teenager in the '70's,"When I was a teenager we cared about Civil Rights. My friends went to the March on Washington. Some were Conscientious Objectors. We boycotted California Table Grapes to support Cesar Chavez.  What do you do?"


It was drilled into me that I and my friends would never earn the right to be Boomers. Our teenage years were insignificant; we had no causes. 


Somehow, I survived.


I survived through putting myself through college, a turbulent first marriage and being a single parent, working for years in an unsupportive and stressful environment.   In the midst of all of that I looked up one day and true love was looking right in my face with kind and gentle eyes.


So, here I am.  I caught a lucky break and I have the time, financial stability and mental health to give back a little to my new-found home town.  And don't think I'm not grateful, because I am.  Every day. Despite the very real physical reminders of middle age, I sometimes forget how old I really am.  In my ventures into community life I allow myself an adjusted age of say, 35.

I may not ever get on the "young" panels. nor will I ever be a sage Pioneer.  But I do have the joy of knowing that I am home, and that I still have a lot to learn.

hocoblogs@@@








Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 4, 2011 at 8:35 AM

    Hi Julia! Great post. You have a great outlook on life, and you are giving so much back to Columbia through your service and now your writing. Keep it up, and I'm sure you'll ind yourself on a panel very soon!

    -Brian

    ReplyDelete
  2. Julia A. McCreadyDecember 4, 2011 at 11:14 AM

    Thanks, Brian. I don't really need to be on a panel. I just have trouble remembering how old I am. :-). I'm happy to be a part of the discussion.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more