I mean, hey, I try. I throw a little MTV on when my kids are in bed and I watch "My Super Sweet 16". (Boy, has MTV changed since I used to spend all day watching "Real World" marathons and listening to ... well, my mind is drawing a blank because apparently the music I listened to was just as forgettable as what I hear on the radio today. But I digress) I'll throw on Power FM when I'm driving around with the teens from youth in the car, although I'm not able to scream along with them or bang my head into the air like I used to. (Boy can you get a sore neck the next day)...
So, I wonder, how do you stay culturally relevant when you are past the point of being able to enjoy any of these things. I don't wanna be old. I want to be able to ignore the mediocrity in the music that I'm listening to, and just enjoy it because everyone else does. And I want to overlook the ridiculousness of a 16 year old getting a brand new hummer for her birthday because she saw it and it was "oh ma gohsh" so pretty. And please, let me go back to being able to stay up till 4 am and not having axe murderous tendencies the next day... I can't handle these lock ins anymore...
But there you have it. I have to admit it. I am (deep breath) old. I guess my love for discipling teens will have to keep me young. And I can live vicariously through them. But can I stay culturally relevant in the process? And how?
4 comments:
how about " expanded from a narrow minded youth"? I had no idea how much I was missing by blindly following mainstream likes and dislikes. I honestly don't see how you can stomach most of the music these days, computer toned, run of the mill, least valuable talent in the world. Sorry, I kind of went off there.
i have to amend my first comment: all young musicians can't be bad, just most of the ones hoisted upon us.
I really think that if you just love on these kids it won't matter so much if you are 'hip' or not...you're not their parents, so that automatically makes you more worth listening too (in their eyes). I would just encourage you to stay in the know with what is going on in their world...ask them, and then read up more on it (if you can find any more of that elusive "spare time" ;)...) and I think there are lots of youth (ministry) type magazines out there that can help with this issue too. You truly love them and are interested in them and that means soooo much more than liking the same type of music or movies!! Don't doubt how greatly the Lord is using you in their lives...no matter how "old" you think you are!! Love You!
After similar struggles through young adulthood, I find relevance is over rated. Here are 2 quotes I like:
Whatever is not eternal is eternally out of date (C.S. Lewis)
If you marry the spirit of the age, you will find yourself a widow in the next. (Dean Inge)
Set your mind on things above, which are vastly more interesting than the things below where there's nothing new under the sun.
And if you really want something worth a good head banging, try this.
Blessings to you, Mark
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