Monday, July 11, 2016

Generation Changing Us

Those 30-somethings. They are changing things like how they purchase anything, they love adventure travel not staying in fancy hotels, want good food but not fancy restaurants, they are totally tied to social media to announce moments of their lives and they are even changing how they get married.

Last month, my friend Christien's daughter married her wonderful Matt in a ceremony in the Grand Tetons witnessed only by the photographer. No parents. No nobody. They wanted to focus on what was important: getting married. They didn't want the day to be all about the after party. They stayed a few days afterward as their honeymoon before they returned home. Later, they will be flying to their new home in Dublin, Ireland.

But first, they are throwing a party in August to celebrate their marriage. I so wish we could attend but it will be too hot and too muggy in the South. Not healthy for me. The party? It will be in a park and feature food trucks. No fancy cake. No china and silverware. Just a lot of fun followed by a late night bar run in the big city for anyone with enough energy after the party. The invitations? Engraved on white card stock? Hardly! It was a post card that was charming and perfect but also offered a web site for more information. There were no lists of where they were registered. No requests for money. There was just a plea to join them for their special day.

I laughed when I read it all. So different from my day of everything having to be so very proper. But really, how smart. Apparently, her grandmother is having a really difficult time dealing with the lack of protocol. She is especially troubled by the invitation and their lack of interest of china patterns.

Life is going to be so different when my generation is gone. We still shop mostly in stores and sometimes want a fancy restaurant! The 30-something generation is brave enough to not just accept what has been. Who would ever have though you could buy a bed in a box to be delivered to your house?

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