How to interact with people from my parent's generation?

Question

Hi everyone, any advice would be appreciated greatly.
I'm at a crossroads in my life. I recently graduated from college and have started working full time. I haven't quite mastered the art of dealing with those of my parents' generation and kindly request your help.

At work, I am perfectly comfortable with dealing with coworkers of all ages, because I feel that in that environment, we are all equals, and we are all professionals with work as common ground.

However, when I am in other social settings, such as in church, I feel awkward dealing with people from my parents' generation. This is because they are with their children, who are often just a few years younger than me. And I often get the impression that the parents expect me to be friends with their kids more than be friends with them.

I don't really know how to deal with this, so please let me know what I should do! Thanks!

Answer 1

Dude, no matter what, be yourself. I am friends with MANY people that are old enough to be my grandparents, and the one thing that I have found that they respect the most is someone who is straight up and honest with them. They may be older, but they are still people with lives and feelings.

Answer 2

Thats a tuffie, really don't expect much. Remember that there was a HUGE generation gap back then, its pretty much sepeartes a conservative generation from a pretty liberal generation, that spearheaded ALOT of uncomfrontable social change, that still makes me wonder weather it was worth it or not, but I digress. Ether way its because of this that chances are just becasue of what you represent, your not going to get very close, and at the least you can't be to sure how to talk to them, there very traditional but at the same time interaction is.... conflict ordinated, or rather, its not about ooo look at the pretty sunshine! Its more like darn those replublicans, darn that korean war, whats wrong with kids today! Which actually they make some of the GREATEST political conversationist, but unless you have strong opionins that your willing to stand for, you'll do fine, they'll love you for listening, and they love you for caring enough about yourself and this world, to have opionins your willing to share. I remember this korean vet. I painted and cleaned his house one summer, just sitting there being honest about what I thought about life and society, and he did the same for me. They love conversation but rarly have time for that light sappy stuff, give it to them deep and BE suprised at the outcome!!! They were a thinkin generation despite there conservative nature, much better alot of the time then some of the newer ones. But also I stress, the environment is going to get you ever time, and church, well, is church.....