A Fourth World

Our son, the philosopher, recently moved home.

His job at a law firm in LA disappeared about this time last year, and after exhausting his savings and unemployment, he did what he had to do.

It has been an unexpected joy to have him back with us, something I would not have chosen, but a blessing for which I will now be grateful all my life.

Chad got his BA in Philosophy from USC. He could work as an analyst for hedge funds, or the Defense Intelligence Agency, but as with many of his generation, belief in the cause is much more important to him than the size of the paycheck.

His great passion is international travel, which we introduced him to at a very young age, and the one sure thing in his life is, he will always travel when he can.

It's a big world, and he wants to see all of it, as soon as possible.

He brought me this quote, which I had to share:

"There are people everywhere who form a Fourth World, or a diaspora of their own. They are the lordly ones! They come in all colors. They can be Christians, or Hindus, or Muslims, or Jews, or Pagans, or atheists.

They can be young or old, men or women, soldiers or pacifists, rich or poor. They may be patriots, but they are never chauvinists. They share with each other across all the nations, common values of humor and understanding.

When you are among them you know you will not be mocked or resented, because they will not care about your race, your faith, your sex or your nationality, and they suffer fools, if not gladly, at least sympathetically.

They laugh easily.
They are easily grateful.
They are never mean.

They are not inhibited by fashion, public opinion, or political correctness.

They are exiles in their own communities, because they are always in a minority, but they form a mighty nation, if they only knew it. It is the nation of nowhere."

~ Jan Morris

Despite what you may think, or have read, I believe this next generation is going to do better with our world than mine has.

If part of your job is talking to those under the age of 30, you need to know how they think, what they respect, and how to ask them to listen. I've left you some clues above, but if you need more, let's talk...