Jamie’s Corner, Chapter Five
…In a public restroom?
November 14th, 2024You may remember my initial pitch for Jamie’s Corner as “the intersection where young and old meet.” Well, I didn’t expect to find Jamie’s Corner in the men’s room at Tuesday’s American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Annual Dinner!
Having ducked away just after the beginning of the cocktail hour to take care of some business, who did I run into in the bathroom but the evening’s honoree, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Talk about the young meeting the old! At age 82, Senator McConnell didn’t exactly come across as sprightly, I must admit. I was somewhat wary of the prospect of him giving a speech that evening.
And yet an hour later, he delivered his speech with gravitas (ok, with the help of a teleprompter) and deftly handled an informal Q&A immediately after. I was struck by his demeanor through it all. This man had aged comfortably and was not trying to act younger or cover up his advancing years. He spoke with conviction and purpose, keenly aware of the respect he had earned over his decades in the public eye. Such was his confidence that he wore a suit with a navy and gold striped tie to a black-tie event.
My tablemates were mostly young professionals working at AEI. As Senator McConnell spoke, I could see in their eyes the recognition that age brings wisdom. Whatever you think of Senator McConnell – early in his speech he acknowledged that he is one of the most disliked politicians alive, a status he seems to relish – he thinks of policy in terms of decades, not years. What a refreshing perspective.
Aging is a blessing, not a curse. The elder generations serve as invaluable counterweights to our society’s lower impulses. Their long-term perspective on life is a powerful antidote to our click-driven, dopamine-addicted culture. Not only is this a welcome change of pace, but the hard-earned life lessons of my grandparents’ generation offer opportunities for my generation and the younger ones to grow in virtue. We have much to learn, and I hope communities continue to work to integrate the Greatest Generation, and now the Boomers, with younger age groups.
Senator McConnell will be stepping aside from his leadership role in 2025. His career trajectory parallels that of President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and President Clinton, as Jim wrote about in his blog last week. These titans of politics leave varied and complicated legacies. Like Presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, I hope they serve as exemplars of how to age with dignity in the wake of decades of political service.
See you in a couple weeks at Jamie’s Corner… hopefully not in a public restroom!
Jamie
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