50+ Lifestyles

Just Saying…

By Q.C. Jones

National Geographic Magazine is the official magazine of the National Geographic Society. It’s been published since the 1880s. The magazine has impacted our generation and is one of the first magazines Old QC Jones was attracted to as a new member of literate society back in 1963. Since that day some two score and 15 years ago, my exposure to the magazine has been continuous, pervasive and educational. The National Geographic contains scholarly articles covering science, history and culture.

Deep in the recesses of my post-third grade memory lurks the sad remains of an article entitled “In search of the reclusive Amazon Cannibal kids,” While my memory for great barbeque recipes is sharp, my memory of articles read is a recipe for disaster. Not sure I remember the original article correctly but join me as we go “Nat Geo style” in search of the reclusive Millennial.

First a little background. Millennials as a generation are viewed as those born between 1980 and sometime in the mid-1990s. For the most part they are the evil spawn of the baby boomers. According to Wikipedia, “Millennial characteristics vary by region… the generation is generally marked by an increased use and familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies.” Extending further, this generation can’t remember a time when they didn’t have a computer. Most have to strain to remember an internet free zone. They do more with their cell phones before breakfast than we do in a month. If Haight-Ashbury was the cultural promised land of our generation, Oregon is the Mecca of this tribe.

Proving your humble correspondent will ignore physical danger and spare no expense in chasing down the scoop for you, I readied my team for a social safari deep into the native homeland of the Millennial. Like early Nat Geo explorers peering into the cultures of the Dark Continent, this journey didn’t stop with a convenient trip to the Portland International Airport, instead, we journeyed out into previously unexplored recesses. Traveling some 135 Kilometers inland, we set up headquarters in a small rented apartment in Corvallis, Oregon.

Corvallis, OR is located in the middle of the Willamette Valley, an hour from the ocean and 90 minutes from the mountains. The city is known for its unique blend of conservative values and alternative lifestyle, consistently landing a spot on lists like “Top 100 Best Places to Live” and dozens of “Top 10 College Towns” lists. It’s one of those college towns were people come for an education and never leave. Elusive Millennials seem to run wild. It’s the perfect place to observe them in a natural environment.

Pursuing not only observation but interaction, we managed to secure invitations to an important ceremony where dozens of the unique group would be open to conversation. Happily no translator was required; they speak a language closely resembling a mix of English and techno-hipster. What follows are a series of observations and commentary on their native ways.

Tattoos, piercings and other modifications are the norm for both sexes. The tattoos especially are both colorful and intriguing. Commemorating memorable life events, celebrating friendships, reinforcing personal statements and advertising state or town of your birth are all opportunities to visit your friendly neighborhood tattoo shop. One Millennial shared this astute observation on business, “I am waiting for those old folks to get out of the way. It bothers me that my boss doesn’t have a single tattoo. I have a hard time figuring out if there is nothing they deem important enough to celebrate with a permanent mark.”

Millennials make strong personal statements about conservation and the environment. Across Corvallis you see this in action. Homes owned by “our generation” have traditional yards – landscaping, grass and all the stuff you probably see when surveying your own backyard. The Millennial home is different. Grass is seen as a waste of water and has been replaced with mulch or gravel. The bushes trend toward utilitarian plants; herbs, bushes and edible plants. Several of those we visited view their back yards as an extension of their home. We saw camping gear set up in the back yards of a couple homes.

Millennials love bicycles. When asked why they like Corvallis one of the first comments made involves the biking friendly nature of the town. Bicycles are every bit as prevalent here as Holland (where BBC reports there are more bicycles than people and up to 70 percent of all commuting is done via pedal power). It’s not uncommon for garages to contain bicycles while cars remain out in the weather. Bicycle trails crisscross the town, bicycle traffic is seen everywhere.

This generation appears to have developed a preference for locally made intoxicating beverages. Oregon has well over 200 craft breweries and dozens of cider, mead and other handmade beverage producers. But as the TV pitchmen say, wait there’s more. It appears these folks don’t limit themselves to beverage alone. There are over 1,000 marijuana dispensaries in Oregon. Hmmm.