9/40 - Institutional Love

I am almost the oldest Millennial. I was born 41 days into what is officially defined as the beginning point for Millennials. And, while I am biased with my own point of view, it was a pretty great time to be born. I got to live my entire childhood without computers or mobile phones or on-demand entertainment. One of the greatest gifts my parents ever gave me was not letting me get my own Nintendo when I asked, therefore I am awful at video games and think they are mostly a waste of time (a parental ruling that changed for both of my younger brothers by the way.)

But more than anything growing up when I did, institutions still worked. Or at least seemed like they did. The government, local and national, appeared to the electorate as still in control of things. The local schools were a place to confidently send your kids, regardless of your zip code. The church was a place of consistency and a part of people's weekly routine, whether you cared much about what was being preached or not, it was a place not to be missed.