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Does anyone else feel hurt, angry, frustrated, and annoyed when younger people don't listen to the wisdom we have to impart? My own story is probably atypical, as I'm sure this happens more often in a work (it happened to me there, too) or family setting, but I just have to vent...
I recently joined an outdoor group comprised of mostly younger people. There are 3 or 4 my age, but none of the others are experienced, whereas I've been doing this activity at least once a week for 17 years now. In all that time, I've done literally every venue there is to do in the area multiple if not many times. On my first hike with this group, the leader admitted she was new to the sport and had never been there before, yet when I gently and quietly pointed out that she was on the wrong trail, she looked at her phone, declared that, no, she was on the right trail, and carried on leading the group. Sure enough: wrong trail and backtracking. Next hike was proposed, and I mentioned that I've done that dozens of times. Later, in the posted description, she urges carpooling, informing everyone that "parking is tight." No, actually, there's TONS of parking, and she could have just asked ME about that, but - no - she consulted her phone again and read that somewhere. So they all carpooled and it was kind of a cluster with some having to get back early, etc., when this was all avoidable. Then, on the hike itself, again in a place she'd never been before (neither had anyone else except me), her phone informs her to go down the wrong path, which frankly looked treacherous. I knew it was wrong and this time insisted on it. Immediately all the young people pull out their phones and start rattling off what their various GPS and/or trail apps are telling them, many of them contradictory. Why in the world not listen to the one person who is actually experienced and actually knows the way? I finally just set off in that direction, and they followed, but I suspect the leader (who seems very invested in her role) didn't apprecate it. Finally, I've also offered to co-lead hikes (this leader is often unavailable, and members have indicated they'd like to hike more often), but - although several of her friends who never hike are co-orgs - I haven't been taken up on my offer. Has it come to this, that young people listen to tech versus us?
What to do? My "delivery" is as tactful as I can make it, but WTF???
And get off my lawn!
I think we need a "Grumpy Old Men (and Women)" sub-forum.
Has nothing to do with your age and everything to do with how you present and interact with others. And some people really just think they know it all. It goes both ways.
Yes, I've been through this. My kid MUST put everything in GPS even if it's just a mile away. I have had to convince the kid that GPS is not always right and I can sometimes give better directions.
Has nothing to do with your age and everything to do with how you present and interact with others. And some people really just think they know it all. It goes both ways.
You really think so? I never said I know it all, but I know trails I've walked dozens of times.
Last edited by otterhere; 07-18-2022 at 02:03 PM..
That's basically what I said (to myself) when I refused to scramble down the steep rocks on the wrong trail and reversed course. Jeez! I figured I would at least save myself...
I don't understand why you continue to hike with this group. You obviously don't need the guidance of the inexperienced leader. You've hiked these trails many times before, and you know where you're going. So why continue to subject yourself to the frustration of the group?
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