You know those metal bracelets that you whack on your wrist and they go?
That was, like, cool for a while, and then it ...
>> I think those are cool.
[SCHOOL of TALK]
We've invited you all back to school today to talk with a total stranger
about growing up in your different generations.
You each have a stack of questions.
Let's see how it goes.
What was cool when you were in high school?
Working was cool to me.
I'd come home smelling like french fries, grease and burgers.
But it was OK because I had extra money.
Probably being a good dancer and dressing ... you wore your best clothes on Fridays.
Bell-bottom pants was kind of cool.
Gabardine pants,
blond loafers,
drinking beer.
>> In high school?
Yeah.
Ah, that's one thing that kind of stayed.
Back then,
there was really only three or four television stations.
>> OK.
So we all knew the lineup, and we all watched the same thing.
So there was a camaraderie about movies and what was on television.
It's more just how, about how you carry yourself.
Like, if you're, like, confident,
if you're, like, outgoing, outspoken.
And those people who have those are generally considered the cooler ones,
even if they're not athletes.
What's cool today is usually SoundCloud rapping.
Again, sports still kind of have that deal.
But I just don't think it's as prevalent today, with the jocks being popular.
It might be just because our football team sucks, though.
Would you rather travel back in time to meet your ancestors
or to the future to meet your descendants?
I would travel to the future.
I want to see what it's like there for me.
Yeah, maybe if I don't like it, I'll change it, change that.
Or if I do like it, I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing.
I guess ancestors.
So it’s, like, "Oh, I came from you.
Huh!
That's what you were living through."
I want to go back and see if I can change.
[laughter]
>> Oh, to the future, for sure.
Yeah, to the future.
I just want to see, like,
what have I done?
What have I accomplished?
Have I had kids?
Like, oh, yeah, I would travel to the future.
I'd rather go back and see my ancestors because they've been in this country for
over 300 years. And I really think it'd be cool to see these rough, tough people
that were able to survive in this kind of harsh environment.
Wow, I've never ... I’ve never thought about going forward.
I would have originally said ancestors. But boy, there's an intrigue there to find out,
you know, what great-great-grandkids might look like and what the world might be.
Future, because then I could find out how to change it.
I would rather travel back in time to meet my ancestors to thank them for all
that they've endured for me and to let them know I haven't forgotten what they've
done. And to let them know that I intend to carry on their legacy and try to
live up to their names.
What is some advice someone gave you when you were younger that you wish you
had listened to?
>> Always pursue what you want to do and don't stop.
>> Study hard.
Work at being the best you can be.
Investing your money wisely.
I probably didn't do as much of that as I could have upfront.
Marry the person with the best set of faults, and that's always stayed in the
back of my head.
I'm not sure I actually did it.
But I guess I did, because I'm happily, very, very happily married after 25 years.
>> Now you've passed it on to me, so thank you.
Not being a know-it-all.
If you're not a good listener, you miss a lot.
Learning to be a good listener, probably,
was something I've learned over the years that's helped me.
As I've gotten older, now I appreciate it more.