Does this building look like a college campus?

 

I was wandering the halls of Congress recently (yes, with a specific purpose) and I was immediately struck by the environment.  Where was I anyway, this looked familiar.  Then it dawned on me, what I was feeling was the environment on a college campus.  Walk through the various House and Senate office buildings and you immediately notice that it is likely you are the oldest person in the area except for the actual Members of Congress.   I swear the average age cannot exceed thirty and there appear to be many a lot younger than that.  

My mission was to “educate” some of the staff as to the pitfalls of proposals for health care reform.  As I sat across the table explaining our views on this important topic, it was like looking at my daughter in her senior year of college.  Here I am a member in good standing of the AARP…good standing may be a stretch…and the fate of my health care (and a great deal more I suspect) is in the hands of an ingénue who has never held a real job.  Now, don’t get me wrong these are very bright, motivated people, perhaps a little too motivated.  They are committed and out to change the world. They believe that if the studies, projections and reports say it will happen, it is going to happen.  You know, almost like a project plan at work or implementation of a long-term vision.  They think that if people agree to something they are actually going to do it.  Do they teach that in real world 101? 

Many of these folks are “fellows.” Fellowships are like on the job training for intelligent people who have yet to learn that being intelligent is often not sufficient, you have to be smart as well.  Fellows are typically recent college graduates who are on the job for a relatively short period and then move on to bigger and better things. They are paid very little.  They are in short idealists.  In fact, one website where you can find fellowships is called “idealist.org” 

How do you feel now, your fate is in the hands of twenty-somethings, politicians (many whom are lawyers) and special interest groups, but I bet you knew that already.  Smile and hold on to your wallet.