Young People and Environmentalism

I went to a party last night in the Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, to celebrate the grand opening of a hair salon.  A dear friend, whom I’ve known since kindergarten, married a wonderful Japanese woman who owns and manages salons, now numbering three, that serve to teach new practioners, many of whom come from Japan, as well as deliver hair and other beauty services.

To say that the crowd and atmosphere was trendy would be a horrific understatement.  I felt like I was on another planet, surrounded by these hip young people with clothes, body-art, and hairstyles that defy description. 

My friend, the party’s host and a lifelong Republican, proudly wore a huge Romney/Ryan button on his shirt.  He and I shared bar-tending duties.  “Are you a Republican?” he’d ask in jest when one of his guests would ask that he pour another glass of wine.  “Are you serious?” I said upon hearing this.  “You’d have to drive 40 miles from here to find another Republican.”

As a paunchy, older dude wearing a Brooks Brothers shirt, jeans, and penny loafers, it was hard for me not to feel a bit out of place, though I did manage to strike up a few conversations that led to discussions of energy and the environment.  I’m happy to report that most young people, even those with hair-dos from Mars, really do care about a sustainable future.