Old guys wonder a lot what the American future will be. This piece by Jonathan Martin, which includes talking to a few old guys, hits a high note.

I once did a small piece of research into the origins of the U.S. Administration on Aging at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston. I recall that I did not find what I was hoping to see but was quite surprised by the materials that the archivist, David Powers (the longtime JFK aide) was able to show me.

I share this as a way of introducing this short opinion piece by Princeton historian, Julian Zelizer. I believe that the issue he raises is genuinely important and, also, that it could be easily solved, if the Congress could, somehow, grow a backbone.

Old guys now were once kids who did not know who Gustav Mahler was because he did not seem to exist. These days Gustav Mahler’s 10 symphonies are collectively the international anthem of old guys. You cannot be a certified old guy, if you do not listen to them frequently because they so remarkably capture the essence of life. This delightful essay describes that transformation.