[originaltext]M: I was young once myself, you know. I know what it’s like to be

M: I was young once myself, you know. I know what it’s like to be young.
W: But you don’t know what it’s like to grow up in our world, Mr. Perkins.
M: I grew up during the war, young lady.
W: Exactly. You had a brave new world to fight for, didn’t you? But what have we got to look forward to? Pollution and population explosion, if we are not destroyed first by the H bomb.
M: But you’ll survive like all the generations before us. Progress is just moving a little bit faster. That’s all.
W: Really, Mr. Perkins? Progress, as you call it, can change things completely in a few years these days. You know that perfectly well. Can’t you see how pointless your business world must seem to young people like me?
M: In any event, we have to go on living, Ann. And living means working. The young will realize that one day. They’ll learn. They’ll grow up.
W: You think we should grow up to be like you, don’t you, Mr. Perkins? I know you do. I know you’ll laugh at us when we talk about universal love and understanding between people. When people demonstrate about what is happening in other countries, you’ll say, "What right have they to interfere? It’s none of their business." But it is our business, Mr. Perkins. We are all responsible for one another these days, whatever our race, or color, or nationality.
M: I agree, Ann. But so many of your so-called international demonstrations only make misunderstanding worse. A lot of you are so sure you got the answer to everything. You won’t accept any guidance at all from older people.
W: But it’s very difficult for older people to give proper guidance when, as people often say, they had no experience of being young today. It’s no use their saying I never behaved like that when I was young. They didn’t have the same kind of problems. That’s what the generation gap is all about.
M: Well, I don’t think the generation gap in this country is as great as you make out. In fact, I suspect many young people go to their parents for advice just as often as they go to friends of their own age.
W: You know, Mr. Perkins, I am almost frightened of getting older. Will I be talking like this to my children one day?