You say you want a revolution

The Motorcycle Diaries is a visually gorgeous, sometimes powerful, frequently funny movie about Ernesto Guevara before he became Che. It is also a reminder of youth, idealism, intensity, false invulnerability, and the decisions we make in our early twenties that shape the rest of our lives.

Decisions I made in my early twenties have been shaping my life for over twenty-five years. Life has a way of slipping from idealism into pragmatism while we sleep, which is a good thing for the continuation of the species. Life slips from risk-taking to caution, too, which isn't bad. If we aren't careful, though, it slips from intensity into lukewarm freeze-dried instant decaf with powdered non-dairy creamer. Perhaps the challenge of our fifties is to remix our personal blends of intensity, curiosity, philosophy, and risk-taking, with our acquired judgment, skills, and long-range view. We've done the radical roadtrips, and we've buckled precious children into safety carseats. Collectively we have more power to change the world for the better than Che and his small group of Bolivian rebels ever did.