As I was getting out of my truck today, a woman (65+) was walking past in the parking lot. She glanced at my license plate (above) and said, "Dharma Bums?"
I said, "Yes! Jack Kerouac! Not too many people get that."
Her reply: "That's because they're not old enough."
"You may be right," I offered as I walked away.
I've been thinking about that interaction (which I will label a KEROUinterACtion), and I don't really agree. Here's why. I spend some time on Twitter each day promoting this blog (and by default, my book). One of the things I do is search for any references made to Kerouac. There are many each day, and while I haven't made a formal study of it, many of the references are posted by what I consider to be young people (judging by their pictures).
So, I have hope that Jack is still relevant to the younger culture, and that I might just as well have run into an 18-year-old who knew what my license plate meant.
What do you think?
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