antidote for cynicism

I never thought I'd say this, but I am starting to miss the college students I used to work with at Berkeley. They were always full of anticipation, exhilirated by the possibilties of life that lay before them. They were all much more diligent than I was in college. They studied hard and were smart cookies. They embodied a mix of neediness and independence that was sometimes adorable and at other times insufferable. Often I felt old, dumbfounded, and annoyed in their presence. Sometimes I was horrified by their ignorance, for example when I overheard two young women say they would NEVER call themselves feminists, I think one of them actually said "ew!" Other times I was touched by their sentimentality and ability to quickly form community and accept others. Most of all, I miss the way their hopefulness and uncynicism rubbed off on me no matter how hard I tried to avoid it.