Being that I'm probably on the cusp of becoming one of those old geezers who thinks you whippersnappers should pay more attention to us, I feel much like you do

Being that I'm probably on the cusp of becoming one of those old geezers who thinks you whippersnappers should pay more attention to us, I feel much like you do ("buck the trend!"), and I'd like to encourage it, with one caveat: study history. Realize that you are probably not the first, nor will you be the last. Study what others have done, not just to learn how much more has been done before you even got here, but to learn from the mistakes others have made. And yes, while others are human and fallible, you are too, and accounting for others fallibleness by questioning their judgment is probably far less important than forgiving them when they make mistakes. Oh, and humility never hurts, even if you're not good enough to be humble ;)