“Kids these days…,” grumbles a man a few seats away.  With his face buried in the Sunday paper, he fails to notice a waitress approach. “Can I get ya some more coffee, sweetie?” He lowers his newspaper and replies “Fill ‘er up, Jeanette.” His gaze then switches to you. “You wouldn’t believe the crazy ways kids are making money nowadays.”

You sip your morning coffee gratefully as the man continues. “I’ve been reading’ this here write-up on a young girl named Ella Woodward, and it’s really somethin’. I mean she is. I mean they both are. You get the point.” Sympathy befalls you for this man and his severe dementia.

“It says here that there’s this new invention on the internet called ‘The Blog’ where young people write about everything under the sun and get paid for it if they develop a following or a fanbase. Little miss Squidward-eh, sorry, I meant Woodward- started blogging about why people should eat more vegetables, and internet health nuts ate that right up (no pun intended). She gets a whole fahve digits worth of viewers for each and ever write up and video. Back in my day, you had to make nationwide headlines to gain that much attention.”

The man pauses to drag his Marlboro Red deeply and wheeze for a few moments. He taps his excess ash into a clear glass ashtray on the counter and resumes his rant. “But that was just her humble beginnings. The hors d’oeuvre to her entree, if you will. Nowadays the girl has her name atop a website, her own cellular phone application, her own book, and she even teaches the art of health nut cooking to many an eager speculative mind. How do ya think she got there? By digging ditches and sweating? Sadly, this ain’t 1957 anymore. She built her following by making every aspect of her life public via a whole menagerie of social networks. Check her out on Twitter. She’s probably scorning the winter roads right about now.”

It was at this moment that I decided to speak up for the first time. “Whattaya make of it, pops?”

“The world has changed, and I hardly understand it. Hell, I don’t even think today’s generation fully understands it. It’s not always about going out into the world and showing that you’re the hardest worker. Sometimes it’s about getting people to listen. If you can get enough people to listen- whether that be from eloquent communication or just being intrinsically interesting- you can make it. And you don’t need to be a superstar; just make an honest living. Have you ever heard of this chick that talks about vegetarian recipes on the internet? Neither have I. However, enough people have heard of her to keep her afloat and rising. It’s not for everyone, but it certainly seems to be an option.”

You thank the man for his engaging stories and promptly exit the diner. Something doesn’t seem right. Little did you know that the man would be visiting you again later in that day under darker circumstances. Find out what tricks this mysterious old man has up his sleeve in next week’s episode of “Young Entrepreneurs Who Know What’s Up.”