I’m not a Baby Boomer. And I don’t consider myself part of Generation X, either. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle, and that’s just fine with me. I have never felt the need to belong to a generation with a name. Generalizing just isn’t my thing. After all, I have been called “old-school” and “young punk” on the same day. Apparently, it depends on who is doing the calling.
I appreciate Steely Dan’s song “Hey Nineteen.” The lyrics describe a man beginning to recognize the generational gap between himself and a much younger woman. “No, we can’t dance together. No, we can’t talk at all.” It is a humorous commentary on the fear of growing old and the struggle to remain relevant. Most of us can relate. If you cannot yet, just give it time.
The truth is, we all tend to believe the music we listened to, the television shows we watched, the cars we drove, the toys we played with and the slang we used were part of the greatest generation ever. We also tend to hang on to those things, whether anyone else appreciates them or not.
A reader recently sent me a list titled “Why Baby Boomers Were Right All Along.” I will share a few highlights, with some editing, and let you decide.
They actually talked to each other. No texts or direct messages. Just face-to-face conversations or an old-fashioned phone call. They spent hours around the dinner table or on the porch with friends and neighbors.
They fixed things instead of throwing them away. If something broke, they tried to repair it. Today, replacing something is often easier than figuring out what is wrong with it.
They valued hard work. They delivered newspapers as a kid, worked overtime or did whatever it took to provide for their family. It was a point of pride.
They knew the value of a dollar. They saved for what they wanted. If they could not afford it, they did not buy it. Credit cards were not treated like magic plastic that made everything free.
They dressed for the occasion. Sweatpants were for exercising, not dinner at a restaurant. They wore flip-flops at the pool, not the office.
They listened to their elders. They viewed their grandparents as sources of wisdom, not outdated technology with gray hair.
I agree with many of these points, although I realize that may make me sound like someone who complains about kids today while yelling at them to get off my lawn.
Some of you reading this think I am crazy. Others of you likely think I am simply getting old. Maybe both are true. But I still believe in hard work, fixing things, dressing for the occasion and showing respect. And if that makes me old-school, so be it.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707