Oh, how we love to rag on young people. However, young people don’t understand us any better than we understand them. Much as we did with our parents a half century ago, they are just as determined not to follow the same protocol we have. They see us as dated and out of style. They aren’t going to chase the same ideals and beliefs.
I get it…
There couldn’t have been a larger generation gap than Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation. Record smashing and “Rock and Roll has got to go!” The McCarthy era. They were decidedly different than we were and still are. They grew up in a different time altogether.
We are more attuned to young people today than our parents were to us. Baby Boomers don’t have issues with long hair and tattoos. We will sit there privately in our homes and inhale weed much as young people still do in 2023. Boomers find themselves listening to today’s music and young people have developed an addiction to the music of our time not to mention a new-found love of vinyl records and turntables. They like hip hugger jeans and bellbottoms.
“For Sure…For Sure…”
Young people like the classic muscle cars of our time too. Our 15-year-old son wants to drive the ’67 Mustang in the garage – the car I’ve owned since my youth. I used to “profile” in front of store windows cruising downtown much as he probably will later on. Young people like the essence of “cool” much as we did in our youth. We still like doing that today hoping no one notices.
As much as we rag on young people today about our differences, we have more in common than we will admit. Perhaps the focus should be on what we do have in common.
Boomer Journey... 