Baby Boomers Grow Up

Most likely our parents served in the war. They came home, married their sweethearts and began the journey to middle class affluence. The mantra of new and improved, more and better, became ubiquitous as marketers brought temptations to a high pitch. Cloth diapers were placed with disposable, washing dishes by hand was considered passé, and from cars to mink coats the race was on.

 Many servicemen had learned new skills in the service, and even more took advantage of the G.I. Bill, which allowed them to further their education.  The pathway was cleared for better jobs, better pay and more opportunities.  They were proud of their service and as we grew up and watched the war time movies we shared in their pride of serving their country. They taught us many things that “Greatest Generation” espoused and one of them was a strong work ethic. We earned our allowances and we shared in the responsibilities of our homes.  Their deprivations and struggles made them want more for us, and things came our way that they did not have in their childhood.  They were respectful of authority, their country, and boasted a great sense of patriotism.

That was our backdrop. Moms at home, dads at work, teachers, policeman, politicians and Presidents respected. We all grieved when President Kennedy was assassinated and remember the place we were when it happened. For many of us it was High School.

Gradually things began to change. Commodities became more expensive, more women worked outside the home, and our taste for shopping and acquiring made more demands on our time and less for our families. Employees changed also as we chose our jobs based on the highest bidder and loyalty to the company became a thing of the past. Mobility caused us to move away from our friends and relatives to seek a more lucrative salary and we lived among strangers.  Our children changed school on the average of every six years and many were left with baby sitters in after school hours. Their childhood was not our childhood. Their journey not our journey. They were given more and more material things and less and less of our time. The TV became an important focus for them while we juggled our home and work schedules.  As a result of our indulging our children they became more self-centered yet we still tried to instill those values our parents had passed on to us. Now we have the time to reflect on our choices, reap the rewards or pain of our decisions, and witness a whole new generation being brought up in a radically different world than the world we experienced.