Escape from Dark Places by Watkins Ambra;

Author:Watkins, Ambra;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing

Connecting with the Baby Boomer Generation

A majority of baby boomers have reached retirement age now, but they (or we I should say) are determined to stay young and active. Many are going back into the workforce, where our work ethic is still valued. We are finding second careers, and sometimes making it more difficult for younger generations to find work. Boomers are known for their enthusiasm and strong work ethic but are also highly criticized for being selfish and materialistic. We are particularly at odds with Xers and millennials for having initiated programs that are proving to be unsustainable.

Boomers were born during the post-war economic boom to parents who were still riding the wave of opportunity and optimism; thus, we were raised with certain expectations about the future. Those of us born at the tail end of the generation are sometimes referred to as “jonesers.” “Jonesin’” means “to crave or yearn for,” and we are a generation known for trying to keep up with the neighbors. We were just coming of age when the long period of mass unemployment and deindustrialization hit and continued to plague the US during the ’70s and ’80s. So despite growth in the technology sector, fewer opportunities were available than anticipated. During the 2008 elections, Newsweek astutely characterized us as “residual ’60s idealism mixed with the pragmatism and materialism of the ’80s.”92 Thus, we have a unique connection with Xers, as we are more cynical than earlier boomers, and we share a life experience with millennials because in many ways we have felt unfulfilled too.

Like our children, jonesers are becoming increasingly distrustful of everything, from the government to the media. We miss having a church and a government we can count on in a country where the American flag is treated with respect. We miss the days that ended with, “And that’s the way it is … [reads date]. This is Walter Cronkite, CBS News; good night.” We listened to “The Star Spangled Banner” play, we heard the TV go to static, and we went to sleep confident we had the facts. Now we are barraged with information. At any time, we can go directly to a news source online for information, or we can download an aggregator app to get a customizable view of just the news and information we want. Plus, social networking sites and blogs provide the means of sharing and commenting on stories anywhere and at any time of day or night. Getting the hard new is not simple like it used to be. Now the burden is on the consumer to distinguish between truth, opinion, and parody, if indeed those factors even matter any more.

And like Sam Hunt sings, my husband and I miss “Mama’s prayers and Daddy’s speech / Front porch philosophies” because we were “Raised on It.” And although we were “a little too young and dumb to see” back then, we know now that those philosophies became a part of who we are. With the busyness of

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