Fifteen Ways You Know That You are a Baby Boomer!
Talking About My Generation-Kumbaya!
We Baby Boomers are getting gradually older! Suddenly, we have new and permanent visitors such as arthitis, near sightness, and the stand by, lower back pain. However, we steadfastly refuse to let AGE deter us from doing the things that we used to do! We will march until we get enough and die!
However, we had a glorious childhood and youth. We were the first post-World War II generation! We were also the first generation who grew up watching T-E-L-E-V-I-S-I-O-N! We had two-parent families for the most part.
We had opportunities that our parents did not have. We also saw inequities regarding our parents' philosophies such as rampant racism and sexism. We rebelled against the old paradigms and instituted new ones.
The VietNam war was OUR war as World War II was our parent's war. However, many of us Baby Boomers felt ambivalent towards that war. We were not unquestioning towards authority. Our generation were the full beneficiaries of sexual equality, the Pill, and sexual liberation as no previous generation has been.
We are also one of the RICHEST and BEST EDUCATED generations in history. We had some of the best music around. Think of groups such as THE BEATLES, THE GRATEFUL DEAD, SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE, KOOL AND THE GANG, and EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE. We are a great generation! Now here is my take on the fifteen identifiable things which makes us Baby Boomers!
(1) Rap is considered to be part of a conversation and a way to get acquainted with someone of the opposite gender, not a type of music! By the way, Gangsta Rap-what!
(2) We fondly remember I LOVE LUCY, F TROOP, and THE ADDAM FAMILY television shows. The raciest television show we viewed was PEYTON PLACE! PEYTON PLACE was hot and scandalous!
(3) Horn & Hardart was the PLACE to be for EATING OUT! They served all types of food- this is heaven!
(4) Going to a rock concert was not a dangerous affair. We came out of those concerts mostly intact and alive!
(5) Flipper was the name of a fish and a television series, not the name of a person!
(6) Remember the great President John F. Kennedy and Camelot. Also one of the saddest days in our lives was the day President Kennedy was assassinated!
(7) Woodstock was a milestone event! Our parents could not UNDERSTAND this event but we LOVED it to death!
(8) FUNK is our BLUES! When we are down and/or depressed, all we have to do is put on KOOL AND THE GANG and everything is alright with the world!
(9) Watergate was our soap opera. We were transfixed with the events of Tricky Dick(Richard Nixon) and his merrymen! We were EVEN more happy when he was impeached! Be gone, Tricky Dick!
(10) While our mothers viewed LUCY RICARDO and JUNE CLEAVER as the idea female archetype and role model, we as Baby Bommer females viewed MARY RICHARDS as the NEW idea female archetype of the LIBERATED, CAREER WOMAN!
(11) The concept of housewife was considered four-letter word to the Baby Boomer female. The Baby Boomer female wanted a substantial and fulfilling career! Baby Boomer females viewed marriage and motherhood as one of the lifestyle options. On other words, marriage and motherhood is NOT the only viable lifestyle-there were other lifestyles to chose from. The Baby Boomer female had the lifestyle and careers which was traditionally considered male!
(12) We clearly do not understand the preceding and succeeding generations! The younger generation often leave us EXTREMELY NONPLUSSED! Rap and bubble gum rock- we shall never understand THESE concepts in music! We are beginning to understand our parents' music especially Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett since we are getting OLDER!
(13) Archie Bunker and George Jefferson, both men who have a lot in common, were HOUSEHOLD names in our youth. We saw the relevance and inanity of these two characters!
(14) College to us was not all-night drinking and partying. We attended college to LEARN something and to CHANGE the world! We took college education VERY SERIOUSLY!
(15) Our idea of a cocktail is a superinfused protein yogurt drink, not some insipid martini! We are a very health conscious generation!
Here is my tribute to the GREATEST generation on this earth-OURS!
