I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s true or not \u2013 the saying \u2013 \u201cYou can\u2019t teach old dogs new tricks.\u201d I do know it\u2019s true for me. I can\u2019t learn or adapt to anything new. Take the way the media describes the different generations; baby boomers, generation -X, Gen-2, Millennials and the like, and then assigns characteristics to a group and predicts how they will behave in certain situations. Whenever they do that on TV I yell at my screen, \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d <\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had the terms explained to me; I\u2019ve worn out the Google icon on my cell phone looking them up, but the meaning never sticks. My high school graduating class, Binghamton Central High School class of 1960, is in a generational designation that doesn\u2019t fit. We\u2019re part of the \u201cSilent Generation,\u201d people born between 1928 and 1945. Those of us born during the war (me and my high school cronies) were unaware of what was going on in the world or of the day-to-day restrictions the population endured to support the war effort (gas rationing, lack of building supplies, no new cars and limited supplies of grocery items). <\/span><\/p>\n We have nothing in common with the members of the Silent Generation born in the 1920\u2019s and early- to mid-1930\u2019s. They have very distinct memories of life in that era. We\u2019re more like Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), but we\u2019re not allowed in that club. <\/p>\n I don\u2019t like generational labels; and not just because I can\u2019t remember what they mean. They don\u2019t make sense; the way attributes of different aged people are clumped together. Take \u201cMillennials\u201d for example \u2013 people born between 1981 and 1997. They are now aged 24 to 40. The two halves of that age group are like night and day when it comes to predicting how they might behave in various situations. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s how I look at the generations, in terms I think most people can understand. Terms that are tried and true. Or were, until the media started talking down to us by using sociological terms instead of everyday language. My groupings start with babies, then moves up the age chart: toddlers – little kids \u2013 pre-teens \u2013 teenagers \u2013 college kids \u2013 young adults \u2013 middle agers \u2013 seniors, and finally, old coots and nice little old ladies. These are age clumps that have fairly similar outlooks on life, behaviors and opinions.<\/p>\n This is coming to you from an un-proud member of the Silent Generation. We\u2019re not silent at all. We\u2019re notorious for airing our half-baked opinions on today\u2019s society and how much better things were in the good old days. But you know that if you made it this far.<\/p>\n