What do Gen X and Millennials Want? Part 2

Here is the article. It was the title that created unrest within me. The "Fingers Crossed" part. Like wishing my generation would just Go. Away! Again, Now I understand what my mother and my mother-in-law were thinking and feeling when they were my age. They both voiced concern about the direction we, as a nation, were going.

Everything that will disappear with the baby boomer generation (fingers crossed)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/parenting/everything-that-will-disappear-with-the-baby-boomer-generation-fingers-crossed/ss-AA1Vun1n?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=698463c3b2f34cecaab1d59890494c0e&ei=46#image=30

Here's the introduction to the article, "Born between 1946 and 1964, Baby Boomers are now in their 60s and 70s—and they’re still happily doing (and using) a bunch of stuff that younger generations mostly treat like urban legends. Which means as the Boomer era fades out, a surprising list of items, habits, and everyday rituals might fade out with it—possibly for good."

For good... yep! let's do away with them. That’s fine…but there are a few things that are deep core principles of human nature that are disturbing for the young people to ignore. I have decided to divide their complaints into two sections because, I don't use some of these things anymore, either. Which led me to the wording "urban legend". Let me clarify. The things listed in this article are HISTORY, not urban legend. As a schoolteacher, it was fun to teach urban legends. But that is not what these things are.

URBAN LEGEND - definition.  Urban legend (sometimes modern legend, urban myth, or simply legend) is a genre of folklore concerning stories about an unusual (usually scary) or humorous event that many people believe to be true but largely are not.

In this Part 2, I will address the things that I admittedly do not use anymore, just because life moves forward, things change and we adapt to that. It make me sad that these younger people don't realize that THEY are the ones leaving us behind. I was lucky enough to still be a teacher when the computer was introduced into the classroom and had training on how to use them. And honestly, it was fascinating to see how my students could quickly adapt and help teach ME. But now as a retired person, I DO feel left behind with some of the newer technology, and no one seems to care that these concepts are difficult for older people who don't have the capabilities to understand their usage. I remember how my mother-in-law felt "left behind". It's a situation where we don't have access to people who can teach us, help us, make these transitions. 

But anyway, here are the things on the list that I don't use. No need to cross your fingers in hopes that they will go away.

Email Forwards
"It will be nice not to have our email filled with these kind of subject lines anymore: Re:fwd:fwd:fwd:fwd:fwd: funny"

I, too, hated these anyway. It cluttered my inbox and I would spend wasted energy reading them.
Fax Machines
"Raise your hand if you still have a fax machine? Put your hand down if you were born after 1964... we're just going to assume that very few hands came down."

We had these at school, and back in the day, that was the new way to get things quickly into the hands of someone else. It was part of the progress forward. 
Encyclopedias
"Honestly, we're not sure they even produce physical encyclopedia books anymore. Which means that most of the ones still in existence probably reside on bookshelves in the homes of Gen X and millennials' parents."

Again, part of history moving forward. I'm fearful that books are disappearing, another way to brainwash people and not read history as it was...only reading what is 'online' as the way someone wants you to see the story. Today, I do find it more accessible to get the information online. But let's not rewrite history. And yes, I do have my mother-in- law's encyclopedia set sitting on a shelf because when they moved out of state, she offered them to me. As a teacher, I hit a gold mine to have these in my home as reference. Remember, we didn't have things available with a click on a screen. PLEASE, remember history!

The Yellow Pages
"Really? We're pretty sure even baby boomers don't use those big yellow phone books anymore."

Well, article is correct. I don't see any way to place all the numbers anymore into one book like the phone book use to be. I miss it, as it was so much easier than clicking and clicking, trying to find the exact listing, and then finding ALL other kinds of information, not knowing who might be truly qualified. 

Harley Davidson
"Once a symbol of rebellion, Harley Davidson is now that really loud bike the old guy in your town drives around." It was a big deal back then, but hardly any of us rode motorcycles. Don't make it sound like we all had one. In actuality, it was only a few.
Having 2.5 Kids
"1977 marked the last time the average American family had more than two kids—barely, at 2.01. By 1978, it slipped to 1.96, and it’s never climbed past 1.95 since, quietly cementing the two-kid household as a thing of the past."  I don't blame young people for not wanting more kids than they can care for. If we look back into our history, though, when families worked the land and fed themselves properly off of that land, they needed more help to do ALL that work. It was okay for them to not have birth control. Loosen up, it was the way life was for them back then. No one is slamming you for your decisions today. 

What do Gen X and Millennials Want?

 The State of Affairs

Sometimes my heart feels saddened and deeply troubled by what I see going on around me in the world. Of course, I use to roll my eyes when my mother would say, “Things are going’ to hell in a hand basket.” She was a person who … watched a brother leave home to fight the Nazi’s in WWII and he was placed right in the thick of things for the Battle of the Bulge. She grew up during the Great Depression. They had hardly anything, and yet they had everything. They were loved. They had family who helped one another and mostly, they had faith in the good Lord; that He would provide. They had extended family living nearby, and they were surrounded by the love of that family and their community. It was a time when they relied on one another and lived in the moment. They went to the movie theater to see the introductory news clips to find out what was happening overseas.  Going to the theater was a treat, but a ‘must-do’ so they would know the news. They gathered around the radio to hear what was happening outside their bubble. My mother was a person who lost EVERYTHING in a house fire. All she had was the shirt on her back. Literally, they didn’t even have shoes on, as they played outdoors barefoot.  But they had family and community and Pappy provided what he could in the days to come as they rebuilt. All of that is a story of its own…but it leads me to today….

When I opened the computer to my home screen, there was an article that was creepy down to the core of my spine. I know that today’s generation would be rolling their eyes at me. I never thought that I would see our world deteriorate into the ideology of today; it’s unfathomable to me.

But here I go…all for nothing.

I open this “all knowing” computer screen where children can lose their innocence way too soon because they can access unthinkable things and are bombarded with ads for things that are far above where they are emotionally, desensitized by decaying values of morals on all levels. So…here I sit sounding much like my mother and my husband’s mother. I’m glad they are no longer here to see what is being shown in an instance to the world. The latest most appalling thing that I saw was a gown (if you could call it that) on the red carpet of the Grammies. I don’t think I could call it a dress, but rather nudity. The dress was attached to her nipples, then draping down to her midriff, revealing her breast not just her cleavage.

Then after being completely disgusted by the wording of the above said article (which I will address in the next Post), I decided to change direction and work with the music on my computer…to which I’m sure the above said millennials would be totally disgusted with me for wanting to have at my own disposal…my own music.  I opened iTunes and was once again blasted by things that are despicable and unacceptable:  Title of songs, names of artist and groups, horrifying graphics…. the things of nightmares. Following are a few of the headliners: Demon Hunters, The Great Satan, Megadeth, Mayhem, Liturgy of Death, Midnight Blitzy by Tailgunner (with skeletons), Engines of Demolition by Black Label Society.

I pity these young people who will be raising our next generation, as they will reap the benefits…or should I say, demise… of this type of culture. My eye fell on a title and I investigated, as it was an album titled Into Oblivion by the artist Lamb of God. Really? Here are the titles of the tracks on the album: Into Oblivion, Parasocial Christ, Sepsis, The Killing Floor, Blunt Force Blues, Bully, Devise and Destroy.

Man oh Man oh Man…. are we in trouble now. YES!

So, an introduction to address the article about what is offensive to millennials about my generation turned into a rant. The information about the article will be continued in the next blog or two because I am passionate about what I’m seeing as decay in our young people. It will not get better. I have faith that there are some great young people who will cleave to what is truly good and right in this world.

More Later…

Happy New Year!

 HAKUNA MATATA

Hakuna matata is a Swahili phrase that translates to “no worries” or “there are no problems.” It conveys a carefee attitude and encourages people not to stress about things beyond their control. This is the perfect mantra for the new year.

As we age, we are faced with more life behind us than before us. We are faced with the loss of love and life. Yet there is space for new life, new love, and new beginnings.

I began my year with a new puppy .... yes, a puppy. I forgot what new energy that brings to your world. As I let go of the past pain and disappointments, may I look forward to new discoveries and new adventures; may I celebrate my victories and all that life has taught me. 

Hakuna matata...may I worry less about things I cannot change! AND may my new puppy, Miss Dixie Belle, lead the way.