Baby boomers can't let go of the past and look to the future

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 3/20/04 | Ruben Navarrette Jr

[cupcakes]

Certainly sounds like my parents ages 58 and 54.
I can't begin to tell you what a miserable, self-absorbed creature my father is. I just don't think you all would believe it if I told you. Ditto on my mother who desperatly does not want to be a grandmother and is holding on with everything in her to pretend like she's still in her 20's. When any semblance of youth fades for good, I have no doubt that they will go after all they have left to make them feel young--money. Hold on tight xers and hold on tight to your children. The worse is yet to come.

[cupcakes]

My parents were the best of the best, the WWII generation!

___
I believe that save for the fact that they raised the generation called boomers(shudder). My grandfather(a WWII vet) was just an awesome man, but he still managed to raise 4 totally dysfunctional children, they youngest of which is actually an xer.

[cupcakes]

No doubt there is, but it still seems the proportion is smaller compared to other generations and an unusually large section(probably a mixture of both conservs and libs) are still entirely too self-centered despite their political leanings.

[cupcakes]

Although I hate hip hop, you are definitely right on where that is concerned;-)

[cupcakes]

Ahhh, Net, you have nailed my parents pretty right on as well. Out of the 3 children who are boomers on my dad's side. Two have two divorces under their belts and one is in a relationship with a complete psycho. And the other is divorced as well and thinks it is fun to take her teenage daughters to Mexico to drink and party.

[cupcakes]

It is going to be a complete freakshow through the 2030's as that generation dies off.
____

that's what really stinks--I'll be 60 when the debacle starts to end. Well, at least my kids will only be 32 and younger:-)

[cupcakes]

What a great rant, even if it was from a boomer;-)

[cupcakes]

I reject that my husband is a boomer. He was born in 1961 and he has a hell of a lot more in common with me born in 1970, then he does with my dad born in 1946. He is as conservative as they come too and he is sweet, good natured, loving, and particularly selfless.

[qam1]

And I must agree that it was not this way at Chicago in the Class of 1930"

Robert Ardrey 1970

Just a small history lesson. :)

438 A.D. Flavius Aetius on Attila the Hun "Rome Produces few such men these days"

Only 38 years later in 476 the Roman Empire was no more and Aetius went down in history known as "The Last Roman"

So sometimes they are correct about their assements of the next generation.

The baby boomers are Not done causing damage and it's going to be hard to undo all the damage they done, I hope hundreds of years from now George W. Bush isn't known as the Last American

[Rahmulus]

Couldn’t agree with you more and it’s not nit-picking. I also can’t stand being labeled a “boomer”. I get nightmares that I’ll never be able to listen to any other music but 60’s music and have to talk about it endlessly.

[superloser]

My good friend was asked by her boyfriend what she really wants out of life, college and job-wise. She grinned and said, "Barefoot and pregnant with a loving husband who can provide for our family!"

Good grief, that sounds exactly like the situation I'm in now. I guess its a good thing I started a college fund for any kids I might have -uh- a decade ago when I graduated from college.

What a world we live in; its coming full-circle again.

[WASH]

Some on this thread seem to be stating that "The only good 'boomer' is a dead "boomer." and can not wait for them to die, so "Xers" can get "the power and the glory". Yet these same people turn around and say that they are more unselfish and care about others more than "boomers".

They state that they are being held down by the "boomers", that they are not going to get what they deserve because of the "boomers", that their childhood was not the way it should of been because of "boomers". How is this playing of the "Generational Card" any different in substance and thought than playing the "Race Card"?

[mabelkitty]

Well, I say we elect a veteran from the first Gulf War for President in 2008. We need to get the ball rolling.

[mabelkitty]

Right.
Add to that how wonderful it is to be the first generation in the history of your families to have parents who divorced.

[RockyMtnMan]

Is it selfish of the Xers to want to save some cash by seeing the boomers check out early instead of collecting years of SS. Or is it more selfish of the boomers to expect to recieve all their SS at the expense of the Xers?

[BikerNYC]

I can't begin to tell you what a miserable, self-absorbed creature my father is. I just don't think you all would believe it if I told you. Ditto on my mother who desperatly does not want to be a grandmother and is holding on with everything in her to pretend like she's still in her 20's.

I don't know which is worse...your parents or you talking about your parents that way.

[qam1]

Some on this thread seem to be stating that "The only good 'boomer' is a dead "boomer." and can not wait for them to die, so "Xers" can get "the power and the glory".

It's not about "Power and Glory", It's about undoing the damage the Boomers have done and stopping further damage the Boomers are doing.

Yet these same people turn around and say that they are more unselfish and care about others more than "boomers". They state that they are being held down by the "boomers", that they are not going to get what they deserve because of the "boomers", that their childhood was not the way it should of been because of "boomers". How is this playing of the "Generational Card" any different in substance and thought than playing the "Race Card"?

The $45 Trillion dollar debt predicted by 2030 and the undermining of the values and institutions that made America great that the boomers will be leaving us

[Mike Bates]

Bless you, child.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Well vanity (pride) is the worst of the deadly seven sins.