I live in a small town- one where on Friday evenings in the summer, people gather around the town square and listen to free concerts. I mean, what is more 19th century America than that? Last evening, there was a cover band who played the music of Chicago, one of the great bands of the late 20th century (still going great in the 21st century!).
Thinking of the eras mentioned, and the generations spanning them, I began to look at the constituency of the crowd. Yep, mostly “Baby Boomers” like my wife and me. Yes, there were other generations represented of course, but my generation- “Boomers”- dominated the crowd. Chicago is Boomer music!
As I think of my generation, so named because our parents were having children in bunches right after World War II, I thought too of that earlier generation. My parents were of that generation that was toughened by the Great Depression, helped win World War II, and then built a strong economy in the post-war years. Tom Brokaw called them “The Greatest Generation”.
I have always wondered if people in my generation, or even others, thought that the generation ahead of them was somehow “just a little better”. You know, could we live up to their accomplishments? It is true that up until recently in America, each succeeding generation outearned the prior generation. So yes, we were wealthier, but were we as strong? Were we as determined? Were we as disciplined?
These are very subjective questions, and we all have our own thoughts. As for me, I think my parents’ generation was called The Greatest Generation for a reason.
Reflections of a Counselor 