Boomer Remover

[the_mother_thing]

You give snark you get snark. Fair play regardless of age.

YAY ... finally some equality!

 

[CalliopeCladdagh]

why are those millennials on a diamond site?

Obviously I can only speak for myself.
Because I have a TIGHT BUDGET for my future engagement ring and it's the only piece of fine jewellery I expect to ever purchase. I know I'll get ripped off in a normal jewellery shop. So I came here to learn how to maximise my dollar and shop smart.

 

[Austina]

I got married in 1978, and I didn’t have an engagement ring, simply because we didn’t get engaged. Traditionally here in the UK, you got engaged, then started saving for the wedding & home. We decided to get married, and a couple of months later, got married. A lot of women here didn’t have diamond engagement rings, several of my friends had sapphires. Upgrading isn’t something that‘s common here either, again, I can only think of one friend who’s got a different engagement ring now, and repurposed her original one. I only wore a wedding ring for 3 days after the wedding, then didn’t bother. I don’t recall anyone remarking about my lack of diamond or wedding ring, the only person who said anything was my mother who didn’t want people thinking we were ‘shacking up’ when we went to look at houses.

My DS doesn’t understand my fascination with jewellery, he got engaged about 18 months ago, and his fiancée chose a very non traditional sapphire and diamond pre-loved ring, He knows better than to criticise the way we spend our money

 

[Snowdrop13]

This is a really interesting thread which has clearly stirred up some very strong feelings.

I‘m not sure how the Covid pandemic could be labelled a “Boomer Remover” anyway- age is a significant risk factor so it’s way more of a threat to those in their 80’s and 90’s.

What troubles me is (as a Gen X with late teen kids) is that we are wrecking our economies for many years into the future in order to protect the very elderly. It would surely have been wiser for much of life to have continued as normal for the “young” with better plans in place to help much older people to isolate.

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

@SandyinAnaheim I‘m so sorry this happened to you too.

Thank you @SallyB, that is sweet.

Oh Sandy, I'm so sorry that happened to you. I was thinking more along the lines of things like getting even very young kids go to the store by themselves to buy cigarettes and groceries, punting really young kids "outside to play" for the full day without parental supervision or even checking in (or dropping us off at a community center or swimming pool or amusement park all day every day well before the age where most kids now would be allowed to be unsupervised), letting us go literally everywhere without asking any questions whatsoever about where we are going or who we are with, making us cook our own meals and do our own laundry by age 7 or 8 (especially girls). It was really neglectful parenting compared to today's standards. But yes, corporal punishment (and physical abuse) was also common and overlooked in ways that it wouldn't be now. As was, sadly, sexual abuse.

Thank you @cmd2014, I appreciate that. Many of the things you've posted on this thread really resonated with me....similar situations in different places in the same era. I was also a latchkey kid from the age of 7, and starting at age 8, my mom would call on the phone and walk me through preparing the family dinner. But because she grew up in Cuba where sexual abuse was more than common, I was never allowed out unsupervised and was warned about people touching me from a very early age.

You're right, physical abuse was very common and systemically overlooked. I was in the hospital once or twice a year throughout my childhood with broken bones, ruptured eardrum, knocked out teeth, and none of that was ever reported to the police by doctors or nurses. I'm glad that is not as prevalent anymore. I wish I could say the beatings were the worst thing that happened. The one thing I've never been able to overcome is being locked in a wooden trunk with a blanket. It wasn't big enough to lie down in and Miami is a hot humid place. I remember spending many hours in there trying not to move so I could keep breathing. I still have nightmares of asphyxiating and to this day, I can't tolerate any type of covering over my nose and mouth or even the heater blowing in my face in the car. I've been to exactly one store during this pandemic to get yogurt for my husband who wasn't feeling well and put on a mask. That lasted for about 30 seconds and I had to turn around and leave the store to take that thing off....

The only reason why I originally shared some of those experiences on this thread was to illustrate that life is hard for many, if not most people, regardless of age or generation. I think blaming another generation for systemic issues is unfounded and unwarranted. However, after experiencing the virulent oneupmanship against many on this thread, as if there's some sort of contest, my original lack of comprehension and naiveté on the subject is gone. I now understand why millennials feel the way they do, especially if they've experienced what we've seen here as typical behavior.

 

[jaaron]

I'm justjustjust a boomer, and I have three kids, two college aged and one just finished with a masters, so for many years our house has had a constant stream of young people going through. I can't think of a single one who would say or even think something like that. Also, I don't know a single one who'd be on Nextdoor (the last time I looked at our local one, it had like 600 posts on a thread by someone who had bought a mask in a drugstore where the clerk had sold it to her without gloving up, and who woke up the next morning with PHLEGM IN HER THROAT!!!).

I'm continually impressed by how smart, hardworking and compassionate they are--when I compare them to my peer group at their age, I'm floored by how many of them are working toward careers that are civic or ecology minded or in the helping professions.

And if they do have some anger? I dunno. I think it's pretty justified. It's hard to make an argument that my generation hasn't been a bit greedy. We've polluted, we've driven ever-bigger cars, expected fast delivery of cheap goods, dumped crap into landfills at a ridiculous rate, voted in politicians who legislate ever-greater freedoms for big employers and ever-shrinking rights for workers. They've watched the disappearance of decent healthcare as something you could expect if you worked hard (how many people who thought they were on solid ground have lost theirs along with a job that's disappeared during this pandemic?). Even what used to be considered safe professions are uncertain - good law firms are hiring people coming out of second tier law schools as paralegals.

We divide our time between the US and the UK. Whatever you might think about Brexit, the fact is that people my age in the UK had free university tuition and the right to live and work in basically any country in Europe. Well, university has grown ever more expensive, and the people who participated in the vote to end that freedom of movement, to take away a privilege they'd had the lifetime option of taking for granted? Not one single one was born in the 2000s. If I were 19, I could see being pretty furious about that.

I actually see a lot of similarities between kids this age and my parents' generation. They're thrifty, less materialistic, they think about their footprint in the world, are more likely to look for a career that betters the world than we were.

 

[Bonfire]

So eloquently written @SandyinAnaheim. Big hugs!

 

[Tekate]

No ever said it wasn't fair Becky.

YAY ... finally some equality!

 

[Bonfire]

I'm justjustjust a boomer, and I have three kids, two college aged and one just finished with a masters, so for many years our house has had a constant stream of young people going through. I can't think of a single one who would say or even think something like that. Also, I don't know a single one who'd be on Nextdoor (the last time I looked at our local one, it had like 600 posts on a thread by someone who had bought a mask in a drugstore where the clerk had sold it to her without gloving up, and who woke up the next morning with PHLEGM IN HER THROAT!!!).

I'm continually impressed by how smart, hardworking and compassionate they are--when I compare them to my peer group at their age, I'm floored by how many of them are working toward careers that are civic or ecology minded or in the helping professions.

And if they do have some anger? I dunno. I think it's pretty justified. It's hard to make an argument that my generation hasn't been a bit greedy. We've polluted, we've driven ever-bigger cars, expected fast delivery of cheap goods, dumped crap into landfills at a ridiculous rate, voted in politicians who legislate ever-greater freedoms for big employers and ever-shrinking rights for workers. They've watched the disappearance of decent healthcare as something you could expect if you worked hard (how many people who thought they were on solid ground have lost theirs along with a job that's disappeared during this pandemic?). Even what used to be considered safe professions are uncertain - good law firms are hiring people coming out of second tier law schools as paralegals.

We divide our time between the US and the UK. Whatever you might think about Brexit, the fact is that people my age in the UK had free university tuition and the right to live and work in basically any country in Europe. Well, university has grown ever more expensive, and the people who participated in the vote to end that freedom of movement, to take away a privilege they'd had the lifetime option of taking for granted? Not one single one was born in the 2000s. If I were 19, I could see being pretty furious about that.

I actually see a lot of similarities between kids this age and my parents' generation. They're thrifty, less materialistic, they think about their footprint in the world, are more likely to look for a career that betters the world than we were.

+1

 

[House Cat]

At some point, each generation takes the planet into their hands. It’s their responsibility to care for that planet in a way that is mindful of the generations waiting to inherit it in the future.

The boomers didn’t do this and now the planet is in peril. We have seven years to solve climate change or we will have famine and death. So yeah, I’m resentful. I think of my children and my grandkids and how they will have to endure this nightmare while having no part in the destruction.

I know what is morally right in this world. I also know my place when I have wronged someone. An apologetic attitude goes a long way. Boomers don’t know this. It is shown by their lack of empathy and by the fact that they can tell me how to live and act when they are responsible for the biggest catastrophe our planet has ever known.

So if the Gen Z’ers want them dead, maybe it’s because they know the boomers killed them long before they were born.

Just another POV.

 

[Tekate]

I'm justjustjust a boomer, and I have three kids, two college aged and one just finished with a masters, so for many years our house has had a constant stream of young people going through. I can't think of a single one who would say or even think something like that. Also, I don't know a single one who'd be on Nextdoor (the last time I looked at our local one, it had like 600 posts on a thread by someone who had bought a mask in a drugstore where the clerk had sold it to her without gloving up, and who woke up the next morning with PHLEGM IN HER THROAT!!!).

I'm continually impressed by how smart, hardworking and compassionate they are--when I compare them to my peer group at their age, I'm floored by how many of them are working toward careers that are civic or ecology minded or in the helping professions.

And if they do have some anger? I dunno. I think it's pretty justified. It's hard to make an argument that my generation hasn't been a bit greedy. We've polluted, we've driven ever-bigger cars, expected fast delivery of cheap goods, dumped crap into landfills at a ridiculous rate, voted in politicians who legislate ever-greater freedoms for big employers and ever-shrinking rights for workers. They've watched the disappearance of decent healthcare as something you could expect if you worked hard (how many people who thought they were on solid ground have lost theirs along with a job that's disappeared during this pandemic?). Even what used to be considered safe professions are uncertain - good law firms are hiring people coming out of second tier law schools as paralegals.

We divide our time between the US and the UK. Whatever you might think about Brexit, the fact is that people my age in the UK had free university tuition and the right to live and work in basically any country in Europe. Well, university has grown ever more expensive, and the people who participated in the vote to end that freedom of movement, to take away a privilege they'd had the lifetime option of taking for granted? Not one single one was born in the 2000s. If I were 19, I could see being pretty furious about that.

I actually see a lot of similarities between kids this age and my parents' generation. They're thrifty, less materialistic, they think about their footprint in the world, are more likely to look for a career that betters the world than we were.

I have two boomer kids and they are both successful, one owns his own home, the other has at least 200K saved, they grew up in a hardworking home, where college was always a topic and the future and be prepared.

My boomer experience was people FULL of compassion, wanting change, environmentally caring, smaller cars, remember acid rain? the trees dying, we all cared at least where I grew up in NY State.

My parents were born in 1927 and 1923, and my parents were very very alcohol and drug addicted, but in 76 they found recovery (and no not god thank you!) and were exemplar parents (I was 23) but damage was done.. but forgiveness gives one freedom.. My parents lived in a bubble with THEIR parents living right next door, aunts, uncle's, cousins etc ALL within walking distance.. my mother hated her life in that bowl, everything she did was under the microscope and she hellishly rebelled (to her kids detriment).. My parents didn't save till sobriety.. where I grew up everyone had at least 1 parent who was an alcoholic.

My parents loved my kids who were born in 87 and 91, and were there for me as long as they lived and I treasure and value that, because of where they came from and how they tried very much to make amends for all they had done (which was a hell of a lot)

I feel my kids are so successful because their father and I were, the environment my boys grew up in was a brilliant, involved Dad and a very involved Mom who was no slouch in brains and education.

My kids have no college loans, we paid their whole 4 years (or in #1's case 9 years).. my older child had to find his way and it was frustrating but today he's very successful a great hubster and a great dad, extremely proud of my kids, nieces and nephews. My kids are very well aware of how I grew up and I always tried to explain to the my fears for them etc.. took a while but I think they both heard the word.

My 1st child blames boomers like others here for the state of America etc, my younger son thinks boomers get a bad rap (could be because he loves him Mom and his brother annoys him since the parents (us) supported him through years of stops, starts, arrest, DUI (minor drinking). Of my sons friends, they all were good kids all are successful, good people and I have never heard Boomer Remover, or complaints about my generation..

We tried very hard to raise sons that are politically aware, my son who blames boomers is a liberal (more than me) and my 2nd son is more of a libertarian and doesn't like democrats or republicans, both sons wanted Bernie, we are total Biden.. but we all get along.

Where my son's grew up, there was wealth, all their friends parents were wealthy, kids of Dellionaires, ranch homes, high end German cars, pools, cleaning services, country homes, vacations etc.. a few were the kids of middle class families and at my kids high school there was a real delineation on what subdivision you came from as to your , not as bad as Veronica Mars but similar. We did our best as parents to get our kids a good start in life.

Your kids sound wonderful and you and spouse are great parents.

I don't see our generation as being that selfish, at least I wasn't, nor was I ever entitled because I had zero

I am seriously hoping that a vaccine arrives and our country can really open, so the youth and young adults and older millenials can start their lives again.

We are good moms.

 

[Tekate]

@SandyinAnaheim Funny, after this thread I feel the same about millenials that post here.

I only bring up my hellish background because you brought yours up and to say many people have had hellish upbringings.

 

[chemgirl]

@SandyinAnaheim Funny, after this thread I feel that at least the millenials here posting support boomers thoughts on them. Patronizing, or snarky, or just plain mean.

I only bring up my hellish background because you brought yours up.

If you don’t treat someone with respect you can’t expect them to respect you.

Nobody deserves respect simply for being older. Age does not equal wisdom. Actions, the ability to listen, learn and think critically, to grow, to change, that leads to wisdom and is independent of generation.

Some boomers don’t seem to understand that.

 

[Queenie60]

If you don’t treat someone with respect you can’t expect them to respect you.

Nobody deserves respect simply for being older. Age does not equal wisdom. Actions, the ability to listen, learn and think critically, to grow, to change, that leads to wisdom and is independent of generation.

Some boomers don’t seem to understand that.

Very well stated!

 

[Tekate]

I read this HouseCat but what exactly did boomers do that so offends you? I read complaints about the economy etc but I don't get a clear picture of what is so bad.

Boomers have grand kids and we all want a better world, I'm not sure what boomers you come across but none that I know of want a shitty economy, global warming.. I ALWAYS voted for the best candidate for the environment.

I wouldn't blame boomers as much as business, money as creating this mess.

Past generations created a climate crisis for Millennials and Generation Z. Today marks 30 years of inaction.

If we don't transition away from fossil fuels, future generations could face trillions of dollars in costs. If those in power fail to take action now, as many have in the past, they will be responsible for the debt and changed world they leave future generations.

www.businessinsider.com

I'm putting solar panels (I think) on my new house and we are buying an electric car once we move. But I do think to be really green you have to have income.

Nixon signed the 55 mph speed limit and then Clinton rescinded it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/11/29/federal-speed-limit-set-in-1974-repealed/d64a0059-d32e-4daa-92f4-887c6785ca57/

As a boomer I am very tired of MY generation being painted as the ME generation, selfish,

I read this:

A 'boomer' [in this case] is an older, angry white male who is shaking his fist at the sky while not being able to take an insult. They have close-minded opinions, are resistant to change — whether it's new technology or gender inclusivity — and are generally out of touch with how their behaviors affect other people.

that isnt me or any of my boomer family or friends.

What Are Baby Boomers Known For – Understanding Boomers and Their Contribution - Karen McCullough

Love them or hate them, the recent "OK Boomer" meme has thrust Baby Boomers back into the spotlight. So, just what are Baby Boomers known for? Let's find out!

www.karenmccullough.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/11/13/problem-with-ok-boomer/

What To Say When They Blame It On The Boomers

Clever comebacks for the boomer bashers (aka our children, the Millennials) who have pegged boomers as the "worst generation ever"

www.forbes.com

How boomers changed the world

How have they shaped society, for better and for worse?We posed the questions to four New Jersey professors.

www.courierpostonline.com

it's patently unfair to label millenials as basement dwellers and crybabies as it is to label boomers as responsible for all the ills of the world.

 

[Queenie60]

At some point, each generation takes the planet into their hands. It’s their responsibility to care for that planet in a way that is mindful of the generations waiting to inherit it in the future.

The boomers didn’t do this and now the planet is in peril. We have seven years to solve climate change or we will have famine and death. So yeah, I’m resentful. I think of my children and my grandkids and how they will have to endure this nightmare while having no part in the destruction.

I know what is morally right in this world. I also know my place when I have wronged someone. An apologetic attitude goes a long way. Boomers don’t know this. It is shown by their lack of empathy and by the fact that they can tell me how to live and act when they are responsible for the biggest catastrophe our planet has ever known.

So if the Gen Z’ers want them dead, maybe it’s because they know the boomers killed them long before they were born.

Just another POV.

I respect your opinion. I’m a boomer and respect every generation for their accomplishments and feel I have no right to tell someone how to live their life. Don’t want to be wished dead just because I am a baby boomer.

 

[Tekate]

If you don’t treat someone with respect you can’t expect them to respect you.

Nobody deserves respect simply for being older. Age does not equal wisdom. Actions, the ability to listen, learn and think critically, to grow, to change, that leads to wisdom and is independent of generation.

Some boomers don’t seem to understand that.

I don't know where I EVER said you need to get respect and give respect. I was raised on a 'standup' when an adult entered the room, and I did or my mother would smack me later. So I respected adults, respected their wisdom, but I never thought all I heard from the Greatest Generation was right or wise, I thought some parents were racists, haters of jews, I saw injustice by my parents generation, but as a human I stood up for any Mrs. Jones as my mother wanted me too. My father was really drunk once and told me "You should go to Cuba and raise sugar" like somehow I was a commie.. I wanted the war to end and no more deaths of guys I knew, a better America, blacks having freedom, no more hate..

Albert Einstein said: Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.

George Santayana. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

You are right, age doesn't create wisdom, Experience does.

Here's a good NYTimes article you should read (ETA: only if you want to), it's enlightening.. if you can't get into it, let me know and I will copy and paste (what the heck I'm a subscriber )

The Science of Older and Wiser (Published 2014)

The definition of wisdom may be hard to pin down precisely, but for those who have it, aging will be a pleasure.

www.nytimes.com

 

[House Cat]

I respect your opinion. I’m a boomer and respect every generation for their accomplishments and feel I have no right to tell someone how to live their life. Don’t want to be wished dead just because I am a baby boomer.

I understand. I was merely giving another point of view. I’m not personally wishing anyone dead

 

[Tekate]

Hey all you millenials and others who think boomers are so horrid.. how about what YOU say about boomers, people who live in glass houses should NEVER EVER throw stones.

 

[cmd2014]

This is a really interesting thread which has clearly stirred up some very strong feelings.

I‘m not sure how the Covid pandemic could be labelled a “Boomer Remover” anyway- age is a significant risk factor so it’s way more of a threat to those in their 80’s and 90’s.

What troubles me is (as a Gen X with late teen kids) is that we are wrecking our economies for many years into the future in order to protect the very elderly. It would surely have been wiser for much of life to have continued as normal for the “young” with better plans in place to help much older people to isolate.

It's a moral dilemma. The risk is not zero even for young people, and I guess the question is how do we as a society balance the need for economic stability against the cost of human lives - especially in those who are our most vulnerable - those from disadvantaged communities, those with underlying medical conditions, and the elderly.

I think differing philosophies on the value of human life vs the relative importance of economic stability has largely determined how various countries have chosen to proceed. It's not an easy answer though. I think it is something that we have all grappled with.

 

[Tekate]

Thank you @cmd2014, I appreciate that. Many of the things you've posted on this thread really resonated with me....similar situations in different places in the same era. I was also a latchkey kid from the age of 7, and starting at age 8, my mom would call on the phone and walk me through preparing the family dinner. But because she grew up in Cuba where sexual abuse was more than common, I was never allowed out unsupervised and was warned about people touching me from a very early age.


The only reason why I originally shared some of those experiences on this thread was to illustrate that life is hard for many, if not most people, regardless of age or generation. I think blaming another generation for systemic issues is unfounded and unwarranted. However, after experiencing the virulent oneupmanship against many on this thread, as if there's some sort of contest, my original lack of comprehension and naiveté on the subject is gone. I now understand why millennials feel the way they do, especially if they've experienced what we've seen here as typical behavior.

So has your experiences given you wisdom?? What are you talking about with one upmanship??

you said this to me when I said I experienced the same, I didn't say I literally experienced the same but I experienced trauma also.

Really? EXACTLY the same? Is that ANOTHER one of your stories, that you were on your own at the age of 15 and living in a parked car for 6 months??? REALLY?

is this what you call one upmanship? sharing that one has experienced the same thing? I'd like an answer, appreciate it. I had a lot of experience in child abuse, sexual abuse, discriminaton, alcohol & drug abuse, neglect and was sharing that.. I can only assume you had some offense that I shared?

The only reason why I shared my experiences growing up (and a lot of not sharing because it's too traumatizing).. to show that everyone has experience (wisdom?) like you saying to me as an example. Isn't discourse about learning from others, to me EVERYONE one of the younger people who implied things like "ok boomer" are okay were rude, it's passive aggressive.

A Poster said I attacked another posted, I never attacked anyone, I supported my argument that boomers are not the epicenter of what is wrong in America, we did a lot of good things and get no credit, I've shared that I have millenial kids..

Basically I come away with maybe what pundits say about millenials is true and correct.

 

[Bonfire]

Well, I’ve really enjoyed listening to this dialogue, but unfortunately for some, it’s about *winning* an argument or being right instead of listening and learning and empathy. Another missed opportunity.

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

So eloquently written @SandyinAnaheim. Big hugs!

Thank you sweetheart. Hugs right back!

 

[Ella]

This thread is unnecessarily mean and I don't have time for it. We're closing it.

All generations need to learn to behave like adults, or we'll be removing all political or controversial discussions on PS.