August 17 - Baby Boomers Recognition Day

Posted on August 17, 2020

Hmm, a day to recognize a large, relatively privileged generation? 



Supposedly this a day for "Baby Boomers" (people born between 1944 and 1964) to be proud of their generation...

But I am not sure that "Proud to be a Boomer" is going to fly this year! How many of us have heard "OK, Boomer" in a dismissive way? 

Why is "OK, Boomer" generally appropriate (hopefully also gentle or humorous) criticism? Younger people usually say this when people my age are being clueless, closed-minded, and judgmental.  



For example: A Baby Boomer complains, "Why can't Millennials just get one good job instead of all these so-called 'gig economy' jobs. They're so flighty!"



 
OK, Boomer: YOUR choices, Boomers, have created the world in which few of us can get one good "career" job with fringe benefits. You created this economy, we suffer in it - and then to top it all off with the ultimate irony - you blame us for it!

(Remember, I am a Boomer. I don't mean to speak for younger generations, but I am trying to reflect their all-too-appropriate critiques of my generation.)

I suggest that Baby Boomers Recognition Day become a reflection on changing economic, political, environmental, and societal conditions that can create disagreement between generations. Maybe we can start to remove some of the dismissiveness if we admit our collective failings?



By the way...

I often wonder how my generation became the
people most responsible for the environmental,
human rights, and healthcare catastrophe that
is the Trump administration.
Apparently Baby Boomers Recognition Day used to be in June, but it was moved to August because of Woodstock, arguably a 4-day-long watershed "moment" for Boomers. 





Also on this date:




Cupcake Day
(Third Monday of August)
(Moved to Oct. 26 in 2020 - due to COVID-19)




























Posted by at
Labels: , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)