OK Boomer

[RedJoker]

Originally Posted by wguitar

A friend sent this to me recently ... interesting perspectives from different generations ...

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment,.
The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."
The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
The older lady said that she was right our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain: Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.
But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then. We walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.
Back then we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days.
Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.
Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.
We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing."
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart young person. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off... Especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced smart person who can't make change without the cash register telling them how much.

I love the irony in this post. The older lady's generation is the EXACT generation that took the world from the idyllic state described as the 'old days' to the obnoxious state that is now being blamed on the young person.

Somehow the young person is the problem here? They had nothing to do with the change and is now trying to deal with where things are now.

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by wguitar

A friend sent this to me recently ... interesting perspectives from different generations ...

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment,.
The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."
The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
The older lady said that she was right our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain: Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.
But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then. We walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.
Back then we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days.
Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.
Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.
We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing."
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart young person. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off... Especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced smart person who can't make change without the cash register telling them how much.

That's the best post I've read in a very long time!

[Murphy Slaw]

Originally Posted by AX17609

That's the best post I've read in a very long time!

Yep.

Loved it.

[Kerbie]

Guys, this thread is beginning to take a lot of mod time. Please keep it within the rules. Thanks.

[imwjl]

On age and agism, of course genetics help but you need the right attitude at all ages. I'm certain Mr. Obermeyer has lucky genes but he also has the right attitude I've seen in people with or without lucky genes.

[KevWind]

The 'blame game" has been around since language evolved. Unfortunately it is much easier to try to simplify, imagine, and blame,,, than attempt to understand the complexity that is reality.

The direction in which the finger points is invalid in any direction.

"What's wrong and or right with world,,,,, is not generational, unilateral , or exclusive,,,, it's situational, multilateral, and inclusive.

And I agree with Darrell Scott when he sang " The good ol' days are just good and gone"

And the universal profundity hidden in Grace Slick's statement, " we were creatures of our time"

[mr. beaumont]

I saw a meme the other day that said "Xennials: OK BOOMER"

below it said "Also Xennials" and there was a video of a college age student struggling to use a can opener.

Got a literal LOL from me.

[Cabarone]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

I love the irony in this post. The older lady's generation is the EXACT generation that took the world from the idyllic state described as the 'old days' to the obnoxious state that is now being blamed on the young person.

Somehow the young person is the problem here? They had nothing to do with the change and is now trying to deal with where things are now.

Much as I hate to admit it, I thought the same thing...we're leaving an overwhelming cleanup for the next generations that I fear they'll be unequipped to handle...

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Cabarone

Much as I hate to admit it, I thought the same thing...we're leaving an overwhelming cleanup for the next generations that I fear they'll be unequipped to handle...

I'm viewing that next generation point differently right now. I do a lot with them in my personal time and in my job. I'm a late age parent also a board member and leader in an institution with 600+ kids in lessons, programs and teams. In my day job there are hundreds of young workers to also change my mind. It may be clouded or influenced by seeing some top performing kids but those kids have a whole lot of knowledge, skill and understanding few in my boomer generation and some behind me had.

Forgetting about the lower performers, dullards, whatever you want to call them I see young people who know a whole lot more than past generations. I'm seeing kids get in the work place who really knew/know how the last recession impacted their families.

Tease about that cel phone but in an enterprise with hundreds of employees I see our young people getting into leadership are better collaborators and faster problem solvers.

[TaoMaas]

Originally Posted by RedJoker

I love the irony in this post. The older lady's generation is the EXACT generation that took the world from the idyllic state described as the 'old days' to the obnoxious state that is now being blamed on the young person.

Somehow the young person is the problem here? They had nothing to do with the change and is now trying to deal with where things are now.

I have to admit that this was my first thought, too. I remember many of the things the old lady talks about, but I also know that it wasn't something people chose. It's what we had to do because, in many cases, modern alternatives didn't exist yet. It's kind of a "rah-rah" story designed to make us feel good about ourselves (and look down on the younger generation, as shown in the last line) while only telling part of the truth.

[mattbn73]

Originally Posted by wguitar

A friend sent this to me recently ... interesting perspectives from different generations ...

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment,.
The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, "We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days."
The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
The older lady said that she was right our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day. The older lady went on to explain: Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day. Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.
But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then. We walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.
Back then we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days.
Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.
Back then we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.
We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing."
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart young person. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off... Especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced person who can't make change without the cash register telling them how much.

There is so much TRUTH in all of this.

It's just a shame it's written in such a us-vs them, yellow-journalism fashion. There's a way to say things without personifying an imaginary young cashier who would actually call out an old lady based on her entire GENERATION, while checking out groceries . This young lady is an employee at the store and is blaming a customer for ruining her entire world?

Then, the fictionalized lady has perfect response, complete with very sermon-like rhythm of the repeated sarcastic phrase: "we didn't do the green thing back then". Propaganda isn't all about lies. It's mostly about using carefully selected truths to pit one group against another.

Pieces like this on Facebook are basically asking you to choose a side. Do you agree with the old lady or not? If you do, you're picking a SIDE? Is this kind of thing actually used as propaganda to make people feel better about not actually doing anything for the environment now?

I absolutely agree with reinstituting previous generation's practices which actually WORKED, but I don't even really see a call to action for anything like that in this one. The overall tone sounds more like a justification for ignoring current environmental efforts.

So we have a fantasy comeback for fictional check-out girls who want to preach a sermon at us about ruining their lives?

[Jeremy]

Originally Posted by Willie_D

You forget, we Gen Xers don't give a rip about much of anything. Make fun of us? Whatever.

Yep. We're far too cynical to care.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by mattbn73

There is so much TRUTH in all of this.

It's just a shame it's written in such a us-vs them, yellow-journalism fashion. There's a way to say things without personifying an imaginary young cashier who would actually call out an old lady based on her entire GENERATION, while checking out groceries . This young lady is an employee at the store and is blaming a customer for ruining her entire world?

Then, the fictionalized lady has perfect response, complete with very sermon-like rhythm of the repeated sarcastic phrase: "we didn't do the green thing back then". Propaganda isn't all about lies. It's mostly about using carefully selected truths to pit one group against another.

Pieces like this on Facebook are basically asking you to choose a side. Do you agree with the old lady or not? If you do, you're picking a SIDE? Is this kind of thing actually used as propaganda to make people feel better about not actually doing anything for the environment now?

I absolutely agree with reinstituting previous generation's practices which actually WORKED, but I don't even really see a call to action for anything like that in this one. The overall tone sounds more like a justification for ignoring current environmental efforts.

So we have a fantasy comeback for fictional check-out girls who want to preach a sermon at us about ruining their lives?

Great post.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by imwjl

I'm viewing that next generation point differently right now. I do a lot with them in my personal time and in my job. I'm a late age parent also a board member and leader in an institution with 600+ kids in lessons, programs and teams. In my day job there are hundreds of young workers to also change my mind. It may be clouded or influenced by seeing some top performing kids but those kids have a whole lot of knowledge, skill and understanding few in my boomer generation and some behind me had.

Forgetting about the lower performers, dullards, whatever you want to call them I see young people who know a whole lot more than past generations. I'm seeing kids get in the work place who really knew/know how the last recession impacted their families.

Tease about that cel phone but in an enterprise with hundreds of employees I see our young people getting into leadership are better collaborators and faster problem solvers.

My experience with younger folks seems to be quite similar to this. Though retired from full time work, I do take a relatively short (3 month, 3 days p/week) engineering contract at a company that has many new grad engineers and takes on quite a number of engineering interns. I am very impressed with these people, certainly much more so than the people around me that were college age that I knew back in the 1960s. These young people I have worked with are very bright and well informed. I may not always agree with their views, but do respect them because they are quite rational about it. I wouldn't expect to agree with everybody on everything, so my not agreeing in some cases is not a generational thing from my perspective. If there are enough people like those I have worked with, then I think we are going to be in good hands overall.

Tony

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

My experience with younger folks seems to be quite similar to this. Though retired from full time work, I do take a relatively short (3 month, 3 days p/week) engineering contract at a company that has many new grad engineers and takes on quite a number of engineering interns. I am very impressed with these people, certainly much more so than the people around me that were college age that I knew back in the 1960s. These young people I have worked with are very bright and well informed. I may not always agree with their views, but do respect them because they are quite rational about it. I wouldn't expect to agree with everybody on everything, so my not agreeing in some cases is not a generational thing from my perspective. If there are enough people like those I have worked with, then I think we are going to be in good hands overall.

Tony

Funny to check back and see this during lunch after a brief meeting in the central pricing department that's had revolution via age and gender. The early 20s - mid 40s women have ushered in a whole new era as far as collaboration and root cause mentality.

Gender is not really the topic here but I'm totally convinced more women along with more young people in leadership is really important where I work.