Pre-Boomer Musings

I racked my brain and queried lots of people to find a word or phrase that best describes the unnamed group of folks born between 1930 and 1945.  In a recent post, I listed 25 different possibilities hoping to generate some creative thinking on the part of readers.  These efforts have yet to produce a moniker that works, at least not in my opinion.

The name “pre-boomer” doesn’t say who we are, it just indicates we were the generation before the boomers and after our parent’s generation, so the term links us with a certain time period.  The boomers are known by when they were born as well as their behavior, which is why they are often referred to as the “me generation.”   Those who came before us are called the “greatest generation.” Therefore, it follows that we should be thought of not just for when we were born but, more importantly, for the way we act and what we have done.

We pre-boomers weren’t given everything, because there weren’t a lot of material things to give during our growing up years.  What we got was a promise that we could do better than our parents and achieve want we wanted if we were willing to study diligently and work hard.  We had a unique hope in the future, because the country had gone through back-to-back crises and prevailed.  These meant we were safe and secure; and, therefore, free to pursue our dreams.  And that’s what the “Can-do Generation” did.

For the most part, whatever we set are minds to do the pre-boomers accomplished.  Take a look back at where we began and what we have done with our lives.  In retrospect it looks pretty good.  And this goes beyond the workplace, it’s what we did with our lives and the legacy we gave our children and grandchildren that really counts.

Yes, our lives have been rich.  We have done our part.  But there’s more to do.  Our country is in crisis again.  The financial world is a mess.  We’re fighting wars on two fronts; they are relatively small conflicts, but our military men and women are being maimed and killed.  There are many hot spots around the globe that could develop into shooting wars, too.  Our nation is divided philosophically and politically, with the rhetoric continuing to grow louder and meaner.  Although we would like to sit back and enjoy retirement, we really can’t.

It’s time to go back to the basics.  We need to show others how to respect our fellows and work together in order to attain the common goal of keeping America the place were dreams can come true.  This can become a reality again provided each person is willing to work to make it happen while still considering the impact their actions will have on others.  And no group of people is a better example of this than the “Can-do Generation.”

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