From the Greatest Generation to the Baby Boomers

Introduction

My parents were part of the Greatest Generation from World War II. My brother and I are baby boomers. While millions and millions of words have been used to publish countless books and articles describing these two generations, the following true story illustrates their differences.

The Story

One day my father was driving my brother to their destination in the family car. My brother rode as the passenger and drank a cup of coffee along the way. From my point of view, and my brother's point of view, that was good time management as he was getting two things done at once. My father's friend from the Greatest Generation saw them riding in the car and he explained the opposite point of view. He said, "I knew there would come a time when twenty-four hours a day would not be enough."

A Matter of Values

There is no right or wrong point of view in this story. The story simply explains how the two generations look at life. The Greatest Generation suffered through the Great Depression and World War II. Then they came home from the war, settled down, got married and raised a family. They worked night and day to earn enough money to send their children to college. The college education was supposed to lead to a better life. For the Greatest Generation, surviving, accomplish your mission, and enjoying life at the same time were the ultimate values.

The baby boomers had the opportunity to go to college, to make a difference, and to build a better world where people do not have to suffer through another Great Depression and another World War. Building this new world required a total commitment and dedication, and twenty four hours a day was never enough. For the baby boomers using your education and ideas to build a better world, was the ultimate value. History will determine how successful we were. One issue is certain. Relaxing and enjoying life along the way, proved very difficult.