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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsSilent Generation folks check in with this GenX'er
We were raised by you, mostly
Some boomers did, and certainly some Greatest Gen folks did
But the majority, if you look at the stats, is the Silent Gen folks who raised us
My parents were both Silent Gen -- Birthdates of 1935 and 6
They died over the past two years
My mom died of a UTI exacerbated by her dementia
My dad died of dementia, after having a stroke
I've gotten over it, but in the end, we GenXers never really understood our parents
Sure, we watched "MadMen" to see our parents' youth
We looked into it with intellectual fervor
But if you know Silent Generation folk, you KNOW they never talked about anything
We had to pry that out of them
So any Silent Generationers, for someone who recently lost their connection to that group, let me know how you're doing
How is life?
How is your outlook?
My mom was a Union Woman through and through
My dad was a cop through and through
One was R and one was D
Guess which one?
Anyway, check in with me
Tell me how you are doing
No Vested Interest
(5,165 posts)We were raised during WWII, by parents of the Roaring 20s generation.
But, they still remembered simpler days, and being frugal and looking out for the long-term picture.
We saved paper and metal for the war effort, and bought saving stamps toward War bonds.
Our parents used special stamps for our new shoes, and meat, and sugar.
We were at a loss when the only President we knew suddenly died, and replaced by a little known VP from Missouri.
We went through school, married at the appropriate time and had babies and raised families, went to church. Had some good times when finally retired - traveled, paid off the house.
Gradually, family and friends have died or are now longer physically up to much.
So it's a little lonely, but we're lucky to have the means of communication we used to have only by means of postage stamps and "long-distance calls", when you watched the number of minutes you talked because you were charged by the minute.
RFCalifornia
(440 posts)RFCalifornia
(440 posts)After all, Carl Sagan was among your gen
No Vested Interest
(5,165 posts)Last edited Mon Oct 4, 2021, 05:45 PM - Edit history (1)
Not sure where you're coming from, or looking to validate.
Carl Sagan may have been an outlier.
Remember, we were called Depression babies, and our numbers were apparently lower because of that, though I never noticed fewer numbers, because most families were larger during that time period anyway.
Most of us feel we were brought up in a fairly good atmosphere, in that we knew what life's rules were and mostly didn't find it hard to adhere to, and that life was smoother if you did.
The Eisenhower years, when we were in high school and college were orderly. Adlai Stevenson was my candidate for President twice, and he would have been a good one, but wouldn't have been that radically different from Ike.
As I write this, I'm aware that for many, life was not as good and extreme problems existed that needed to be righted.
Some beginnings were made during that period, not easily won.
RFCalifornia
(440 posts)Dr Martin Luther King Jr, John Lennon, Mikhail Gorbachev, Che Guevara, and Pope Francis
sarge43
(28,941 posts)For better and worse, our words and deeds had and still have a profound impact on our world.
https://www.onthisday.com/people/generation/silent-generation
RFCalifornia
(440 posts)In your ranks you have MLK Jr, The Beatles and Biden
Skittles
(153,142 posts)it's hard for parents who went through the Depression and WWII (mum was English) to identify with "issues" I had.....they were the kind of people who didn't just think bad things could happen, they knew they could......they've both been gone a while though....one thing they drilled in me was to save, save save....yes indeed, and know the difference between "want" and "need"