Silent Generation folks check in with this GenX'er

[RFCalifornia]

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]

1. Yep, I'm Silent Generation. Hanging on and trying to find peace of mind daily.

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]

2. Thank you

[RFCalifornia]

3. I like to think your generation was the first to give their children "BS Detectors"

After all, Carl Sagan was among your gen

[No Vested Interest]

4. Sorry, I can't relate to that.

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]

7. Well in your ranks are some of those who called BS

Dr Martin Luther King Jr, John Lennon, Mikhail Gorbachev, Che Guevara, and Pope Francis

[sarge43]

5. We were and still are many things, but we weren't silent.

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]

6. Very true. My parents were anything but silent

In your ranks you have MLK Jr, The Beatles and Biden

[Skittles]

8. I am a Boomer and my parents were Silent Gen

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"