The FORD Lounge

[Rembrant]

I feel your pain - for a long time we Gen Xers were considered the 'slacker' generation, which wasn't any more fair of a generalization than what you're putting up with.

But in one respect I do have it easier; Gen X was a relatively small generation. And sandwiched in between the train wrecks that came before and after us, we've been largely forgotten.

Haha...ya, the Gen-Y crowd has gotten a pretty bad rap the past number of years. Born in 1972, I'm a solid Gen-X'er. Nobody pays much attention to us...it's the Boomers and the Millennials that get all the news and editorial coverage...lol.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Im not a fan of this Generation labeling garbage, as if all people born in a certain time frame are the same. Give me a break. I was born in 86. Im nothing like a stereotypical "millenial" skinny jean wearing, black frame glasses wearing, snowflake lumbersexual. I dont care what people think of me, the narcissistic peers of my "generation" DO care what people think, and worry too much about their projection of personality.

Do what you like, say what you think, tell me what you know, dont tell me how you "feel" because nobody cares.

I got bunions older than you sonny...

Generational identifiers are fine.

As I've been saying to Gary, they tell a lot about the world you know and were raised in.

Boomers were born into the affluence of a post war economy.

Everyone and everything were upwardly mobile as the generation who went to war from the farmlands, returned home to the glut of opportunities found in suburbia, and had kids.

The car culture encouraged sprawl. A big change from cities that came before

(I sit somewhere between, in here)

Gen Xers were brought into the world under the cold war, tail end of McCarthyism, and the constant threat of nuclear annialaton.

War protests, and bounds toward equal race and women's rights were highlights. As well as the huge push toward space exploration and electronic data

Gen Y were seeing huge shifts in American industry, and for the first time a downturn of the American middle class.

There was still racial strife and protest but most of the bombings and lynchings were gone.

The Soviet Union and Berlin Wall fell apart as the 90's opened and the existential fear of nuclear anialation

was no longer drummed into every school kid who had to practice cowering under their desk.

Politics and the economy ran hot and cold, red and blue. This is the true rise of the post war ultra wealthy and the downfall of the middle class as they bought into the trickle down/voodoo economics of the Reagan/Bush era.

Millennials were somewhat embittered by all this, and they were the first generation who only knew a world connected to and divided by the rise of the electronic age. Opportunities and optimism were not the same for them. The advent of real time information and backlash against oppressive regimes imposed on 2nd world states shaped their views.

I can't speak for what followed.

Maybe I can ask my son or grandchildren.

Again, this is only my perspective, but as they say hindsight is 20/20

 

[Ray Cecil]

I got bunions older than you sonny...

Generational identifiers are fine.

As I've been saying to Gary, they tell a lot about the world you know and were raised in.

Boomers were born into the affluence of a post war economy.

Everyone and everything were upwardly mobile as the generation who went to war from the farmlands, returned home to the glut of opportunities found in suburbia, and had kids.

The car culture encouraged sprawl. A big change from cities that came before

(I sit somewhere between, in here)

Gen Xers were brought into the world under the cold war, tail end of McCarthyism, and the constant threat of nuclear annialaton.

War protests, and bounds toward equal race and women's rights were highlights. As well as the huge push toward space exploration and electronic data

Gen Y were seeing huge shifts in American industry, and for the first time a downturn of the American middle class.

There was still racial strife and protest but most of the bombings and lynchings were gone.

The Soviet Union and Berlin Wall fell apart as the 90's opened and the existential fear of nuclear anialation

was no longer drummed into every school kid who had to practice cowering under their desk.

Politics and the economy ran hot and cold, red and blue. This is the true rise of the post war ultra wealthy and the downfall of the middle class as they bought into the trickle down/voodoo economics of the Reagan/Bush era.

Millennials were somewhat embittered by all this, and they were the first generation who only knew a world connected to and divided by the rise of the electronic age. Opportunities and optimism were not the same for them. The advent of real time information and backlash against oppressive regimes imposed on 2nd world states shaped their views.

I can't speak for what followed.

Maybe I can ask my son or grandchildren.

Again, this is only my perspective, but as they say hindsight is 20/20

Jim, you are correct that the times do shape our experience, but I do not believe that the times must shape how we see ourselves, or shape our personalities, or our actions.

For many generations, these virtues have been taught in my family, as well as many other families: Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, self Reliance, Industriousness and Perseverance.

Out of respect for all, and especially Gary, I wont get political or religious. However, I believe that the virtues pierce time, cultures, wars, hate, and yes even religion. The virtues are based in The Golden Rule. I havent always lived perfectly by them, but as a non religious person, they have been my ships navigational charts. No generational label or generational happenstance can move a person grounded in these virtues. Most religions teach these virtues in some way or another.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Jim, you are correct that the times do shape our experience, but I do not believe that the times must shape how we see ourselves, or shape our personalities, or our actions.

For many generations, these virtues have been taught in my family, as well as many other families: Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, self Reliance, Industriousness and Perseverance.

Out of respect for all, and especially Gary, I wont get political or religious. However, I believe that the virtues pierce time, cultures, wars, hate, and yes even religion. The virtues are based in The Golden Rule. I havent always lived perfectly by them, but as a non religious person, they have been my ships navigational charts. No generational label or generational happenstance can move a person grounded in these virtues. Most religions teach these virtues in some way or another.

Ray, I agree.

But the world around us does shape our view of where we fit into that world.

Virtues are (for the most part) universal.

Though different cultures and religions have very different views of -monogamy- for example.

Christians themselves, can have wildly different perspectives!

From polygamy and marriages as close as cousins to Catholics who believe in abstinence before marriage and that you will be excommunicated if you choose to stray from or divorce your partner.

I won't expound on religion any deeper.

Wars change and break all 'virtues'

I know this from personal experience and I will not get graphic with what I have seen and know as fact.

No one is virtuous when they are being tortured, or watching their family burned alive for 'entertainment'

War is gruesome and hateful from the ground.

I'm not perfect, far from it.

But I try to live my life without regret, and let others live theirs.

My discussions with Gary have reflected on the fundemental changes in our world and known universe.

How new (generations) have perspective and abilities unimagined by their forbearers.

Eric has about *correction 8 years on you, but if I asked him i'd imagine his views would be close to yours.

My apologies if I'm just a cynical old coot.

Things happen that change a man.

[Ray Cecil]

Ray, I agree.

But the world around us does shape our view of where we fit into that world.

Virtues are (for the most part) universal.

Though different cultures and religions have very different views of -monogamy- for example.

Christians themselves, can have wildly different perspectives!

From polygamy and marriages as close as cousins to Catholics who believe in abstinence before marriage and that you will be excommunicated if you choose to stray from or divorce your partner.

I won't expound on religion any deeper.

Wars change and break all 'virtues'

I know this from personal experience and I will not get graphic with what I have seen and know as fact.

No one is virtuous when they are being tortured, or watching their family burned alive for 'entertainment'

War is gruesome and hateful from the ground.

I'm not perfect, far from it.

But I try to live my life without regret, and let others live theirs.

My discussions with Gary have reflected on the fundemental changes in our world and known universe.

How new (generations) have perspective and abilities unimagined by their forbearers.

Eric has about *correction 8 years on you, but if I asked him i'd imagine his views would be close to yours.

My apologies if I'm just a cynical old coot.

Things happen that change a man.

Jim, the older I get, the more I understand the cynical old man. Also, the more I learn, the more I realize I dont know very much.

Something I realized in my 20's is that there is a difference between judgment, and condemnation. I learned that its okay to judge, but not always wise to condemn. I am certain I dont have all the perspective that an older man has. However, I have met plenty of older men who have very narrow, sheltered, and naive perspective.

I think the problem with my "generation" is that they are advanced in knowledge due to tech, but not advanced in wisdom and experience. Like the old saying goes "Youth is wasted on the young." If we only knew then, what we know now.....

[ArdWrknTrk]

Jim, the older I get, the more I understand the cynical old man. Also, the more I learn, the more I realize I dont know very much.

Something I realized in my 20's is that there is a difference between judgment, and condemnation. I learned that its okay to judge, but not always wise to condemn. I am certain I dont have all the perspective that an older man has. However, I have met plenty of older men who have very narrow, sheltered, and naive perspective.

I think the problem with my "generation" is that they are advanced in knowledge due to tech, but not advanced in wisdom and experience. Like the old saying goes "Youth is wasted on the young." If we only knew then, what we know now.....

I'm a freaking encyclopedia!

And I think I don't know too much.

I've known for a long time that I can only judge myself.

But we learn every day of people who have done things that should be judged (harshly)

I'm no one's God, and I don't want to play him either.

And -I hope- I'm not small minded, bigoted, ignorant or bitter about anything.

Knowledge is out there everywhere!

Experience is only lived

And wisdom is the ability to distinguish between the learning and the lesson.

I've known very wise kids.

And I've known stupid old fools. (judgement????)

It's not about when you were born.

It's about how you were allowed or encouraged to interact with the world.

(I grew up absolutely feral)

There is an expectation of safety in most of the developed world now.

And yet, we expect our children to have good judgment.

But then we get arrested for allowing them to walk home from school alone.

We push them academically, and intramurally, but if they twist an ankle in basketball, the school system gets sued.

You can't have it both ways.

And you need to give kids a chance to fail or get injured for them to learn the consequences of their actions.

We should not be prosecuted for letting kids be kids. (no matter six or sixty)

[ArdWrknTrk]

I'm a freaking encyclopedia!

And I think I don't know too much.

I've known for a long time that I can only judge myself.

But we learn every day of people who have done things that should be judged (harshly)

I'm no one's God, and I don't want to play him either.

And -I hope- I'm not small minded, bigoted, ignorant or bitter about anything.

Knowledge is out there everywhere!

Experience is only lived

And wisdom is the ability to distinguish between the learning and the lesson.

I've known very wise kids.

And I've known stupid old fools. (judgement????)

It's not about when you were born.

It's about how you were allowed or encouraged to interact with the world.

(I grew up absolutely feral)

There is an expectation of safety in most of the developed world now.

And yet, we expect our children to have good judgment.

But then we get arrested for allowing them to walk home from school alone.

We push them academically, and intramurally, but if they twist an ankle in basketball, the school system gets sued.

You can't have it both ways.

And you need to give kids a chance to fail or get injured for them to learn the consequences of their actions.

We should not be prosecuted for letting kids be kids. (no matter six or sixty)

***** Snipped and moved from WHYDTYTT*****

I'm a pedant, but not obsessive compulsive.

When people ask the difference, I say

"I like the bills in my wallet grouped by denomination, OCD is when you have to file them by serial number"

[salans7]

***** Snipped and moved from WHYDTYTT*****

I'm a pedant, but not obsessive compulsive.

When people ask the difference, I say

"I like the bills in my wallet grouped by denomination, OCD is when you have to file them by serial number"

Yes, I'm definitely OCD when it comes to my trucks. My F150 was proof of that.

[ArdWrknTrk]

***** Snipped and moved from WHYDTYTT*****

I'm a pedant, but not obsessive compulsive.

When people ask the difference, I say

"I like the bills in my wallet grouped by denomination, OCD is when you have to file them by serial number"

How is it for you?

Do you find it crippling in any way?

If this is too personal, just say no comment.

As an autistic i'm interested in other people's perspectives on the world.

Unfortunately I don't seem to have any boundaries or a filter between brain and mouth.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yes, I'm definitely OCD when it comes to my trucks. My F150 was proof of that.

You don't seem to care that it's EXACTLY as it rolled off the line.

Just that it fits your *vision of what it should be*