Whose Generation? A Look into the Generational Gap

Anyone who has ever had a relationship with a parent can attest to the hard truth that there is a sizeable gap between different generations. Just think about the last fight you had with your parents. If you are a teenager, it may have been over something you did-or did not- do, like taking out the trash, talking back or, in my parents opinion the worst child sin of all, forgetting to clean your room. Naturally, I have never committed this last transgression. Maybe you are an adult, and the disagreement was more serious, perhaps you did not visit your family and you should have, or you actually bought that overpriced car or house. These arguments can illustrate how different our generations are. These variations are mostly due to the different conditions we were raised in; different times, different events, and the values that we keep with us throughout our lives.

For example, my Oma and Opa grew up in Germany during the post World War I depression. Neither of them had much, and they grew up in a world of violence and bombs. A world so threatening that my Opa was drafted. Then my Oma had to hide in a subway station to avoid the bombings, only to have the debris from the explosions trap her and 500 others for three days. In these desperate times, what they did have was highly valued and well taken care of. This is why my Oma cannot fathom how I could accidentally forget a shirt on my floor or leave a shoe out of my closet. This is one of a multitude of values that she kept with her, and a very different mindset from anyone else I know.

One could then take my grandparents, my mother’s parents, born almost 20 years later in the United States, growing up during post World War II prosperity. Their carefree attitude and confidence in the U.S. government is never failing. This is a noticeable difference from my parents’ generation, those who grew up to Woodstock, Vietnam protests, and Watergate. Their confidence in the government’s ability is different, a lesson they learned from things they saw growing up. Their situations and conditions were different, so the values and lessons they learned were different too.

Then, there is my generation. I like to think that we keep with us the lessons of previous generations. The ability to be somewhat neat, somewhat carefree yet maintaining a skeptical attitude. Yet, what will define us? Will it be the 9/11 attacks and the wave of fear that followed? Maybe the recent elections will define us. Or perhaps, our greatest defining moment, is yet to come.