Baby Boomer Generation Characteristics Verses Silent Generation Characteristics
What makes Baby Boomers unique? The most definitive difference between baby boomers and the silent generation is when they were born. Members of the silent generation was born between 1925 and 1942. While baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964.
Baby Boomers and their parents enjoyed the prosperity of the post war years. The only things is, as we all know the population exploded, and because of that boomers have been unique.
When I was growing up, as a baby boomer, my father had the same secure job, and my mother stayed home and took care of things there. Things were good. My dads job was nothing special, but he provided for the family. Everything was cool, and I didn’t think of myself as a “baby boomer”. At that point I don’t think that any of us boomers considered ourselves to be different.
Then we entered high school and the system declared. What Are We Going To Do With All These Kids? To my surprise my sophomore class in high school was bigger than the junior and senior classes combined.
The economy was still booming at that point. After high school I went into the Army for three years, and I spent the last year and a half of that in Germany. When I came home I saw evidence of the strong economy, because it seemed that every other driveway had a RV parked in it. For the past three years, the only RV I was accustomed to was a deuce and a half with a canvas cover over the bed.
How These Two Generations Differ
As I mentioned my father worked for the same employer for as long as I can remember, and my mother did not start working until I was in high school. All that time we lived in the same house. That was typical of members of the silent generation.
I on the other hand have had several jobs. When people ask me what I did before I retired, I have to qualify my response by asking, what part of my life is the person asking about. My wife has always worked. And we have moved frequently. That is typical of members of the baby boomer generation.
Education
Baby Boomers have been able to become better educated than our parents. Once again I will use my father as an example. It was not necessary to get a formal education for him to provide for his family. What he needed was a trade, and years of experience.
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Also a college education was a lot less expensive when I went to school as compared to what it cost now. I remember showing up for registration with a couple hundred bucks in my pocket. I could pay for a full load of classes and have change for six pack. Today you can not even buy a campus parking permit with two hundred dollars.
When It Comes Time To Retire
Boomers are living longer than members of the silent generation. When it came time for the silent generation to retire, that is exactly what they did. Turn sixty two years of age, collect your gold watch, and start drawing your pension. That is what the silent generation did. That is what my parents did.
Retirement could not be any different for boomers. First of all, generally speaking, we can not retire at sixty two. We have to wait to turn sixty six, and then as long as we have our good health many of us have no intention of retiring. Either we can not afford to retire, because we do not have a sufficient nest egg to support our lifestyle. Or we need to continue working to be psychological or socially fulfilled.
It is also likely if we do retire, we have something else in mind which will allow us to make some extra cash, and still be in control of our time. The internet has opened up new opportunities for us to supplement our retirement income. This is stuff that the silent generation did not have access to.
Boomers are also returning to school or partaking of some kind of training that will enable them generate additional income.
Consequences
- The Generations
Boomers are expected to live thirty years after we retire. This may create a problem that the silent generation did not have to cope with. It was not likely that the silent generation was going to outlive their retirement funds. Members of the silent generation worked for employers who had pension plans.
Many of us boomers have asked our employers for higher wages. In order for our employers to comply with our request they have cut our pension plans, and replaced them with 401K’s. That only leaves us with social security to fund us for the rest of our lives. Yet another reason that we boomers may be required to find an additional way to make some money to maintain our standard of living.
Conclusion
Okay that is all that I got for now. I’m afraid that if I write too much, you may look at the length of this post and decide not to read it. I do want to invite anyone who has any questions or comments to leave them below. I promise I will get right back to you.
Thank You
Darrell
asupplementalretirementincome.com
Recent Comments
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Darrell, you could have been writing about my families history as well as yours. My father's salary was enough to buy a house and keep my Mom at home raising my sister and I.
I knew 30 years ago that my parents generation had it better in many ways than my generation would. My wife has always had to work.
I'm over 65 and still work full-time. I tell the kids at work, (20-year olds) that I would not trade my past for their future. Because, they are going to have it a lot harder than we ever did, and would have been a nightmare to our parents.
I credit this downfall to the death of the middle class.
I don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican, your government and the 1%ers have done this to us. We just watched as they did it.
Shame on us.
Hi Phil. I appreciate you reading and commenting on this post. It is true that our parents seems to have had it better than we do. At least life was a lot less complex for the silent generation. Clearly we have had to adapt to survive. But then each generation throughout history has had to adapt in order to keep up. We are blessed because we have the ability to keep up.
Thank again for your kind response
Darrell
Darrell my friend, as a Boomer myself I really like your posts.
This one is great. So accurate to what I remember growing up.
Please continue sharing with us Boomers. We love it.
Thank you Ken for your kind words of encouragement. Being a boomer, it is not difficult to become passionate about issues concerning baby boomers. Comments like yours lights a fire where I'm setting, and encourages me to continue my research into boomer issues.
Thanks Again
Darrell
There were so many things that were better then like being able to go to your mom for some sympathy when you cut your knee or had a stomach ache. Most of us had a well respected granny or grandpa who lived the family and told us of bygone days. They didn't have to worry about their next meal when they retired. I live in N Ireland where education including university was free until recently and we still have the NHS which means we don't have to pay for medical treatment. We were ecstatic yet fearful of having a man on the moon..........memories......you have set us all thinking about the days when we managed to survive without the internet and WA - how on earth did we manage that!
Hi Hilary and thank you for your thoughtful comment. Things were much more simple when we were younger, and I enjoy sharing experiences I had with my grandchildren. Problem is, many times they look at me with this expression that says "are you done yet".
That brings me back to the present. I have my memories of past experiences to help me not to make the same mistakes over again.
Thanks Darrell
Great Post, sir. My parents are from the same time frame. My father has just retired from John Deere. Unfortunately, he hired on there in 1996, just before I graduated and is just shy of 20 years; it was due to health concerns, though he has kept in shape by exercising.
I have told both of my parents about making money online and they are quite a bit apprehensive; they do not have the internet at their house, yet, do have computers. I am betting they may likely start checking into it. I know my father has a passion for writing stories same as I do and my mother actually worked as a newspaper correspondent for the local papers for a number of years.
If they do decide to check into it, I will recommend they come to this website as a beginning point and specifically suggest they read your works as well as your website.
Later,
Chris K.
Thank you Chris for taking the time to read and write such a kind comment regarding this post. Boomers are finding themselves in positive as well as negative situations as they travel down the pathway of their retirement. I don't like to dwell on the negative aspects of retirement, but I do have to pay attention to it.
Thanks Again
Darrell
Excellent post! A lot of great information here! I am really impressed with your writing style....I feel like you're sitting right here!
Many thanks Rosie. It is humbling to get such kind comment as yours. Once again Thank you
Darrell
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Very true Darrell.
The times,they have changed.
Yet baby boomers have rolled with every punch life has and will throw at us :)
Another great post.
Thank you Papi for your kind remarks. Being a baby boomer has and is an experience. It's a good thing that I'm supposed to live for another 30 years, because I'm not ready to give up on all the fun that I'm having.
Thanks again
Darrell