The Luckiest Generation Alive

by Barbara Lynn Terry

They call us "boomers"

because we were born in the baby boom

nineteen hundred and forty six through

nineteen hundred and sixty four.

We grew up being taught that an atomic

war with Russia was imminent and that

we should be prepared. Many built bomb

shelters just in case the fallout came.

We played with our jump ropes, jacks,

and dolls, while the boys played more

boy oriented violent games, like cowboys

and indians, cops and robbers, or war.

We saw the official birth of rock and roll

and how our parents screamed at us to

listen to something better like Frank Sinatra,

Dean Martin, Patti Page, or Pat Boone.

We saw the charismatic John Fitzgerald Kennedy

elected President of the United States, and we

wanted so much to mimic Jackie in her fashion

and decorating sense.

We all screamed on Sunday night when Mister

Ed Sullivan introduced "THE BEATLES" and we

all went hysterically wild. We screamed throughout

the show, much our parents chagrin.

We were there for most of the firsts history had

to offer from the baby boom generation. We lived

through the civil unrest that shook a nation to its knees,

begging for equality, in law, housing, and jobs.

We stood in protest against the wrongs committed

against women in the workplace, and by men in general.

We remember Gloria Steinem and her over sized sun

glasses that caught on as a fashion statement for women.

As we continued on in life, we witnessed many tragic events

in the history of America, but we were a young generation

taught right from wrong and it is okay to joke but you must

always have respect.

For the most part, the values instilled in us, were from our

parents, other places that raised us, from foster parents

or maybe even from other family members. But we took

these lessons into the future of our lives.

We are the luckiest generation alive today, because some of us

not only witnessed this history, but had a hand in making it.

It wasn't all bad. We had fun growing up when rock and roll was

young just so we could make our parents mad. ~evil laugh~

Peace!

© 2011 by Barbara Lynn Terry