From the Communications Chair
Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break,
every step you take, we’ll be watching you.
Lyrics from the 1982 song “Every Breath you Take.” Written by Sting, recorded by The Police
Because that is what every generation does to the ones that follow.
And it is what you will do to the generations that follow you.
Each generation is born into the world with paradigms and beliefs indigenous to that time. Each generation progresses through their life hoping to make life better for the following generations. In doing so inventions are created, advancements are embraced, new beliefs and morals around those advancements are adopted. They are handed down as gifts to the next generation without a full appreciation of how the advancements will change the lives of future generations. When those new generations embrace those gifts, and create their own paradigms, previous generations tend to question the following generations for how they embrace these gifts into their daily life.
I remember my parents and grandparents liked to talk to us face to face. Make sure we were on the right path. They started most sentences with a reference to “back in my day”, or “back in the good old days.” If I responded in any manner that they felt did not show the utmost respect I was met with scorn. I never thought to ask them: How would your lives be different if you had the very tools we have that you criticize us for using? If that question was asked of me today from a Generation Xer, I would probably say I’d be a lot like you are today.
I’m a boomer. Our lives began with the “Mad Men” culture transcended from the Vietnam War (Conflict), Civil Rights Era, Kent State, desegregation, integration, a president’s assassination, another’s resignation, the emergence of personal computers, and four economic downturns. When we spoke up, many of the generations before us spoke up against us. Many of my peers rebelled with the tools of the time. But what if we had social media back then? Would events have turned out differently? Or what if the generations before us had the internet? Would the Depression of the 1930s, WWII, Korean War been avoided or subsequent events altered? We’ll never know for sure, but it makes for great thought and conversation.
So, to you Generations Xers I offer this: If you are feeling pressure from your elders, welcome to the circle of life. Have a little compassion for your predecessors. We don’t totally understand what you are experiencing or how today’s tools are making your lives different than ours. It’s normal to question what you do not fully comprehend. So please keep the lines of communication open. We may not understand what’s going on, but at the end of the day our intentions are to help. Text us, tell us how we can.
Rob Reichstein
Communications Chair
Desert Ridge Community Association
