Snapshot collections

An article appeared in USA Today talking about the last 4 generations.  It started with saying that the Baby Boomer generation wasn't at all pleased with or proud of their children's generation.  The children's generation didn't have very good morals, thought they were entitled to a better life, and didn't have a good work ethic.

Funny how things work.  Tom Brokaw wrote a book back before the turn of the millennium talking about what the Great Generation thought of their children.  The Great generation was the generation that survived the Great Depression and World War II.  They thought their hippie children didn't have good morals, had life too easy, were being brainwashed by television, and would have a hard time becoming responsible in a harsh world.

That's really funny.  Woodrow Wilson was supposed to be the model person of his generation and often was reported as being their spokesperson.  He is quoted as saying that his generation who fought the war to end all wars (WWI) and gave women the right to vote looked upon their children as losing touch with what counts in life, that they were letting inventions like the car make them soft people instead of harder people who still rode horses.

It's ironic how that generational perspective works.  Plato said the same thing about the youth of his generation and is quoted as saying Socrates didn't have a high opinion of them either.  Even farther back in history by 5 centuries, Hesiod, a Greek poet, speaks of the slothfulness of youth.

Maturity is very often left out of the picture by those who would judge young adults.  Of course, adolescents are erratic and irresponsible at the beginning of the maturity process.  Development is ragged around the edges.  The phase after adolescence is characterized by myopic self-centeredness.  People in their 30s are typified by their ambitions in becoming whatever floats their boats.  And so the story goes.

Maturity simply takes experience, which is indelibly related to the passage of time.  That process yields snapshot perspectives on life.  Maturity is a snapshot.  These snapshots assembled make for great stories.  Everyone has a great story - the story of their maturity.  It's a shame that people can't connect dots in early snapshots to know what they will yield in later years, but then, that is the human condition.