Their Generation

I'd like to take a moment to reflect on Senior Citizens. Grandparents. Everybody has them. OLD people - most of us have to deal with them. And we all have stereotypes about them: the little old lady who has to count out each penny, the old man who regales us with stories about the "good old days," and, of course, has anyone ever met an old person who can drive?

However, as I walked around an older neighborhood in Independence a couple of weeks ago, I realized that there are definite positive aspects to Senior Citizens as well. Those old men who "bore" us with stories? Sometimes those stories are really cool! And even though it seems like they have an opinion about everything, they have experiences to go along with those opinions. But the thought that struck me hardest was that this generation of senior citizens is fading away, only to be replaced by another.

And who will the next generation of senior citizens be? You got it - Baby Boomers! Our own parents, in some cases. The hippies. The feminists. The generation that broke all the rules.

Why do I mention this? Well, I don't know if anyone has ever thought about the generational differences that will destroy stereotypes. We will get to see what stereotypes come from simple geriatrics, and which are due to generational differences. For instance, I'm sure even the Baby Boomers will have trouble driving as their eyesight and reflexes get worse.

However, think about the Baby Boomer culture. Instead of either having childlike wonder or getting angry at new technology, the baby boomers will want to learn it, be used to the quick pace of the changing world, and probably be able to keep up.

We think of senior citizens as being opposed to change: opposed to different cultures, rap music, technology, and young people in general. But will baby boomers be that way? They seem to be more of a generation that wants to try new things.

So, here's the question. Was it some side effect of the Great Depression that makes old women love to count out exact change at the grocery counter? Or will our own mothers start this habit when they reach, say 50?

What do you guys think? How will the Baby Boomers age differently than their parents? With medicine improving all the time, there's going to be a lot of examples out there to watch.